Overview
The last few decades have witnessed the development of a host of ideas aimed at understanding and predicting nature's ever present complexity. These advancements have revealed new universal laws related to natural disorder (fractals, power-laws, chaos, etc.) and have reminded us that the reiteration of simple mechanisms is a common cause of the complex. This course presents a comprehensive linkage between such universal concepts of complexity and the moral decisions we all face as human beings, and elucidates, in a logical and poetic fashion and in tune with the Word of God, the Christian call to conversion and love, hence establishing an unexpected bridge from science to faith. Employing accurate analogies and metaphors based on scientific diagrams and concepts, the class gives rise to multiple theological asseverations, among which stand out: that Jesus is, in effect, the way, the truth and the life and the only way to the Father, that is, our Savior; that in a chaotic fig tree of science may be visualized heaven, hell and purgatory and that also through it may be understood why it is pertinent to be prepared for the return of Jesus; that there is a geometric model of the Most Holy Trinity, which calls us to heaven maintaining our faith in the cross of Christ while aided by the Holy Spirit; that it is possible to learn from common power-laws of nature so that we may achieve peace living a virtuous and saintly life in Jesus; and that based on the celebrated passage of the Vine and the branches a symbolic translation may be obtained of the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist Doxology, which invite us to the plenitude of love.
About the Instructor
Dr. Puente received his Ph. D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a professor of hydrology at the Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources of the University of California, Davis from 1986 to 2021. He is the author of over 70 refereed publications, including the books Treasures inside the Bell, The Hypotenuse, and The Fig Tree & The Bell, which contain the key ideas of the class. At UC Davis he shared his seminar class Chaos, Complexity & Christianity a record number of 44 times since 2001, and his students belonged to several academic disciplines that encompassed the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities. He has given numerous talks about the contents of the class, both in English and in Spanish, including lectures in Italy, France, England, Argentina, Cuba, Mexico and Colombia, and has published diverse articles and documents about the theme of the seminar, including the blog (in Spanish) Campanitas de Fe and a collection of songs with videos (also in Spanish) in YouTube under the name Puente de Paz: X = Y. At the moment and since 2023, his seminar class is part of the curriculum of the Master’s program in Science and Faith at Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum in Rome. Dr. Puente is a Fellow of the International Society for Complexity, Information, and Design and a Member of the Society of Catholic Scientists.
Contents of the Class
1. Presentation: The faith of a hydrologist
Explains how my own scientific research led me to the Love of Jesus Christ and outlines the content of the other lectures in the class.
2. An introduction to fractals and complexity
Revises the different kinds of numbers that exist, introduces examples of fractal sets, including Cantor dust and the Koch curve, contrasts order and chaos using the logistic map, and emphasizes the existence of “power-laws” related to natural violence.
3. Jesus, the way, truth, life, and hypotenuse Y = X
Explains, based on generic models of division and turbulence, that Jesus Christ is certainly the way, the truth and the life; and also the straight hypotenuse with equation Y = X that takes us to the Origin, God the Father (Jn 14:6). Argues that living in a loving and saintly manner, striving for uniformity and away from the dust of division, is our best option.
4. Turbulence and the Bible
Illustrates that Sacred Scripture contrasts calmness with turbulence in order to define our options. Explains how, using such a symbolism, God invites us to conversion, rectitude, and the unity of love. Reminds us of actions we may take in order to experience balance in our lives.
5. The deterministic nature of chaos
Studies the iterating dynamics of the “logistic map” to explain how it gives rise to a celebrated scientific diagram, the Feigenbaum tree (the fig tree in German), which contains repetitive or periodic behaviors and also others that, by being dusty and lacking repetition, properly define what is chaos. Introduces the Hénon and Lorenz attractors to explain that the famous “butterfly effect” is a common feature of chaos.
6. Y = X: the narrow gate and the only way to the Father
Shows how the Feigenbaum tree provides suitable images that allow us to visualize the final destinies of mankind, including an improbable and truthful purged escape from the most ardent and infernal chaos. Argues that coming down the fig tree, by its implied conversion and abandonment to goodness under the straight line Y = X, is essential for us to enter the “Kingdom of Heaven”.
7. Urgent biblical symbols in fig trees of science
Explains how the Feigenbaum tree yields auspicious symbols that allow representing diverse biblical passages, including those related to fig trees, like the fall of Adam and Eve ending covered with fig leaves; the cursing of a fig tree by Jesus when he was returning to Jerusalem before giving his life for us; and the parable of the fig tree associated with his return. Invites us to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus and exhibits the full protection of the “elect” who make up the “Body of Christ” and “The Church”.
8. A geometric model of the Most Holy Trinity
Employing a fractal function shaped as angel wings and containing infinite unity, exposes a geometric model of the Holy Spirit, and, based on it and via projections, introduces a united representation of the tree members of the Most Holy Trinity, in which the Son is represented by uniformity and the Father by a bell curve concentrated at infinity. Shows how such a construction is useful to talk about Jesus Christ as our Savior and to consider other matters of faith.
9. The central plea from the bell at infinity
Illustrating important biblical events as transitions from disorder to order, reminds us of sublime love in the Most Holy Trinity, which ought to be accepted in plenitude. Shows that only in the abandonment to the positive cross, satisfying a vital limit theorem day by day, there is the peace and joy that takes us to God the Father in the bell curve concentrated at infinity.
10. The exponential surprise and the laws of no power
Explains how the famous passage of the Vine and the branches (Jn 15:1-10) gives rise to unforeseen exponential representations of the Holy Spirit and the Eucharistic Doxology. Exhibits “power-laws” in natural violence and in the one induced by mankind and calls us to avoid such laws and strive for sanctity instead.
11. The ever vibrant splendor of peace
Summarizes the message of the class in the imperious need for conversion and love and emphasizes the need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Remembering some signals in these lessons, and others based on the alpha and the Omega seen in the sky and additional symbols in the Shroud of Turin, exhorts us to be attentive and prepared for the return of Jesus Christ.
12. A new song: Shanti Setú or Puente de Paz
Reiterates the arguments in these lessons employing a collection of songs aimed at singing to the Lord a new song.
Notes
Recordings
In Spanish, courtesy of Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum Links
Class comments from UC Davis students who have taken the class are here.
A step by step outline of the class as per the content of my book The Fig Tree & The Bell is here.
An illustrated summary of the message of the seminar is here.
An article describing the nature of the seminar (in Spanish) is here.
An article that summarizes the theme of the seminar (in Spanish) is here.
An article about the spiritual implications of chaos theory (in Spanish) is here.
Companion lectures (with video) delivered in Rome in 2013 under the title The key role of science in the new evangelization are here.
Related lectures shared in Rome in 2016 to celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy are here.
A flier about a series of talks I delivered in 2019 in order to celebrate my 30 years of conversion is here.
A flier that includes the description of the seminar class, as it is taught nowadays at Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum and since February 2023 (in Spanish), is here.
A flier about a series of lectures From the science of complexity to the love of Jesus, which summarizes the class in six encounters and which I would love to share wherever I can, is here.
A Testimony
This class is the outgrowth of my research at UC Davis. As a testimonial of my life of faith, I include here (with due permission) my correspondence with 1998 Nobel Prize winner in Literature José Saramago, with whom I shared how it was that I came to believe:
First letter from me on December 2003
His response in Portuguese on March 2004
A translation of his response into English
Second letter from me on May 2004
Epilog
A Tribute
A text and poem honoring David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm, who died tragically in Davis on April 2023, is here.
Contact Information
Carlos is available to share presentations about his work on peace. Contact him at cepuente@ucdavis.edu. |
