6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Identifying the struggles for faith integration in biology, May 5, 2005
This review is from: Biology Through the Eyes of Faith (Christian College Coalition Series) (Paperback)
Biology through the Eyes of Faith [BEoF] attempts to make the reader aware of the struggles that occur with someone who professes a Christian faith (primarily evangelical or fundamental [EC]) with the current understandings of biological sciences and the impact that these science have had in our world. While Wight attempts to be neutral in his approach, as with most people who are passionate with their field of expertise, his biases break through. The reader can sense how his striving for practicing of both good science and being honest to his faith can be accomplished.
BEoF first introduces the reader to passion that someone in biology has for his/her profession. Wright then addresses how this person integrates his/her EC faith structure into biology and where conflicts occur. He addresses the varied EC faith/science integration approaches and attempts to identify the strengths and weakness of each. BEoF discusses many of the areas in biology that the EC community struggles; such as origins, genetic engineering, stem-cell research and the environment to name a few.
BEoF attempts to be fair yet truthful to both science and faith, but Wright's own struggles and biases show through. However, this honest approach to the struggles of faith/science integration help the reader to understand the complexity of the issues and makes them aware that there is not one view accepted within EC communities. Wright's attempt to address where these conflict occur is factual and brief. Here the book turns more philosophical that science oriented. But this is it's purpose; not to be the book on "Truth" or on "Biology", but to show that strongly faith-based individuals must and can address the issues of biology and faith.
If you want a book to support only one viewpoint, this is not the book. If you want a book that gives you the answers to all your questions, you will need to look elsewhere. If you want to read a book that describes the struggle in the EC community and helps to show why they must be a participant in biology, this will be a good read.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A critical book for any Christian who studies biology, November 22, 2003
This review is from: Biology Through the Eyes of Faith (Christian College Coalition Series) (Paperback)
This book was balm to my soul. If you are caught between the Christian and scientific communities, you will find solace in this book. Dr Wright does an incredible job explaining different Christian perspectives on Scripture and origins. Somehow, he manages to explain each Christian viewpoint with respect even when he makes his personal view evident. More importantly, he shares the joy he finds in delighting in God's creation and seeing the qualities of God in the study of life. He extends this into how we as Christians should respond. We should of course praise God and be good stewards of creation.
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17 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Part Interesting; Part Laughable; Part Offensive, May 22, 2007
This review is from: Biology Through the Eyes of Faith (Christian College Coalition Series) (Paperback)
Wright's book has a few interesting chapters which are certainly worth serious consideration by college students. His basic approach is to 'bridge' the current academic gap found between the macroevolutionary naturalists who are currently in the majority at the high school and university level, and the creationists and ID proponents who are in the much smaller, but rapidly growing minority. In some areas, Wright shines in this role of mediator. However, in the area where it is most critical, namely the actual origin of man and the Biblical account, Wright plunges the reader into a laughable and ridiculous chasm of compromise that is both unsatisfying scientifically, and theologically. In a few key chapters in the middle of the book, Wright proposes that Adam and Eve could actually have been descendants of some prehistoric and 'prehuman' race that existed prior to the account in Genesis. These early male and female creatures were then "plopped" into the Garden of Eden by God to become the first fully developed humans! And so, from this first family the human race came, Wright postulates.
This view has so many problems logically--it is almost too difficult to determine where to begin. First, Wright tries to hold on to many of the blatantly untenable and unscientific aspects of evolution. Namely, that by the 'creative' mechanisms of natural selection and mutation alone, humans evolved from 'lower primates'. God may have directed the process...but Wright plants seed of doubt throughout the reading. If macroevolution did in fact occur...is God therefore even necessary ? The creative agent now becomes random chance, natural selection, and mutation of genetic material, not God. This is at the very foundation of current macroevolutionary thought, and here is where Wright tries to build a bridge between evolutionists and creationists. However, this 'scientific bridge' one serious problem: it is impossible! There is not one recorded example in all the history of science where a mutation (brought about by everything from radiation to toxic waste) brought about a 'fitness-increasing' mutation. The idea that being blasted by radiation will bring about any change in the DNA or RNA that could increase the ability of a living creature to thrive in the world should ONLY be found in the comic books (think Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, etc...), but it is found taught as fact in every secular university in the world, and in many Christian colleges. However, if natural selection + mutation cannot produce an improved species in the laboratory, how could it have happened in the wild ? Of course, the evolutionist simply will say "Time..time--we just need more time and virtually anything is possible." But this is not science--it is science fiction.
This is the greatest flaw of Wright's text. He sacrifices Scripture on the alter of academic compromise, apparently in the hopes of building bridges between competing ideas. However, Wright only succeeds in adding confusion to the creation/evolution debate. If Genesis 1-3 is to be doubted, why not also John 3:16 or any other Scripture for that matter. Jesus spoke of Adam being created...never evolved. Since He was there and Darwin was not, why should any writer from a Christian perspective attempt to marginalize what Jesus so obviously taught, while at the same time give credibility to Darwin's macroevolutionary philosophy ?
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