And God Said: A Review of "The Language of Science and Faith"

April 01, 2011

Continued from Page 1

Perhaps one of the truest and most insightful comments in the book is a gentle rebuttal to young earth creationists: "We have to distinguish between challenges to our imaginations, which have trouble conceptualizing slow processes that take millions of years, and challenges to nature, which have no such limitations" (46). Like J.B. Phillips, we all need to realize "our God is too small." We cannot imagine a God whose divine activity extends from the minute unpredictability of electrons (118) to the possibilities of a vast multiverse (189) without also thinking of God as a great engineer who manages and manipulates and maneuvers the world at every level. Giberson and Collins paint a different picture, describing a God whose presence and purposes never fail, but who works in and through the laws of nature, laws that find their ultimate meaning, but not their modus operandi, in scripture. The authors invite readers to share in the wonder and worship of a God whose creative power extends deeper and higher than we have imagined. This is the work of faith, which cannot be subjected—either by verification or falsification—to the scientific laboratory.

The Language of Science and Faith will persuade neither the "new atheists" (or old ones) nor the followers of Ken Ham and other creationists. Its most fruitful audience will be those who follow the debate, find neither extreme compelling, and are looking for spiritually-attuned, biblically grounded, and scientifically accurate input. They might conclude that the theory of evolution is incontrovertible, but they might also be able to take a deep breath and believe that it's not only okay to accept it, but to embrace its vision of a deeper, broader grandeur to God's activity in the world than they had previously thought possible.

Page: 2 of 2

4/1/2011 4:00:00 AM

Book Club

Creationism

Darwin

evolution

Intelligent Design

literature

Mainline Protestantism

Reason

science

Christianity

Evangelicalism

more at patheos

The Hope of the Resurrection

Coyle Neal

The Rape Gang Inquiry: The UK Looks in the Mirror

Todd Weller

Brandon Lake Wins Big at 2026 K-LOVE Fan Awards

DeWayne Hamby

What Purim Means to Messianic Believers

Tonia Renee Lee

About

Patheos 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.

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos