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An instant bestseller, The Language of God provides the best argument for the integration of faith and logic since C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. It has long been believed that science and faith cannot mingle. Faith rejects the rational, while science restricts us to a life with no meaning beyond the physical. It is an irreconcilable war between two polar-opposite ways of thinking and living. Written for believers, agnostics, and atheists alike, The Language of God provides a testament to the power of faith in the midst of suffering without faltering from its logical stride. Readers will be inspired by Collin's personal story of struggling with doubt, as well as the many revelations of the wonder of God's creation that will forever shape the way they view the world around them.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Atomicmutant
Well, whaddaya know? I liked this book.
In the interest of full disclosure, this statement comes from a solidly rationalist/materialist worldview. So I didn’t expect that I was going to like the book, but went in with an open mind, and was rewarded.
Not in the way you’re probably thinking. The
Beyond slight lapses into dreamy proselytizing, though, the rest of this book was spot on.
As a matter of fact, in general terms, I think it’s exactly the sort of book that science needs in these times. Collins does a great job explaining the complexity of life, current science, evolution, and cosmology. He comes down solidly against Creationism and Intelligent Design, with an impassioned plea to his evangelical brethren to, ahem, cut it out.
I think Collins is doing a great service to religion and science by neatly, politely, and rationally sorting through this debate without rancor. He does, I think, manage to carve out a place where the devoutly faithful can accept science within their worldview, and this may be a key to turning down the rhetorical volume.
I don’t think that this argument is going to turn many materialists into believers, but I do think that it can show the faithful a way to reconcile the discord between their revealed text and the revelations of scientific inquiry in an intellectually and spiritually satisfying way. Collins would, I suppose, also have it the other way, and bring non-believers into the fold. That may or may not be the case. But anything that gets people thinking about these issues in a non-reactionary, and more informed way, is a good thing, I think.
In the interest of full disclosure, this statement comes from a solidly rationalist/materialist worldview. So I didn’t expect that I was going to like the book, but went in with an open mind, and was rewarded.
Not in the way you’re probably thinking. The
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theology in this book is all fluffy C.S. Lewis-isms, which didn’t have any effect on me the two times I read “Mere Christianity” and so didn’t gain any traction here, either.Beyond slight lapses into dreamy proselytizing, though, the rest of this book was spot on.
As a matter of fact, in general terms, I think it’s exactly the sort of book that science needs in these times. Collins does a great job explaining the complexity of life, current science, evolution, and cosmology. He comes down solidly against Creationism and Intelligent Design, with an impassioned plea to his evangelical brethren to, ahem, cut it out.
I think Collins is doing a great service to religion and science by neatly, politely, and rationally sorting through this debate without rancor. He does, I think, manage to carve out a place where the devoutly faithful can accept science within their worldview, and this may be a key to turning down the rhetorical volume.
I don’t think that this argument is going to turn many materialists into believers, but I do think that it can show the faithful a way to reconcile the discord between their revealed text and the revelations of scientific inquiry in an intellectually and spiritually satisfying way. Collins would, I suppose, also have it the other way, and bring non-believers into the fold. That may or may not be the case. But anything that gets people thinking about these issues in a non-reactionary, and more informed way, is a good thing, I think.
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LibraryThing member M.Campanella
Somehow, this book delivered what I wanted, without my knowing or expecting it. I am personally more interested in the debate between theology and science than I am in either of the two, and that is pretty much what this book delivers, a lot of debate.
The author will nominate several arguments.
He tells you how faith and religion can co-exists peaceful. And this is probably the missed point.
Collins suggests a religion crafted in science, which is nothing too shocking.
But in it, and this is what I enjoyed, he details many of the points and counter points we hear in the debates of this subject. And he informs us on his opinion, based on the facts he has, of how accurate these notions are.
I would like to bring up one point that, in following arguments along these lines I have noticed. Science requires as much faith as, well, faith. A lay person who chooses to believe science whole-heartedly and discard religion can more than likely not prove evolution or genetic theory if they were forced to. They probably have not read Darwin's books, nor gone out and done the research for any of the things they claim to believe. Which makes it is as faith based as any other religion. The books change, is all.
The author will nominate several arguments.
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Most of them you have already heard before. He will tell you that certain thing you have heard are false, and other aren't.He tells you how faith and religion can co-exists peaceful. And this is probably the missed point.
Collins suggests a religion crafted in science, which is nothing too shocking.
But in it, and this is what I enjoyed, he details many of the points and counter points we hear in the debates of this subject. And he informs us on his opinion, based on the facts he has, of how accurate these notions are.
I would like to bring up one point that, in following arguments along these lines I have noticed. Science requires as much faith as, well, faith. A lay person who chooses to believe science whole-heartedly and discard religion can more than likely not prove evolution or genetic theory if they were forced to. They probably have not read Darwin's books, nor gone out and done the research for any of the things they claim to believe. Which makes it is as faith based as any other religion. The books change, is all.
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LibraryThing member deusvitae
Collins' treatise telling his personal journey of faith and bringing his scientific perspective to the philosophical wars regarding evolution and creation.
Collins robustly argues for the theistic evolutionist perspective, going after both the materialist and creationist perspectives. His
His theological credentials, however, are much more fundamentally flawed. His reliance on Augustine and C.S. Lewis is quite apparent. When he presents his theistic evolutionist (or, in his terms, BioLogos) position, he attempts to swat away theological objections, but is rather unsatisfying. His comparisons between adherence to Genesis 1-2 literally and the idea of the earth as the center of the universe are not precise enough for his purposes, and while he points to Augustine's view of the passage, does not otherwise clarify that allegorical/spiritual interpretation of the OT was the consistent method of most of the patristics. In the end, it's evident that Collins accepts the scientific perspective and then attempts to reconcile his theology to it, rather than the other way around.
Collins' demonstration that even if evolution were true that such would not disprove God is quite powerful and necessary. The book does suffer, however, from a comparative poverty of strong theology and theological reflection. A good part of the reason that theistic evolution gets so much resistance from the faith community is precisely this: high on science, low on theology or theological justification.
Collins robustly argues for the theistic evolutionist perspective, going after both the materialist and creationist perspectives. His
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scientific credentials are impressive and he does well at explaining the scientific difficulties on the two sides around him.His theological credentials, however, are much more fundamentally flawed. His reliance on Augustine and C.S. Lewis is quite apparent. When he presents his theistic evolutionist (or, in his terms, BioLogos) position, he attempts to swat away theological objections, but is rather unsatisfying. His comparisons between adherence to Genesis 1-2 literally and the idea of the earth as the center of the universe are not precise enough for his purposes, and while he points to Augustine's view of the passage, does not otherwise clarify that allegorical/spiritual interpretation of the OT was the consistent method of most of the patristics. In the end, it's evident that Collins accepts the scientific perspective and then attempts to reconcile his theology to it, rather than the other way around.
Collins' demonstration that even if evolution were true that such would not disprove God is quite powerful and necessary. The book does suffer, however, from a comparative poverty of strong theology and theological reflection. A good part of the reason that theistic evolution gets so much resistance from the faith community is precisely this: high on science, low on theology or theological justification.
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LibraryThing member krista.rutherford
I am not 100% convinced either way on the age of the universe or exactly how God created it. However, I am 100% convinced that God created the universe and everything in it and that science is NOT and never was at odds with that. It was awesome to finally read something rational, instead of the non
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sequitur old "Big Bang/Evolution; therefore there is no God," or the equally ridiculous old "God planted a bunch of red herring scientific evidence just to confuse us." This guy uses science to make a stronger case for faith than anybody else ever did to make a case against it. Far from being mutually incompatible, science and faith together make the universe a hundredfold more amazing and awe-inspiring than either does alone. I don't know if everything Collins believes is correct, but finally somebody is making some sense! Thanks, brother! Show Less
LibraryThing member TheMadTurtle
Collins does a magnificent job of explaining that science and faith are not the natural nemeses of each other that many in America have come to believe (thank you politics). His personal journey as an atheist believer and scientist to a Christian believer and scientist is inspiring. He was strongly
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influenced by another atheist-to-Christian convert - C.S. Lewis - and references to Lewis abound in The Language of God. Show Less
LibraryThing member ckavich
Being an atheist I purchased both, The Language of God and The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel, because I wanted to read an intelligent argument for god. The only argument either had, was something had to create the universe, therefore, god.... Most interesting, neither one ever brought up
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anything else for an argument i.e., no arguments from the bible itself. I suppose they tried arguing the best they could, with what little material they had to work with. Show Less
LibraryThing member Deb85
For Christians, the heart of Easter is not candy or bunny rabbits, baby chickens or new clothes, but the empty tomb, the risen Christ. There are many in our world who are not Christians, though, and many who consider themselves agnostics or atheists, some because they thiink scientific beliefs and
Francis S. Collins is one person who had never considered the issue. "As a young man growing up in a world full of temptations, it was convenient to ignore the need to be answerable to any hight spiritual authority...I gradually shifted from agnosticism to atheism." (p. 160 Then as a medical student, he is asked what he believes by a woman who is facing death from untreatable angina. He has to admit the he isn't sure. "Her obvious surprise brought into sharp relief a predicament that i had been running away from for nearly all of my twenty-six years: I had never really serously considered the evidence for and against belief." (p. 20)
In this books, Collins shares his journey from atheism to faith, step-by-step presenting and sifting through the evidence he considered along his journey. Since he is a scientist, it can be a challenge to read at times, but he is much more readable than many of the source books to which he refers.
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faith are mutually exclusive, some because they have never truly considered the issue of belief.Francis S. Collins is one person who had never considered the issue. "As a young man growing up in a world full of temptations, it was convenient to ignore the need to be answerable to any hight spiritual authority...I gradually shifted from agnosticism to atheism." (p. 160 Then as a medical student, he is asked what he believes by a woman who is facing death from untreatable angina. He has to admit the he isn't sure. "Her obvious surprise brought into sharp relief a predicament that i had been running away from for nearly all of my twenty-six years: I had never really serously considered the evidence for and against belief." (p. 20)
In this books, Collins shares his journey from atheism to faith, step-by-step presenting and sifting through the evidence he considered along his journey. Since he is a scientist, it can be a challenge to read at times, but he is much more readable than many of the source books to which he refers.
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LibraryThing member latenite4
I read this book twice. It fascinated me that an important scientist could give such a devout testimony of faith in Christ. It is a testimony to the fact that more and more modern day Christians are trying to link their faith to the physical world around them. C.S.Lewis was a ground breaker in this
If you want to hold on to you belief in young earth creation, you may not want to read this book. On the other hand, many modern Christians are coming to the conclusion that the truth of God must be communicated to others in the physical world - the place where they live and will be converted to faith.
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regard and Collins mentions Lewis' influence. After the description of his conversion to faith in Christ, the author goes into what will be a very controversial subjects for most Christians. He opposes 'young earth creationism' and promotes a concept called 'biogenesis'. This is similar to what has often been called 'theistic evolution'. The author sites C.S.Lewis and B.B. Warfield as being leading Christian thinkers who have been sympathetic to his view. If you want to hold on to you belief in young earth creation, you may not want to read this book. On the other hand, many modern Christians are coming to the conclusion that the truth of God must be communicated to others in the physical world - the place where they live and will be converted to faith.
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LibraryThing member caldara
I found this to be a very disappointing book.Collins describes how,having been brought up as an athiest and trained as a medical researcher, he gradually became convinced of the existence of God and ended up as a Christian.Being eager to know how as an atheist and a scientist he had yet come to
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believe in God, I was intrigued to know why this should be. Although I have no reason to doubt Collin's sincerity I found his explanation weak and unconvincing and the whole book to be very lightweight and almost patronising in its approach to the subject of science and religion.If there is a God,and Collins totally failed to convince me of this,I would certainly not take issue with him on his scientific arguments for the creation of the universe or of life itself.I simply felt that that the book, at least for me, was a total waste of time in that I gained nothing from it. Perhaps this is my own fault. However I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anybody who had religious doubts involving science and was seeking spiritual reassurance.The only redeeming feature of the book were the personal anecdotes. Show Less
LibraryThing member gmicksmith
A pre-eminent scientist describes his sincere faith in God which will serve to bolster the faithful or will not convince any sincerely disbelieving scientist.
LibraryThing member alanjlevine
A statement of belief as much as discourse on science, The Language of God is a worthwhile read for those interested in religion and science, and their interface. Neither subject is treated in-depth. But, while Collins is not a theologian, he is one of the world’s best scientists. In fact, not
Collins is interesting in that he is yet another example of an atheist turned theist. As C.S. Lewis (whom Collins draws on extensively for his theology), who came to God through reading, reflection, and logic, or like Howard Storm, who required a near-death experience to be pulled from the abyss of atheism, Collins is a Christian. Thus, he believes in the presence and transcendence of a creator God who is personal, concerned about we his created, and will interfere in our affairs if necessary, and possibly when beseeched to through prayer. But neither is does he believe all passages of the Bible are to be interpreted literally. He notes that no less a scholar and Christian than St. Augustine also did not argue for such a position with regards to scripture, and saw positive danger to faith were such a view to be taken.
Collins does not subscribe to Intelligent Design. He finds that arguments that, for example, the amazingly complex flagellum of the bacteria, are not impossible to explain through the processes of genetic mutation and natural selection. And, Collins does indeed believe in evolution as a ‘theory’ which has been substantiated time and time again in both the lab and in the fossil record. Rather, he subscribes to what he terms BioLogos.
As Collins sees it, God does not need to specially interfere with evolution to make His plan work out. Rather, He authored the processes which over time, while probabilistic, give rise to such amazing creatures as garden spiders, kitty cats, chimpanzees, and ultimately, even creatures who understand the Moral Law and within them have a desire to seek True North – that is, He who created them and this miraculous Universe.
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only is a Yale educated chemist and medical doctor who headed the Human Genome Project. And this project was successful beyond expectation in that in just a few years, it managed to give us the complete map of our human DNA. Collins is interesting in that he is yet another example of an atheist turned theist. As C.S. Lewis (whom Collins draws on extensively for his theology), who came to God through reading, reflection, and logic, or like Howard Storm, who required a near-death experience to be pulled from the abyss of atheism, Collins is a Christian. Thus, he believes in the presence and transcendence of a creator God who is personal, concerned about we his created, and will interfere in our affairs if necessary, and possibly when beseeched to through prayer. But neither is does he believe all passages of the Bible are to be interpreted literally. He notes that no less a scholar and Christian than St. Augustine also did not argue for such a position with regards to scripture, and saw positive danger to faith were such a view to be taken.
Collins does not subscribe to Intelligent Design. He finds that arguments that, for example, the amazingly complex flagellum of the bacteria, are not impossible to explain through the processes of genetic mutation and natural selection. And, Collins does indeed believe in evolution as a ‘theory’ which has been substantiated time and time again in both the lab and in the fossil record. Rather, he subscribes to what he terms BioLogos.
As Collins sees it, God does not need to specially interfere with evolution to make His plan work out. Rather, He authored the processes which over time, while probabilistic, give rise to such amazing creatures as garden spiders, kitty cats, chimpanzees, and ultimately, even creatures who understand the Moral Law and within them have a desire to seek True North – that is, He who created them and this miraculous Universe.
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LibraryThing member dougshow
We used this book as an initial read for a new science/religion study group formed in our Mainline Protestant church. Personally, I found some of the arguments in the book weak, but I think it served our new group exceptionally well as a basic introduction to science/religion issues in our modern
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day. And, though I didn't agree with some of the Bible interpretations of the author [more literal than I interpret it], I did find it very refreshing to see a book like this written by an Evangelical Protestant. I do recommend this book strongly as a very readable and worthwhile introduction. Since reading this, I have gone on to read several books by philosopher of science and historian Michael Ruse who, given his background, goes into more depth in dealing with philosophical and historical aspects of the relationship between science and religion. But, I still give Collins' book very high marks. It was very well worth reading and discussing in our group. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cyberpedia
A paradigm between Newtonian Physics and Quantum Physics
LibraryThing member judvaughn
The Language of God is an extraordinary treatise for thinking Christians. It breaks through the medieval clutter of today's Fundamentalism and firmly establishes God's proper place in the ordered universe. Collins is a scientist and an evangelical Christian without apology. Or rather, this book is
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an apologetic for those trying to avoid checking their brains at the church house door. Show Less
LibraryThing member powell.442
I have never read a book anything like this one. From a scientific standpoint, the data analysis and experiment documentation is very well presented and organized. Its not so hard to understand. I didn't like how the author took the reader through basically the creation of the world and the solar
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system and other semi-unrelated topics. Coming from a Catholic background, it was very interesting to see how an atheist had such an amazing transformation in his life to had shed his own light of God in his life.e Show Less
LibraryThing member jdmays
Creationists might be a little disturbed by his conclusions about evolution, especially when paired with his solid evangelical stance on the authority of scripture. Not only does Collins elucidate the wonders of modern genetics but he brings the whole thing back to his faith in a touching way.
LibraryThing member claudiabowman
I actually picked this book up after listening to an exhausting interview with Dawkins. This book does a very good job of pointing out why Dawkins arguments don't work, in much better words than I could. The author also does a wonderful job of pointing out why some Christians (and others) should
Weaker parts of the book include his argument for why you too should believe in Jesus, but of course that part is going to be less persuasive as it is based on his faith and not on emperical evidence.
I wish we heard more voices like this in 'debates' on faith v religion.
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stop pretending science isn't true.Weaker parts of the book include his argument for why you too should believe in Jesus, but of course that part is going to be less persuasive as it is based on his faith and not on emperical evidence.
I wish we heard more voices like this in 'debates' on faith v religion.
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LibraryThing member mikefitch
The head of the human genome project talks about how he belives in God and in evolution
LibraryThing member debs4jc
Collins presents his personal story of how he came to faith in the Christian God. He was largely influenced by C.S. Lewis's arguements. Along the way he presents some information releated to his work on the Human Genome project, explaining some stuff about genetics and DNA. He does a pretty good
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job of explaining scientific concepts in easy to understand terms. He lays out his arguments well and without being bombastic. Whether or not the reader finds them convincing will of course depend on the reader's own set of convictions and how deeply they hold them. His attempt to blend modern science with Christianity is laudible and I liked the way he keeps going back to the axiom that all truth is God's truth. It's an important reminder to us all. Show Less
LibraryThing member bethlea
Step by step Francis Collins addresses the arguments for and against belief in God. Admitting no one will ever prove (or disprove) the existence of God, Dr. Collins demonstrates that a rational person (read scientist) can certainly believe in God without giving up science as a tool for
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understanding the world, nature, the universe. Show Less
LibraryThing member krazy4katz
A fascinating discussion about the ability of a passionate believer and practitioner of science to also be a passionate believer in God and his journey from agnostic to atheist to theist. Dr. Collins addresses the similarities in multiple cultures and religions regarding ethics. Most of the
Dr. Collins also discusses various parts of the Bible — some if it being historical and some of it (e.g., Genesis) being allegorical. As a Christian, he is naturally drawn to the New Testament and makes an argument for the resurrection of Jesus. Not being a Christian myself, I did not quite understand that part, but it was still very interesting.
At the end of the book, he has a section on bioethics. While interesting, there are many topics he didn’t discuss. He was careful not to weigh in on the question of whether life begins at conception and the debate about abortion. Because I would like to know the views of one of our top scientists and self-proclaimed theists, I was disappointed but perhaps that is really an entire book in itself. For that the book lost half a star, but it is obviously still a very worthwhile and fascinating read.
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discussion was about the acceptance of evolution, as described by Darwin, as being perfectly consistent with a belief in a God who is present daily in our lives. This is termed "theistic" evolution. The strongest part of the argument for God's participation in our development is the Moral Law, which appears to be given only to Man, not to other forms of life. Although this God-given attribute is often broken by religious and nonreligious people alike, he states this shows our lack of perfection and knowledge, not the absence of God.Dr. Collins also discusses various parts of the Bible — some if it being historical and some of it (e.g., Genesis) being allegorical. As a Christian, he is naturally drawn to the New Testament and makes an argument for the resurrection of Jesus. Not being a Christian myself, I did not quite understand that part, but it was still very interesting.
At the end of the book, he has a section on bioethics. While interesting, there are many topics he didn’t discuss. He was careful not to weigh in on the question of whether life begins at conception and the debate about abortion. Because I would like to know the views of one of our top scientists and self-proclaimed theists, I was disappointed but perhaps that is really an entire book in itself. For that the book lost half a star, but it is obviously still a very worthwhile and fascinating read.
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LibraryThing member OCMCCP
In this deeply personal book, Francis Collins tackles the "science vs. religion" debate. Since at least Immanuel Kant, we have known that this is a false dichotomy. However, modernity has in effect turned a deaf ear to Kant. In this book, Collins follows in the footsteps of the Kantian tradition,
Collins reviews in the first part of the book his personal journey from atheism towards a theistic worldview, and the classical objections against it. His answers are mostly based on the apologetics of C.S. Lewis. This debate is much older than C.S. Lewis of course; most of his ideas can be found in St. Augustin, the Stoics, Pascal and Kant. However he does manage to present those arguments from a modern perspective, in an accessible conversational style.
The second part of the book is a popular science exposition, where Collins draws extensively on his considerable scientific background in both physics and biology and, in particular, the leading role he played in the Human Genome project.
The third part of the book is where Collins tries to reach a final conclusion about the issue of "faith in science and faith in God." He reviews his options, from Creationism to Atheism, and settles on the middle -of-the-road worldview he calls BioLogos. He expounds this theistic evolutionary view, according to which orthodox evolution theory is a fact, but also a divine means of creation. Here is where Collins slips a little, by trying to chew too much. While evolution from lower lifeforms seems to be an indisputable fact, the orthodox theory of evolution by natural selection operating on pure chance presupposes a metaphysical naturalist worldview, which is very contrary to a personal God model. From a scientific point of view alone, while evolution is a fact, it is clear that the mechanism of evolution is not yet completely understood (e.g., like Collins himself points out, the evolution of moral behavior has not been satisfactorily explained; but we can also mention the riddle of "junk" DNA, the various observed cases of puzzling "exadaptation," and so on).
One omission that stands out is that Collins never once mentions Martin Gardner, the contemporary philosopher and essayist, also Kantian, who has written extensively on the issues examined in this book. (
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attempting the great synthesis of the empirical and the spiritual, the pure reason and the practical reason. Like Kant before him, Collins is sure to raise the ire of both sides of the aisle. And that is usually a good sign one is doing something right.Collins reviews in the first part of the book his personal journey from atheism towards a theistic worldview, and the classical objections against it. His answers are mostly based on the apologetics of C.S. Lewis. This debate is much older than C.S. Lewis of course; most of his ideas can be found in St. Augustin, the Stoics, Pascal and Kant. However he does manage to present those arguments from a modern perspective, in an accessible conversational style.
The second part of the book is a popular science exposition, where Collins draws extensively on his considerable scientific background in both physics and biology and, in particular, the leading role he played in the Human Genome project.
The third part of the book is where Collins tries to reach a final conclusion about the issue of "faith in science and faith in God." He reviews his options, from Creationism to Atheism, and settles on the middle -of-the-road worldview he calls BioLogos. He expounds this theistic evolutionary view, according to which orthodox evolution theory is a fact, but also a divine means of creation. Here is where Collins slips a little, by trying to chew too much. While evolution from lower lifeforms seems to be an indisputable fact, the orthodox theory of evolution by natural selection operating on pure chance presupposes a metaphysical naturalist worldview, which is very contrary to a personal God model. From a scientific point of view alone, while evolution is a fact, it is clear that the mechanism of evolution is not yet completely understood (e.g., like Collins himself points out, the evolution of moral behavior has not been satisfactorily explained; but we can also mention the riddle of "junk" DNA, the various observed cases of puzzling "exadaptation," and so on).
One omission that stands out is that Collins never once mentions Martin Gardner, the contemporary philosopher and essayist, also Kantian, who has written extensively on the issues examined in this book. (
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LibraryThing member LTW
This marvelous book combines a personal account of Collins's faith and experiences as a genetics researcher with discussions of more general topics of science and spirituality, especially centering around evolution. Following the lead of C.S. Lewis, whose Mere Christianity was influential in
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Collins's conversion from atheism, the book argues that belief in a transcendent, personal God—and even the possibility of an occasional miracle—can and should coexist with a scientific picture of the world that includes evolution. Addressing in turn fellow scientists and fellow believers, Collins insists that "science is not threatened by God; it is enhanced" and "God is most certainly not threatened by science; He made it all possible." Collins's credibility as a scientist and his sincerity as a believer make for an engaging combination, especially for those who, like him, resist being forced to choose between science and God. Show Less
LibraryThing member DubiousDisciple
Current-day proponents of the New Atheism like to push the idea that atheism is the only rational belief, and believers are weak-minded non-thinkers who hide from science. This just simply isn't so. Some very accomplished scientists in many different fields are believers.
Here's one. Francis Collins
That's a pretty intriguing claim, and it aroused my curiosity. In this book, Collins wrestles with questions like "What came before the big bang?" and "How did life originate?" I should set things in perspective before continuing; Collins is not promoting some flaky version of pseudo-science. He's for real. He praises Darwin and admits that no serious biologist today doubts the theory of evolution. "The relatedness of all species through the mechanism of evolution is such a profound foundation for the understanding of all biology that it is difficult to imagine how one would study life without it." A lot of effort is spent explaining "biological truth," and in a chapter titled Deciphering God's Instruction Book, Collins introduces--no, not the Bible--the lessons of the human genome.
Still, Collins respects the Bible. He dives into the debate about what Genesis really says, and why we have contradicting versions of the creation in the Bible if this poetic and allegorical writing was really meant to be read literally. Young Earth Creationism just simply isn't compatible with modern science; neither, really, is the trendy Intelligent Design explanation. Thankfully, Collins finds an ultra-literal interpretation of Genesis unnecessary. Collins proposes a solution for compatibility, which he calls BioLogos. He finds harmony between science and religion in "theistic evolution."
Finally, having dispensed with our concerns regarding the science-versus-religion conflict, he brings up the crux of the matter. Regardless of where else we are to read the Bible nonliterally, evidence supports the fantastic story of a unique individual, Jesus, who lived, died, ... and rose from the dead! Collins leans a bit on C. S. Lewis as he builds toward the climax: he, a rational scientist, logically concludes that the Jesus story is true and literal. God came down to earth in the form of a person. Wow!
While not convincing enough in itself, and leaving many other questions about the believability of the Christian God unanswered, I do highly recommend this book! It will never turn a nonbeliever into a believer, but it will definitely refine the faith of believers, helping them to overcome the dogmatism of outdated theology. Besides, it's a fun, educational read!
Here's one. Francis Collins
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is a devout believer and distinguished scientist (he is the head of the Human Genome Project) with a questioning mind and a reverence for reason ... and for the merger of science and religion. From the cover flap, "In short, Dr. Collins provides a satisfying solution for the dilemma that haunts everyone who believes in God and respects science. Faith in God and faith in science can be harmonious--combined into one worldview. The God that he believes in is a God who can listen to prayers and cares about our souls. The biological science he has advanced is compatible with such a God. For Collins, science does not conflict with the Bible, science enhances it."That's a pretty intriguing claim, and it aroused my curiosity. In this book, Collins wrestles with questions like "What came before the big bang?" and "How did life originate?" I should set things in perspective before continuing; Collins is not promoting some flaky version of pseudo-science. He's for real. He praises Darwin and admits that no serious biologist today doubts the theory of evolution. "The relatedness of all species through the mechanism of evolution is such a profound foundation for the understanding of all biology that it is difficult to imagine how one would study life without it." A lot of effort is spent explaining "biological truth," and in a chapter titled Deciphering God's Instruction Book, Collins introduces--no, not the Bible--the lessons of the human genome.
Still, Collins respects the Bible. He dives into the debate about what Genesis really says, and why we have contradicting versions of the creation in the Bible if this poetic and allegorical writing was really meant to be read literally. Young Earth Creationism just simply isn't compatible with modern science; neither, really, is the trendy Intelligent Design explanation. Thankfully, Collins finds an ultra-literal interpretation of Genesis unnecessary. Collins proposes a solution for compatibility, which he calls BioLogos. He finds harmony between science and religion in "theistic evolution."
Finally, having dispensed with our concerns regarding the science-versus-religion conflict, he brings up the crux of the matter. Regardless of where else we are to read the Bible nonliterally, evidence supports the fantastic story of a unique individual, Jesus, who lived, died, ... and rose from the dead! Collins leans a bit on C. S. Lewis as he builds toward the climax: he, a rational scientist, logically concludes that the Jesus story is true and literal. God came down to earth in the form of a person. Wow!
While not convincing enough in itself, and leaving many other questions about the believability of the Christian God unanswered, I do highly recommend this book! It will never turn a nonbeliever into a believer, but it will definitely refine the faith of believers, helping them to overcome the dogmatism of outdated theology. Besides, it's a fun, educational read!
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LibraryThing member sgsmitty
Not a bad book, a well renowned scientist who is a Christian presents his argument for the existence of God and how it reconciles with science. Pretty good stuff. He is a old earth, God inspired evolutionist or something like that. I did not agree with everything he said but his position is well
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thought out. Show Less
ISBN
9780743286398