Science & Faith

 
C.S. Lewis vs The New Atheists
by Peter S. Williams

How would C.S. Lewis have responded to the arguments of the New Atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens?  Peter Williams uses the story of C.S. Lewis and his conversion to answer their arguments, showing that there is nothing especially 'new' about the new atheism.
Published by Authentic.  Paperback.  276 pages.  £12.99

Slaying the Dragons
Destroying myths in the History of Science & Faith
by Allan Chapman

Atheism's New Clothes
by David Glass

Drawing on recent work in the philosophy of religion, David Glass addresses the issues raised by the New Atheists, responds to their objections, and presents a positive case for Christian theism. He shows that the New Atheists fail to engage seriously with the best theistic arguments, and that science, far from undermining belief in God, provides some of the best reasons for such belief.
Published by Apollos.  336 pages Paperback.

Surprised by Meaning
Science, faith & how we make sense of things
by Alister E McGrath

Information is not the same as meaning, nor is knowledge identical with wisdom. Many people feel engulfed by a tsunami of facts in which they can find no meaning.
In thirteen short, accessible chapters, the author of The Dawkins Delusion, leads his readers through a nontechnical discussion of science and faith.
How do we make sense of the world around us?
Are belief in science and the Christian faith compatible?
Does the structure of the universe point toward the existence of God?
McGrath's goal is to help readers see that science is neither anathema to faith, nor does it supersede faith. Both science and faith help with the overriding human desire to make sense of things. Faith is a complex idea. It is not a blind leap into the dark but a joyful discovery of a bigger picture of wondrous things of which we are all a part.

The Goldilocks Enigma
by Paul Davies

While scientists struggle to understand the universe, most of us struggle to understand the scientists.  The Goldilocks Enigma attempts to explain the current debate about the anthropic principle - why is the Universe fine-tuned to support life?
Paul Davies is NOT a Christian but he steers the reader skilfully through the issues and theories, with explanations along the way about quantum theory, string and M-theory, the multiverse and much more.  Each chapter ends with a summary of the 'key points' and there is a host of diagrams and helpful analogies.  Whilst rejecting the concept of a Divine Creator, the author concludes that there is some sort of 'life principle' at work.

Quantum Leap
How John Polkinghorne found God in Science and Religion
by Dean Nelson & Karl Giberson

Quantum Leap examines the life and thinking of John Polkinghorne.   The writers, a journalist and a Professor of physics, have produced a book which is very accessible to the thinking layman.  It is based on a series of interviews carried out by the authors between 2007 and 2010.  This is reflected in the style; discussions on weighty issues are peppered with anecdotes and incidents from his life.  The book describes his early life and academic career and his decision to train for the Anglican priesthood.  But a large part of the book is concerned with his views on a wide range of scientific, ethical and theological issues.  These include the question of suffering and healing, stem cells and embyonic testing, the resurrection of Jesus, life after death, Hell, the validity of other faiths, and the anthropic principle (why is the universe fine tuned for life?)  Polkinghorne's views are not always orthodox, but the issues are always tackled honestly from a scientific, practical and theological standpoint.

More than 30 years ago, after 25 years of scientific research during which he had made a major contribution to the theory of the quark, John Polkinghorne announced his intention to train for the Anglican priesthood.   Throughout the succeeding years he has maintained his close links with the scientific community and scientific investigation, in particular serving on various committees on cloning, genetics and embryology including the Medical Ethics Committee of the British Medical Association.  He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1974 and was knighted in 1997 (although as an ordained priest it is incorrect to use the title ‘Sir John’)   He won the Templeton Prize for Science and Religion in 2002.  He has written more than 30 books, the majority on science and faith.

Belief in God in an Age of Science
by John Polkinghorne

Although a small book - 130 pages - this is anything but light reading.  John Polkinghorne sees science and theology as "intellectual cousins" which bring similar methodologies to bear.
After an initial chapter looking at natural theology he goes on to compare the scientific and theological method.  He then addresses the question 'Does God act in the physical world?' before considering the potential for further dialogue between science and religion.  Finally he looks at the whole isue of reality.

Did Adam & Eve really exist?
by C. John Collins

Professor Collins considers the Biblical references to Adam and Eve; Second Temple Jewish texts; other ancient near-eastern texts; the evidence of a traditional Christian worldview, and scientific insights. His conclusion is that the evidence points back to a common origin for all mankind.

Why God won't go Away
by Alister McGrath

A book about the New Atheism.  After a survey of the main ideas of the New Atheism, as expressed by Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, McGrath explores the core views of the movement including:-
•  whether religion is delusional and evil
•  the belief that human beings are fundamentally good
•  whether we should have faith only in what can be proved through reason and science
•  the idea that the best hope for humanity is a ‘New Enlightenment’

God and Stephen Hawking
by John C. Lennox

Stephen Hawking had, until recently, kept apart from arguments about God and science, saying that belief in a Creator was not incompatible with science.  But in his recently-published book The Grand Design, co-authored with Leonard Mlodinow, Hawking argues that the Universe can create itself out of nothing, leaving no place for God in modern scientific thought.

In God and Stephen Hawking, Oxford professor, John C. Lennox, challenges this view, pointing out some of the inconsistencies in Hawking’s argument.  Early on, Lennox points out that Hawking claims that philosophy is dead but then uses a philosophical methodology himself.  Lennox then looks at Hawking’s argument that “because there is a law of gravity, the universe can and will create itself out of nothing”, his M-theory, and his arguments about the Multiverse.  In a final chapter on science and rationality, Professor Lennox shows that Hawking’s arguments are more philosophical ideas than science itself and in no way disprove the existence of God.  He proceeds to affirm his own belief not only in the Creator but also in the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus to Christian faith – a belief that he shows is no more fanciful than Hawking’s theories about the origins of the Universe. 

God and Stephen Hawking is a small, readable book written for the thinking lay-person, and priced at £4.99

More than Matter
by Keith Ward

What is it to be human?   Are our joys and sorrows, desires and ambitions and our sense of personal identity merely 'the behaviour of a vast assembly of nerve-cells and molecules'?   Is there such a thing as a soul?  Professor Ward guides the reader through a variety of thinkers and traditions, arguing that there is more to humanity than just bodies. .

Test of FAITH Test of Faith is a package of resources from the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion that can be used separately or together. #  Test of Faith book Personal testimonies of ten leading scientists #  Test of Faith DVD Three programmes in which leading scientists show how there need be no conflict between religious faith and scientific research. #  Test of Faith Study Guide & Leader's Guide Study materials for small groups Click HERE for more information

A Pocket Guide to Ethical Issues by Andrew Goddard

A Pocket Guide to Ethical Issues is just that!  Artificial reproductive technologies, embyos, IVF, abortion, genetics, war, punishment, animals, environment, asylum & immigration, marriage & sex, poverty and euthanasia are all covered in this 220-page pocket-sized book.   The author, who teaches ethics at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, presents the facts to help his readers arrive at their own conclusion.  Excellent value at £6.99.!

Creation or Evolution – Do we have to choose?
by Denis Alexander

Denis Alexander’s scholarly treatise seeks to show that the “Book of God’s Word” and the “Book of God’s Works” are not mutually contradictory.   Denis Alexander is both eminent scientist and a committed Christian.

God’s Undertaker – Has science buried God?
by John C Lennox

This is an updated edition of John Lennox’ book in which he examines the scope and limitations of science, discusses reductionism, the nature and scope of evolution, the origins of life and much more.  John Lennox is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and has debated with Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

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. Is Religion Dangerous? by Keith Ward Written before Why there almost certainly is a God (see below) and The God Delusion, this book challenges another of Dawkins’ favourite themes.   Professor Ward looks at the causes of violence and then asks “Are religious beliefs irrational?”   “Are religious beliefs immoral?” and “Does religion do more harm than good?”   Why there almost certainly is a God Doubting Dawkins by Keith Ward The title reflects the fact that this is yet another challenge to Richard Dawkins from yet another Oxford academic.  With both humour and logic the former Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford seeks to answer the arguments in three chapters of The God Delusion – where Dawkins discusses philosophy, God and the ultimate nature of reality. 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 

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 

The author of The Case for Christ turns a 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

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

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

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

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

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  

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

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 

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 

Bioethics deals 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’.