“The Language of Science and Faith” (Karl Giberson & Francis Collins)
The Language of Science and Faith: Straight Answers to Genuine Questions
By Karl W. Giberson and Francis S. Collins
(Hardcover)
Length: 251 pages
Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches
Published: February 2011
ISBN-10: 0-8308-3829-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8308-3829-5
Christians affirm that everything exists because of God — from subatomic quarks to black holes. Science often claims to explain nature without including God at all. And thinking Christians often feel forced to choose between the two.
But the good news is that we don’t have to make a choice. Science does not overthrow the Bible. Faith does not require rejecting science. World-renowned scientist Francis Collins, author of The Language of God, along with fellow scientist Karl Giberson show how we can embrace both. Their fascinating treatment explains how God cares for and interacts with his creation while science offers a reliable way to understand the world he made.
Together they clearly answer dozens of the most common questions people ask about Darwin, evolution, the age of the earth, the Bible, the existence of God and our finely tuned universe. They also consider how their views stack up against the new atheists as well as against creationists and adherents of intelligent design.
The authors disentangle the false conclusions of Christians and atheists alike about science and evolution from the actual results of research in astronomy, physics, geology and genetics. In its place they find a story of the grandeur and beauty of a world made by a supremely creative God.
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Do I Have to Believe in Evolution?
2 Can We Really Know the Earth Is Billions of Years Old?
3 How Do We Relate Science and Religion?
4 Can Scientific and Scriptural Truth Be Reconciled?
5 Science and the Existence of God
6 Why Is Darwin’s Theory So Controversial?
7 What Is the “Fine-Tuning” of the Universe and How Does It Serve as a “Pointer to God”?
8 Evolution and Human Beings
9 The Grand Narrative of Creation
Annotated Bibliography
Notes
Name Indexes
Subject Index
Index of Questions
FEATURES
* Cowritten by world-renowned geneticist Francis Collins who initiated the Human Genome Project, which finished sequencing human DNA in 2003.
* Answers seventy-five common questions about science and faith.
* Addresses fundamental topics like Darwin, evolution, the age of the earth, the Bible, the existence of God, and our finely-tuned universe.
* Corrects misconceptions and false conclusions by Christians and atheists alike.
* Engages creationists, new atheists and adherents of intelligent design.
ENDORSEMENTS
“The theory of evolution raises important questions for Christians of all sorts, but this book is the best I’ve found to address the concerns of American evangelicals. It is written in clear enough language to be accessible to students at a variety of levels, yet sophisticated enough to be of interest to professionals in both science and theology. It is at once intelligent and inspiring.”
—Nancey Murphy, professor of Christian philosophy, Fuller Theological Seminary
“Two challenging languages, one old and wise, one modern and awesome. Two very different accounts of human origins. Can the book of Scripture and the book of nature both be true in the age of science? We need sympathetic and enlightening interpreters. Happily Giberson and Collins here offer a guide to the perplexed that is reverent, relevant and very well-informed.”
—Owen Gingerich, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, author of God’s Universe
“For too long, followers of Jesus have been told they have to make a choice–between science and Christianity, reason and belief, their intellectual integrity and their faith. The Language of Science and Faith is a readable and comprehensive resource for the thoughtful Christian who refuses to choose. Giberson and Collins tackle difficult topics with charity, accessibility and integrity, moving the origins conversation forward in a way that honors God and builds up the church. This is a must-read for those who want to love the Lord with their heart, soul, mind and strength.”
—Rachel Held Evans, author of Evolving in Monkey Town
“As a pastor, I am constantly searching for resources that will guide people to the fullness of God. I care that my congregation be attracted toward God’s artistry, moved by his majesty and intellectually challenged by his sovereignty. This book is at the top of my recommendations both as an evaluation of theories of creation and as a devotional that prompts us to revere the Creator.”
—Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Northland Church, Longwood, Florida
For more information on the book visit InterVarsity Press.
Visit the BioLogos page for the book here.
telson
on July 5th, 2011
But what is scientific and what is faith? Paul says straight out in Hebrews that “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebr 11:3), in other words he admitted the impact of faith in understanding matters. He said that only by faith can we understand how everything was created out of nothing.
However, he who believes in a random beginning and evolution also relies fully on faith. This is the fact that cannot be denied. We cannot prove the foundation of the evolution theory, the big bang and spontaneous generation, in a laboratory: they are based on faith in the minds of people. Attempts to generate the latter in a laboratory have been made, but with no success whatsoever. No scientist has been able to get even near to solving the origin of life, i.e. people believe in it even though practical observations do not support it. The belief in the matter is only inside the people. As a matter of fact, many so-called scientific issues are based on faith like is the spiritual life and faith in the supernatural God. The question is which of the alternatives we deem more realistic – the belief in the haphazard origin or creation – because neither of them cannot be properly proven afterwards.
In this issue one should use his common sense because in that way it is possible to proceed at least a little. So, when you ask an ordinary plain man how possible he considers that a new universe like the present one with dozens of billions galaxies, hundreds of billions stars, a sun like the present one, the planets, sea and water, the rocks, man, the birds, elephants, mosquitoes and so on could be born from, for example, an ordinary chip of a stone (in the big bang theory it is supposed that everything came into being from a pin-sized space), what would he say? How reasonable would he deem the whole issue when holding a chip of stone in his hand? Is it not likely that his answer would be something to the effect:
- Don’t be crazy, that’s just an impossible idea! Such cannot be born from a small stone. How could anyone believe in such foolishness?
http://www.jariiivanainen.net/faithandscience.html
A Way Forward in the Science/Faith Debate | Faith Interface
on July 10th, 2011
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