"...So
what are we talking about when
we talk about God? The geneticist Francis S. Collins bravely sets out
to answer
this question in light of his
scientific knowledge and his Christian faith. Having found for himself "a
richly satisfying harmony between the scientific and spiritual
worldviews,"
he seeks to persuade others that "belief in God can be an entirely
rational
choice, and that the principles of faith are, in fact, complementary
with the
principles of science." As a researcher who helped discover the genetic
basis for cystic fibrosis and other diseases and as the director of the
Human
Genome Project, Collins brings strong credentials to the scientific
side of his
argument. For the spiritual side, he draws on Christian authorities
such as
Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas and C. S. Lewis. His aim is to
address
"extremists on both sides of the science/faith divide." On one extreme
are those scientists who insist that the universe is purely and
exclusively
matter, and on the other are literal interpreters of the Book of
Genesis who
reject the last two centuries of scientific discovery. Although
Collins's
purpose is grand, his manner is modest and his prose clear, as befits a
man more
concerned with sharing his views on the nature of things than with
displaying
his ego..."-- Russell Sanders, The Washington Post |
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