Customer Reviews

God and the Astronomers Second Edition

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With this excellent book, Robert Jastrow has written a good, easily understood overview of the Argument for Design from the perspective of cosmology. He first presents the reasons why there is a consensus among scientist for the Big Bang theory and an expanding universe (particularly convincing is Penzias/Wilson's radiation from the cosmic fireball). The universe is not only expanding, it is doing so at a controlled rate that allows for intelligent life (a bit faster start would have lead to rapid expansion, slower leading to an early collapse). He then leads the reader to the obvious questions raised by the new cosmology; who did it and why. Why did the Universe begin in an explosion? Did the Universe exist before that moment? Why does the Universe seem designed for life and for man? A nice extra is the final chapter by Steven Katz; Judaism, God and the Astronomers. He argues that Judaism permits freedom of ideas, and that interpretation of Biblical texts is a long tradition. He quotes Maimonides, saying that the writers of Genesis used metaphors, "in order that the uneducated may comprehend it according to the measure of their facilities and the feebleness of their comprehension; while the educated take it in a different (i.e., allegorical or nonliteral) sense." Other nice extras include the many historical photos as well as an index.

. . .as to why science and theology don't have to be enemies. Dr. Jastrow, recognized as one of the world's foremost astronomers (and an acknowledged agnostic on religious matters) demonstrates with remarkable honesty that astronomy and theology may well have more to talk about than the fanatics in either field would like to admit. He does so in a manner which is non-threatening, non-controversial, and non-technical.

The book's greatest flaw, in my opinion, is that at times it does not seem techincal enough. The type of person most likely to purchase this book is frequently well-read and informed about the issues, and well able to handle a deeper discussion.

Read this book if you have an interest in Astronomy or how astronomy relates to God. Jastrow presents a plausible view for how the universe began. What makes this book special is Jastrow's views on God and on the universe.

Robert Jastrow is certainly not a Christan, and never proclaims to be. The God Jastrow argues for is very secular and can accomadate many religions. And perhaps that is the what makes his views special.

Much of what Jastrow says about the universe and how it had to have a beginning and a creator is very revealing. Jastrow has some famous quotes in this book that you may have read elsewhere. For this purporse alone the book is worth reading. One of the more famous views comes from his story of a philsopher trying to prove that God does not exist. The philsopher for years has come up against this unbearable mountain called God and just when it appears they are read to scale the mountain and proclaim victory, another mountain twice the orignal's size pops up. Jastrow argues that this second mountain is unaviodable and unclimbable. Because this is unacceptable for some, many chose ot ignore it or dismiss it. However, despite their efforts the mountain is still there and as Jastow points out, the mountian is there for good. Calling this mountain the Big Bang does not solve anything, rather it avoids the issue altogether.

Very well written. If you have not read books on astronomy do not worry. Nothing to complicated here, so you can dive right in.

"Irritating," said Einstein; "Repugnant," said the great British astronomer Eddington; "I would like to reject it," said MIT physicist Philip Morrison (On the Big Bang, and that the universe began in a moment of creation)


God and the Astronomers:
In his informing updated book, Dr. Robert Jastrow, a world class astrophysicist, renders a lucid account of the astronomical discoveries in recent years. This book focuses primarily on the Big Bang, how scientists discovered the evidence for it, and how they, reluctantly, gave up alternative theories. Jastrow focuses on several points where the two disciplines of science and religion converge, but a cyclic feedback is kept alive. He, meanwhile, discusses the various theological implications of the new scientific insights. He examines what the philosophical and theological implications might be. He ventures through this without risking any serious consequences, for mankind's place in the cosmos, arguing that; just because the Big Bang took place does not mean that God and evolution cannot coexist.
Originally published in 1978, this second edition includes an appendix presentation by Catholic and Jewish theologians.
He concludes his book with this often quoted statement: "He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."

New Edition Reviews:
"Robert Jastrow, a world renown astrophysicist and agnostic, takes an honest and inquisitive look at the theological implications of recent astronomical discoveries. Every effect in science has a cause, so what caused the Big Bang and the birth of the universe?" [...]

"Dr. Jastrow explains the chain of events that forced astronomers, despite their initial reluctance to accept the validity of the Big Bang and the fact that the universe began in a moment of creation." (SCIENCE/ASTRONOMY)

Author & Astrophysicist :
Dr. Robert Jastrow, is the director of Mount Wilson Observatory and was founder and director for twenty years of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. He authored books which explore the universe; Red Giants & White Dwarfs, and Until the Sun Dies.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It's not often that one reads of scientists who, perhaps grudgingly, admit to a Divine creation because their own science runs into a dead end. Whether you're a believer in the Judeo/Christian God, an agnostic or even an atheist, you will come away believing that earth and space were created as a supernatural act. I read an article about this book which prompted me to buy it. Allow me to share it with you (I cannot credit the author since I don't recall who wrote it):


"The evidence led astronomer Dr. Robert Jastrow, who until his recent death was the director of the Mount Wilson observatory once led by Edwin Hubble, to author a book called God and the Astronomers. Despite revealing in the first line of chapter 1 that he was personally agnostic about `religious matters," Jastrow reviewed some of the SURGE evidence and concluded, "Now we see how the astronomical evidence leads to a biblical view of the origin of the world. The details differ, but the essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same: the chain of events leading to man commenced suddenly and sharply at a definite moment in time, in a flash of light and energy."

In an interview, Jastrow went even further, admitting that "Astronomers now find they have painted themselves into a corner because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act of creation to which you can trace the seeds of every star, every planet, every living thing in this cosmos and on the earth. And they have found that all this happened as a product of forces they cannot hope to discover. . . . That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact." Jastrow was not alone in evoking the supernatural to explain the beginning. Although he found it personally "repugnant," General Relativity expert Arthur Eddington admitted the same when he said, "The beginning seems to present insuperable difficulties unless we agree to look on it as frankly supernatural."

Now why would scientists such as Jastrow and Eddington admit, despite their personal misgivings, that there are "supernatural" forces at work? Why couldn't natural forces have produced the universe? Because there was no nature and there were no natural forces ontologically prior to the Big Bang; nature itself was created at the Big Bang. That means the cause of the universe must be something beyond nature, something we would call supernatural. It also means that the supernatural cause of the universe must at least be:

* spaceless because it created space
* timeless because it created time
* immaterial because it created matter
* powerful because it created out of nothing
* intelligent because the creation event and the universe was precisely designed
* personal because it made a choice to convert a state of nothing into something (impersonal forces don't make choices).

Those are the same attributes of the God of the Bible.

I mentioned in the debate that other scientists who made Big-Bang-related discoveries also conclude that the evidence is consistent with the Biblical account. Robert Wilson, co-discoverer of the Radiation Afterglow, which won him a Noble Prize in Physics observed, "Certainly there was something that set it off. Certainly, if you're religious, I can't think of a better theory of the origin of the universe to match with Genesis." George Smoot, co-discoverer of the Great Galaxy Seeds which won him a Nobel Prize as well, echoed Wilson's assessment by saying, "There is no doubt that a parallel exists between the Big Bang as an event and the Christian notion of creation from nothing."

How did Hitchens (an atheist) respond to this evidence? Predictably, he said that I was "speculating", that no one can get behind the Big Bang event. I say "predictably" because that's exactly the response Dr. Jastrow said is common for atheists who have their own religion, the religion of science. Jastrow wrote, "There is a kind of religion in science . . . every effect must have its cause; there is no First Cause. . . . This religious faith of the scientist is violated by the discovery that the world had a beginning under conditions in which the known laws of physics are not valid, and as a product of forces or circumstances we cannot discover. When that happens, the scientist has lost control. If he really examined the implications, he would be traumatized. As usual when faced with trauma, the mind reacts by ignoring the implications; in science this is known as `refusing to speculate.'"

Hitchens admits the evidence but ignores its implications in order to blindly maintain his own religious faith ([...]). How is it speculation to say that since all space, time, and matter were created that the cause must be spaceless, timeless and immaterial? That's not speculation, but following the evidence where it leads.

Dr. Jastrow, despite his agnosticism, told us where the evidence leads. He ended his book this way: "For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."

This book is an excellent introduction into the many theories that you hear discussed regarding the beginning of the universe, and ultimately, its conclusion. The first day I received it, I read half of it until I finally forced myself to go to bed. I read the rest of it the next day. The book gives a good overview of theories without getting complicated beyond understanding. But I do wish it went a little further in depth.

What is God and the Astronomers? It's an excellent laymen's resource for understanding the Big Bang as a physical cosmology. What isn't God and the Astronomers? It isn't as concerned with religious cosmology as one might expect from the title.

Jastrow, an agnostic, is by no means compelled to include theological ramifications, nor would it necessarily enhance his Big Bang narrative. But, citing God in a title, he should be prepared to offer more than tacit affirmation of the basic cosmological similarities. A layman unaided can spot the simple stuff.

The brief, though ubiquitous, biographies of participants such as Einstein, Hubble, Humason, et al. were welcomed, but strangely disonnant. I just couldn't shake the notion that the book embraced the supporting cast to the detriment of the declared headliner.

But, don't get me wrong. I loved the book. It is quick, concise, easily processed, and a welcome addition to my library. I just expected something a bit more transcendent, delving a few inches deeper, and am only moderately disappointed I didn't find it. 4 stars.

If you are looking for an enjoyable, accessible introduction to the science behind the Big Bang theory, then this book is for you. Non-specialists need not fear being put to sleep by complex mathematical formulae and arcane terminology. Dr. Jastrow lays out the basic evidence for the theory in a non-technical way and explains why it gained acceptance over the competition. Along the way he provides interesting glimpses of the important figures in the history of the theory.

On the negative side, there isn't a great deal of discussion of the relation of Big Bang cosmology to theism until the end of the book. Appropriately, it includes afterwords by a Catholic scientist and a Jewish professor of religion presenting their take on the implications of the theory for theology, but they hardly represent the broad spectrum of opinion on the subject. On the positive side, the sparse theological discussion makes this great primer for anyone who wants to know about the Big Bang even if they don't care about theology.

First of all, I read a 1978 edition of Jastrow's book so I can't comment on the theological appendix. As to the text itself, I believe it gives a very good non-technical overview of the Big Bang Theory. While an agnostic himself, Jastrow gives in my opinion a very fair and uncontroversial (in respect to either side) overview of the formation of the universe. The book is a fast read and is especially suited to readers who want some basic scientific information without diving into a lot of the fine details. Jastrow writes about a number of scientists in the book and a number of beautiful space photographs are included as well. One of my only complaints is that more wasn't said regarding Lamaetra. Overall, I enjoyed the book considerably.

This is a mind changing book for Christians, Jews and everybody else. It is breath taking, inspiring, profound and so important for living today.