Prism and Rainbow

Last updated on: September 2, 2010 at 6:00 am by RJS

Prism and Rainbow 2010-09-01T20:44:57-05:00 RJS

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Joel W. Martin, Chief of the Division of Invertebrate Studies and a curator at the National History Museum of Los Angeles County, published a book earlier this year: The Prism and the Rainbow: A Christian Explains Why Evolution Is Not a Threat. This book joins a series of books written by Christians active in the sciences explaining why they don’t find evolution a threat to their faith. The book is well worth a post looking at both strengths and weaknesses.

First the strengths. Dr. Martin has written a short, readable, general introduction, a book geared toward high school and college students as well as their parents and pastors. He addresses important questions in chapters with titles like “What Does Theory Mean?” … “What Is Evolution?” … and “Human Arrogance.”

In the front material Dallas Willard notes:

The Prism and the Rainbow provides a very effective introduction to arguments — some good, some bad — swirling around evolution and its critics in contemporary churches and their social context. A careful, critical reading of it could help young people get off to a good start in dealing with issues that trouble many people today.

The title of the book the Prism and the Rainbow alludes to Genesis 9 where God said to Noah “I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Few of us stop to think much about the nature of a rainbow and the interpretation of this passage. A rainbow is the result of water reflecting and refracting in water droplets. It is rather far-fetched to propose that God changed the laws of physics to create a sign of the covenant. Rather we have here the impartation of meaning to a common phenomenon connected with the end of rain and flood. God created and God gives meaning to natural phenomena. Science does not invent nature – it reveals nature.

Dr. Martin is particularly clear and helpful in his discussion of theory and evolution. He defines terms like hypothesis, law, rule, and theory as commonly used in technical scientific literature; he discusses the nature of science and the state of understanding of evolution; all at a very accessible level.

In science a theory is “A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.” The word does not have the implication of uncertainty common in general conversation. One can discuss the germ theory of disease, gravitational theory, and evolutionary theory. The term does not imply any real uncertainty that germs cause some diseases, gravity exists, or evolution happens. Theory may also refer to a mechanism proposed to explain observed facts. Dr. Martin makes an important point here:

As a result, sometimes you will read that there is a distinction between the “fact” of evolution and the “theory” of natural selection. Today we no longer doubt whether evolution has occurred, but the mechanisms for it are often debated. This honest intellectual debate is sometimes (erroneously) seen as a debate over whether evolution has, in fact, occurred. It isn’t. (p. 44)

This is an important point that has come up in comments on various posts in the past. There is debate about the mechanisms of evolution. Random mutation and natural selection play an important role, but the whole process is far more complex than Darwin or Crick or even Dawkins realized. While gradual, it is not as constant in rate as Darwin originally proposed. This debate does not call into doubt the “fact” of evolution – but refines our understanding of mechanism and process.

Dr. Martin also has useful insight into the relationship between science and theology. Far too many Christians are prone to view creation as either – or; either nature or God, and this is just plain wrong. Dr. Martin gives an example of a popular youth leader at a retreat who commented “I believe that the Grand Canyon was created by God, and not by some river (p. 94)” as though the two were mutually exclusive.

Newton’s prism, you will recall, did not create the colors contained in sunlight. It simply revealed them. Science does not invent nature; it simply reveals nature. If this is God’s world, then science can only reveal God’s world. The formation of rainbows by the prismatic interaction of light and water – revealed by the science of optical physics – does not remove God from this beautiful spectacle. The formation of canyons by rivers – revealed by the science of geology – does not remove God from the Grand Canyon. The fact that the earth revolves around the sun rather than vice versa – revealed by the science of astronomy – does not remove God from our universe. The relatedness among all forms of life on earth, humans included, and the diversification of life over millions of years – revealed by the science of evolution – does not remove God from the history of life, or from our lives. (p. 96)

There are important weaknesses in Dr. Martin’s book however. The most significant weakness is the tone with which he deals with creationism and intelligent design. The approach is, I think, too adversarial; he leans too far toward dismissive ridicule at times and in places. This will not help those who find themselves in environments where either point of view, ID or creationism, is taken seriously by trusted adults. Because of this, I find it hard to recommend this book for the average high school student in the average evangelical church.

Nonetheless the book is a good resource for youth leaders and others without much scientific background. A careful critical reading will, as Dallas Willard noted, provide a good start in dealing with the issues that trouble many people today.

What do you think? Does the idea of theory bring images of speculation and uncertainty?

Does a physical explanation for rainbows cast doubt on the truthfulness of scripture? Why is evolution generally more controversial than physical optics?

If you wish to contact me directly, you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net

Science and Faith

Joel W. Martin

Science and Faith

Previous Post

September 2, 2010

Dads in Divorce Court (by Taylor George)

Next Post

September 2, 2010 Our Common Prayerbook 31 - 2

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which king of Judah burned the scroll of Jeremiah's prophecy?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hezekiah Zedekiah Jehoiakim Josiah