Science & Faith

 

Answers to Dawkins Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion has proved a best seller in secular bookshops on both sides of the Atlantic.  Dawkins is an eminent scientist and Oxford Professor who has won a number of prestigious awards for his work.  He is also an atheist, vehemently opposed to all forms of faith. The God Delusion is his most outspoken book to date.  It is so hostile that even some committed atheists are unhappy.  He has undermined his credibility in many circles both by the ferocity of his attack on Christianity and by his unscientific method – making numerous unsupported statements and selectively choosing examples that support his argument whilst totally ignoring the counter-arguments. So why bother?   Anti-Christian books come and go.  Dawkins will eventually be assigned to the waste bin along with John Allegro’s mushrooms and Erich von Daniken’s space ships.  Christianity has withstood much more powerful opposition in its 2,000 year history and has stood the test. The answer is that while we know Dawkins can never succeed in overturning the Christian Gospel, he could undermine the faith of some who are struggling, or discourage others who are feeling their way to faith.   He states 'If this book works as I intend, religious readers who open it will be atheists when they put it down.'  In his preface he expresses the belief that most “religious” people have been brought up in their parents’ faith and the book is for those who are questioning their parents’ faith.  He wants them to “come out”.   A number of authors have written responses to The God Delusion, some of which are described below and are available in re:fresh books & christian resources. The Dawkins Delusion by Alister McGrath with Joanna Collicutt McGrath,  SPCK, £7.99 “The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why” is the endorsement of Michael Ruse, Professor of Philosophy at the Florida State University, on the front cover of the The Dawkins Delusion. Alister McGrath has trodden the opposite path to Dawkins.  A former atheist, he gained his doctorate in molecular biophysics at Oxford and planned to spend his life in scientific research until he switched to theology.  Today he is Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University.  He has previously written another book, Dawkins God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life.   Joanna is Lecturer in Psychology of Religion at Heythrop College, University of London.  They systematically, yet sympathetically dismantle Dawkins’ arguments about the rationality of faith, the existence of God, science versus religion, the origins of religion, the meme theory (devised by Dawkins in 1976 and widely discounted by modern scientists) and the idea that religion is essentially evil and violent.   The book pulls no punches in its criticism of Dawkins’ ideas and yet avoids the type of invective that Dawkins himself uses.   But be warned – this is no light read.  The McGraths are academics and, while they seek to make the book accessible to the ordinary reader, a thoroughgoing response to Dawkins demands, and gets, considerable philosophical and scientific discussion. The Dawkins Letters by David Robertson, Christian Focus Publications -  £4.99 David Robertson is a Scottish Presbyterian Minister.  The Dawkins letters started with an open letter to Richard Dawkins, posted on David Robertson’s own Church Website, which Dawkins then reproduced on his website.  This has expanded to the series of open letters in the present 124-page volume. Robertson writes with warmth, humour, honesty and respect - the response of a man of God to the rantings of a fundamentalist atheist.   He openly admits to those areas where he sympathises with the views expressed by Dawkins but is uncompromising in challenging the many weaknesses in Dawkins arguments, not least where Dawkins exhibits the same intolerance and selective judgement as the Christian “fundamentalists” that he so despises.  “Your position is a sort of ‘science of the gaps’” quips Robertson in response to Dawkins’ accusation that Christians rely on a ‘God of the gaps.’ Deluded by Dawkins by Andrew Wilson  Kingsway - £5.99 Wilson’s approach is to summarise the main arguments in The God Delusion in tabular form and then classify them as ‘Agree’, ‘Irrelevant’, ‘Unsubstantiated’ and ‘Disagree’.  He then concludes that there are four broad areas where he disagrees with Dawkins – Anti-supernaturalism, logic, Scripture and improbability – and devotes a chapter to each.  Rather oddly, Wilson points out that Dawkins ignores the issue of the resurrection, and then proceeds to devote a section to answering the arguments against the resurrection that Dawkins has not used!  This book is less satisfactory than the other two described above but has some valid points to make.

Coming to Peace with Science by Darrel R. Falk – £11.99

A new book from IVP on the creation/evolution debate which says you can have it both ways without compromising the integrity of science or God’s word. Whatever your opinion this book promises to start a real debate.

The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel - £9.99 

The author of The Case for Christ turns the same journalistic eye towards science. He reveals how recent scientific research increasingly supports the conclusion that the universe was intelligently designed while Darwinism and the theory of evolution has faltered in the face of concrete facts and hard reason

Has science got rid of God? by John Blanchard - £6.95

In this pithy and highly readable book John Blanchard deals with the false assumptions behind the idea that science and God are incompatible. Using facts, clarity and impeccable logic he shows that the whole of science rests on divine foundations.

Beyond Belief by Denis Alexander & Robert S. White - £8.99 

Are science and the Bible mutually exclusive, or can they interact and learn from each other? Does Christianity have anything to contribute to the scientific and ethical challenges facing the world? In a book which assumes the reader has no specialist knowledge, the authors look at what science is and what it can do, and go on to suggest that when Christianity and science meet they have a great deal in common in the way they view the material world and how it works.

Creation out of Nothing by Paul Copan and William Lane Craig - £14.99 

Of all classical Christian doctrines few have come under as much attack over the past two hundred years as that of  Creatio ex Nihilo, the idea that God created the universe out of nothing. This book shows that this doctrine can be defended against its critics on biblical, philosophical, theological and scientific grounds (this includes an examination of the attempts, and failures, of physicists to do away with the need for a creator)

The Care of Creation, edited by R.J.Berry - £9.99   

The care of creation is crucial to human survival, and a supreme test of the reality of Christian faith. This book is a stimulating and provocative international commentary by leading theologians and environmental practitioners that stems from God’s creation commands, from Christ’s reconciling work, and from what should be a communion of worship between the human and natural worlds.

Life in our hands by John Bryant and John Searle - £9.99

What is the Christian perspective on genetics and cloning? This book applies the teachings of Jesus to the dilemmas arising from modern biological science. Approaching the Bible and the field of biotechnology with equal rigour the authors explore how Christians can make balanced ethical decisions in the current cultural and social climate.

Genesis for today by Andy McIntosh - £6.99  

Popular science and culture tells us we can’t take the book of genesis as literal history. Andy Mcintosh is a scientist and he says you can. Not only that, but that ultimately all Christian doctrine, directly or indirectly, is founded in the literal events of the first eleven chapters of the bible.

Hallmarks of Design by Andy McIntosh - £7.99 

The more science reveals about nature, the more it becomes clear that it could not have come about as a result of random processes.. Andy McIntosh shows that not

only must there be a creator, the earth is, in fact, designed for humanity.

He Made the Stars also by Andy McIntosh - £6.99 

A big universe raises some big questions. What is the origin of the stars. Why are they here. How does the ‘Big Bang’ fit with genesis. Are there aliens. Andy McIntosh takes on these big questions and suggests that science may need to re-evaluate much cherished ideas such as the speed of light, and even the nature of time.

Responding to the Culture of Death by John R Ling - £6.00 

Bioethical issues are those that deal with subjects such as abortion and euthanasia, as well as new technologies like cloning and genetic engineering. Dr Ling’s conviction is that much of modern medicine has gone seriously wrong, leading us into a culture of death. He seeks to give us a framework of response based on principles derived from the bible and calls us to act with ‘principled compassion’.