Re: Michael Guillen

Rich -

"SQ or spiritual quotient which is orthogonal to IQ"? If "orthogonal" here means anything like what it does in math then the implication is that spirit has nothing to do with intellect. (I.e., the intellectual component of spirituality is zero& vice versa.) This doesn't seem consistent with your sketch of the book's argument.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Rich Blinne
  To: Randy Isaac
  Cc: asa@calvin.edu
  Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 10:36 AM
  Subject: Re: Michael Guillen

  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
Received on Mon Jun 6 10:50:11 2005