This book addresses lots of big questions about the origins of the universe and Christian faith. It is co-written by Frances Collins, a world-renowned scientist who also happens to be an evangelical Christian. Depending on what you believe, it could be hugely controversial or incredibly helpful!
Here are some of the chapter titles:
Do I have to believe in evolution?
Can we really know the earth is billions of years old?
How do we relate science and religion?
Can scientific and scriptural truth be reconciled?
Why is Darwin's theory so controversial?
What is the fine tuning of the universe, and how does it serve as a pointer to God?
The book is basically contending that science and faith can and should go hand in hand, and advocates what the authors call biologos, a type of theistic evolution, 'the belief that God created life using natural processes, working within the natural order, in harmony with its laws'. This is in contrast to many views that evangelical Christians hold, such as young earth creationism as taught by Ken Ham and others, who believe that the earth is 6000 years old and Genesis 1 is literal historical narrative, old earth creationism which sees the 'days' of Genesis 1 as epochs of time, and the Intelligent Design movement. 'The main distinctive of Biologos is its affirmation of generally accepted scientific theories about origins, including evolution, properly understood'.
So if you are looking for a carefully argued book, simply written by top scientists and easy to follow that contends for the idea that God used the processes identified by modern science to create the universe, this is for you. It takes all the questions you might see on Ken Ham's website/videos, and gives a totally different answer to each one! I would challenge anyone, whatever your current view, to read this with an open mind. Of course a book of this size can only begin to address the issues, as it's not just science but biblical studies that needs to be addressed here. But they open the subject up in an incredibly clear and articulate way, and this will hopefully be a real breakthrough for many Christians who are wrestling with this issue.
I would recommend this to anyone and everyone, whether you're a Christian or not, and whatever you think about how the universe came about, read it and let it help form your opinions.
Francis Collins has a website, www.biologos.org, which picks up many of the questions in the book and continues the conversation.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Language-Science-Faith-Straight-Questions/dp/0830838295/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_har?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357507457&sr=1-1
Sunday 6 January 2013
Red Letter Christianity by Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo
I'm a big fan of Tony Campolo's speaking and Shane Claiborne's writing, so was looking forward to this book, which is effectively a conversation between them covering a vast range of topics including Hell, Islam, Environmentalism, Women, Economics, Homosexuality and much more. The conversational style keeps the book moving at a fast pace. If you have read books by either author before, some of the material will feel familiar, but it remains challenging and thought-provoking.
The title of the book refers to an attempt by the authors and others to find an alternative to the tired and maligned phrase 'evangelical', with a particular focus on the teaching of Jesus (hence the red letters), especially the Sermon on the Mount. I found it particularly interesting when they looked at the differences between the older Red Letter Christians such as Campolo, Ron Sider and Jim Wallis, and the younger generation (Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove), and how the emphasis of the former is on direct involvement with politics, whereas the latter are attempting to create a new society in the shell of the old, to provide a glimpse of a new world.
As you would expect in a Tony Campolo book, there are some great stories and challenging quotes from Kierkegaard, and as I often find when reading Shane Claiborne, there were many moments when I found myself thinking 'that's all very good, but is everyone called to do that?' in a way designed to excuse myself from having to radically change my life!
All in all, highly recommended to anyone looking for a challenge. It's very easy to read and it could lead to some serious action and a change of lifestyle!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Letter-Christianity-Living-Matter/dp/1444745387/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357494859&sr=8-1
The title of the book refers to an attempt by the authors and others to find an alternative to the tired and maligned phrase 'evangelical', with a particular focus on the teaching of Jesus (hence the red letters), especially the Sermon on the Mount. I found it particularly interesting when they looked at the differences between the older Red Letter Christians such as Campolo, Ron Sider and Jim Wallis, and the younger generation (Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove), and how the emphasis of the former is on direct involvement with politics, whereas the latter are attempting to create a new society in the shell of the old, to provide a glimpse of a new world.
As you would expect in a Tony Campolo book, there are some great stories and challenging quotes from Kierkegaard, and as I often find when reading Shane Claiborne, there were many moments when I found myself thinking 'that's all very good, but is everyone called to do that?' in a way designed to excuse myself from having to radically change my life!
All in all, highly recommended to anyone looking for a challenge. It's very easy to read and it could lead to some serious action and a change of lifestyle!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Letter-Christianity-Living-Matter/dp/1444745387/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357494859&sr=8-1
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