Mr. Lightman is at an age when such ultimate questions of life—and a possible afterlife—resonate more deeply. That urgency sharpens the focus of The Transcendent Brain, which departs from the more loosely discursive sensibility of the author’s recent books.

The author’s overall thesis seems to involve some mistaken assumptions. The first is that the belief in a neo-platonic soul is essential for faith. True, as early Christianity spread into a world dominated by Greek philosophy, this view of the soul became popular.

Lightman writes with passion and panache about how the search for knowledge need not inhibit moments of transcendence, offering a poignant reminder that wonder is everywhere, if we only look..

Science and spirituality converge in this probing examination of humanity’s connection to the divine.

Never shy about tackling big, complex issues.