How did the world begin? Is there meaning and purpose in life? Or is existence a matter of chance and chaos? Since human beings first walked the earth, we have been a questioning race, driven by curiosity. For centuries, religion and science have been seen as rival explanations for the way the world is. Both in their different ways pursue questions of life and meaning. But are these two quests totally opposed? Or are they two facets of the human yearning to find out the truth about who we are and what our place in the universe can be? In the search for God--the ultimate source of purpose and meaning--can science help? In this book, adapted from the Oxford Templeton Lectures given in 1992, Sir John Houghton, a leading British scientist with a long involvement in space research, explores the overlap between the concerns of science and religion.