The book is a mixed bag. The best concept in the book is the idea of SQ or
spiritual quotient which is orthogonal to IQ. Guillen encourages people to
have so-called stereoscopic faith encouraging Christians not to eschew
intellectual efforts. He chides spiritual people who are anti-intellectuals
and intellectuals who are not spiritual. He also does a good job of
describing atheism as it lives in the Academy. Guillen's treatment of this
subject while critical also shows affection.
When Guillen uses spiritual in the book he means Christianity and at times
the charismatic variety. This leaves him open to the charge of credulity.
Add Guillen being used to give intellectual cover to the Raelians several
years ago and the value of this work as an apologetic to secular scientists
diminishes somewhat. Thus I suggest the following title: Can People Who
Believe in God Be Smart? That part succeeds. Given the fact that Guillen is
skeptical of evolution it might gain some credibility concerning the
compatibility view amongst anti-Darwinists who subscribe to the warfare
model.
In summary, the book isn't perfect but it serves a useful albeit limited
purpose.
On 6/5/05, Randy Isaac <rmisaac@bellatlantic.net> wrote:
>
> Have any of you read Michael Guillen's latest book, published in Sept.
> 2004? My sister saw him on TV this morning and asked what I thought of it
> but I haven't read it. Are there good reviews of it somewhere? *Can a
> Smart Person Believe in God?*
> **
> Randy<http://www.parable.com/cbn/search.asp?searchType=4&criteria=At%7EGuillen,%20Michael:A1%7E1>
>
Received on Mon Jun 6 10:39:35 2005
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