Refreshingly, Lindberg endeavors to reconcile science and religion rather than insist that one invalidates the other. Some of Lindberg’s evidence is familiar, as he marvels at the irreducible complexity of the human brain or eye, the “complexity and orderliness” of laws of physics and chemistry, and draws on physicist Paul Davies’s argument that “Life is not haphazard complexity, it is organized.” Lindberg embraces Davies’s idea that “there is a universal ancestor or microbe for all human, animal, and plant life” but rejects his and Stephen Jay Gould’s contention, shared by many scientists, that life and all its systems are some kind of happy accident. Instead of “growth by chance,” Lindberg sees human development and history as a story of “undeniable, directed progress."
While Lindberg’s arguments at times overlap with Intelligent Design, whose proponents often sought to disprove prevailing scientific theories, God’s Existence ultimately approaches divisions between science and religion with humility, acknowledging all that we don’t know while pressing the case that one truth unites all that we do: “Laws cannot create themselves,” he writes. “There must be a source, a creator.” Readers looking to balance belief and the scientific method will find some engaging original reasoning here.
Takeaway: This attempt to answer the biggest question facing humanity finds welcome common ground between science and religion.
Great for fans of: Steven R. Hemler’s The Reality of God, Stephen C. Meyer’s The Return of the God Hypothesis.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
In God’s Existence: Truth or Fiction? The Answer Revealed, Gary Lindberg examines the branches of science universally accepted to determine the likelihood of God or a supreme being. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, science is “knowledge about or the study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation.” In his research, Lindberg addresses dominant scientists such as Stephen Hawking and Paul Davies on how experiments and observations play a role in guestimating versus theorizing from their viewpoints. Lindberg discusses the differences between secular scientists’ theories and hypotheses versus those of Christian scientists to determine which view is most logical. Lindberg doesn’t stay completely impartial, but he does remain professional––explaining both sides in his debate on a highly debatable topic instead of merely hovering around his particular ideas.
Lindberg references people and civilizations in the introduction, such as the Romans, Greeks, and Vikings, followed by Abraham Maslow and his “Hierarchy of Needs.” He follows his introduction by explaining the various branches of science: botany, biology, and astronomy, including mathematics, chemistry, and physics. Using these familiar branches of science, Lindberg expounds on their use for us in society, as well as determining the likelihood of God’s existence. Other topics include creation versus the Big Bang and how physics and theology intermix.
Lindberg makes many valuable, logical, and influential points in his presentation. When people take the time to check out from society, meditate, and turn their focus inward, or rather, upward, you’d be surprised by the things made known that would otherwise stay hidden. Lindberg discusses facts about the human body and outer space that are remarkable and mind-blowing if you think about them seriously––examples being the exact placement and rotation of the Earth and the roles of our brain, liver, and eyes. Regarding the idea of creation, if one would consider all things necessary for something to appear out of nothing––given the laws of physics––it only seems logical that a supreme being had to be in charge.
Lindberg respects God’s reverence as the creator of the universe and uses scripture to back up his claims. He speaks of differing opinions, even among fellow Christians, and his interpretation and belief concerning the age of the Earth differ from those of this reviewer. From a personal viewpoint, that is the only thing this reviewer found to be different, with everything else making sound sense through logic and science. The author made a wise statement (to paraphrase): there is God and there is science; we know both to be true, so they must reflect each other. Lindberg presents accurate and informative statements, and God’s Existence is worth reading for people of all beliefs.
Reviewed By: Rachel Dehning
AuthorGary R. Lindberg
Star Count4/5
FormatTrade
Page Count104 pages
PublisherDorrance Publishing Company
Publish Date17-Mar-2021
ISBN9781648042737
Bookshop.orgBuy this Book
IssueSeptember 2021
CategoryReligion
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