The Science of God: The Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom (Paperback)

by Gerald L. Schroeder (Author) "If the Bible is true, why doesn't it mention dinosaurs?..." (more)
Key Phrases: convergent organ, biblical calendar, random reactions, Milky Way, Hebrew Bible, Eternal God (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Schroeder (Genesis and the Big Bang, LJ 9/15/90) is an Israeli physicist and scholar of Genesis who maintains that a properly understood Bible and a properly understood science provide consistent sets of data. In recent decades, scientific discoveries in cosmology, paleontology, and quantum physics do not demonstrate or prove the activity of God, but they do remove conflict with that activity. Rapprochement occurs when believers read the Bible on the Bible's terms, avoiding literalism, and when scientists realize that science is powerless to pronounce on a purpose for life. Schroeder is very lucid in explaining difficult scientific concepts, such as the passage of time according to the theory of relativity, and religious data, such as the original Hebrew words. Schroeder's careful and responsible handling of the data on origins from science and Genesis 1, combined with a fresh, judicious correlation between the two, is compelling. Highly recommended.?Eugene O. Bowser, Univ. of Northern Colorado, Greeley
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews
This account of creation is the latest entry in the current endeavor to drag science and religion within shouting distance of each other. Schroeder, a physicist and Bible scholar (Genesis and the Big Bang, 1990), attempts to reconcile the Genesis account of creation with current scientific knowledge about the origin of life. No doubt he is well versed in both the Bible and biology; he's also a skilled pedagogue, explaining abstract or counterintuitive concepts in lay terms. But this book will fail to convince many readers because the author so relentlessly seeks to persuade the reader of the validity of some strange theories, and because his biblical interpretations draw on an exclusively Jewish tradition, including Kabbalah, Maimonedes, and selected passages from the Talmud, which he claims ``anticipated'' later scientific discoveries. Admittedly, some of his arguments (for instance, that the sequence of Genesis creation is congruent with evolution's progression from prokaryotic to human life) are compelling. But elsewhere Schroeder less convincingly rejects the notion of random, mutation-driven evolution, arguing instead that evolution is ``channeled'' toward an outcome preprogrammed into existing DNA. Schroeder's other theories include an odd insistence upon a pre-Adamic, soulless hominid ancestor. It's important to Schroeder that the literal Adam be the first ensouled human being, and since Genesis chronology (almost 6,000 years since Adam) doesn't mesh with what science tells us of the age of humankind, Schroeder sets out to prove that the Bible only picks up the story near the close of human development. Such hermeneutical gymnastics seem strangely outdated and obscure in an often intelligent, cogently argued book. Though respectful of both science and faith, this book is unlikely to convince either scientist or theologian. (b&w illustrations, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Broadway Books (October 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076790303X
• ISBN-13: 978-0767903035
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,841 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #62 in	Books > Science > Physics > Cosmology
  #63 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Astronomy > Cosmology
  #65 in	Books > Science > Astronomy > Cosmology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A relief from uneeded strife, March 5, 2003

By	Chris Redford (Lawrence, KS United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The main reason I chose to write this review was to clear up some of the misunderstandings in other reviews about Schroeder's time calculations. The choice of the factor million million is NOT arbitrary. It is based off of the redshift of cosmic background radiation between quark confinement and approximately the present. It is also related to the change in temperature from quark confinement to the present. I double-checked this temperature change in "Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics: Volume II (3rd Edition)".

Actual review: this book is great. As a christian, I had fears when I began reading it. I see this fear when evolution is mentioned in my church. It is the fear that your entire life is based on something that doesn't agree with the facts, that you have been missing the truth.

But in reading it, my faith in the Bible is stronger than it has ever been. It is true what he says: an understanding of the works of God comes not only from the Bible, but from a firm understanding of science. Don't blink at the facts. Read this book and understand why there is no reason for conflict between two of God's greatest creations.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book, and a must read., February 14, 2005

By	John David Young (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Several have said that this book is completely unconvincing for various reasons. The reasons tend to be as follows:
1. The author quotes non-Biblical sources such as Kabbalistic writings, therefore they have no relevance to the Bible.
2. The author does not read the Bible in a literal fashion from a person's perspective on Earth (and that's what the Bible was intended to be, damn it!).
3. The author is an idiot because he is trying to prove the existence of God, and it's clear God doesn't exist.
4. This book is no more than this person's opinion, and therefore has no value.

Each of these reasons contains a kernel of truth, but little more. All of them show inconsistency in reasoning. To refute:
1. The non-Biblical sources such as commentary on Scripture CAN be true, even though they are not the primary source, i.e., the Bible itself. The logic in point one is presented thusly:
a. The Bible is true.
b. Source A is not the Bible.
c. Ergo, Source A is not true.
This is a non sequitur fallacy that implies that only the Bible contains truth, and everything else is false. Even the Bible itself says that there are things (specifically, other miracles of Christ) not mentioned in the Bible. Other works besides the Bible can be sources of truth, even if those works are not divinely inspired. (Example of inconsistency in reasoning in this logic: most who agree with number 1 will claim the above and then read other authors like Billy Graham or Hal Lindsey. If the writings of Billy Graham can contain truth, why not the writings of Josephus or the writings of Rambam?)

2. The whole point of this book is to attempt to square the text of the Bible with modern science. To those who would say that the author is out of bounds by interpreting the six-day creation story as being six days from God's perspective (as opposed to the perspective of someone on Earth), let's look at another passage. Is the bread and wine at the Last Supper LITERALLY the Body and Blood of Christ, or only symbolic? Most who hold to the logic evinced by point 2 would say that the Six Days were six days as we understand them, but that the bread and wine were only symbols of Christ's Body and Blood. once again, this is inconsistent reasoning. Incidentally, as a Catholic, I believe that the bread and wine, are, in fact, the actual Body and Blood after the Consecration. Also, nothing in the Bible says that EVERY word in the Bible is absolutely literal, so to assume otherwise violates the (also unbiblical, yet ironically assumed by many) tenet of Sola Scriptura.

3. If you accept premise number 3, you are no scientist. Theists, atheists, and agnostics can all be good scientists. Since we cannot disprove the existence of God, it is an irresponsible (and unscientific) person who claims that only atheists can be real scientists. We are free to discuss problems in logic of the various religions, but to dismiss out of hand the possiblity of the existence of a Creator is to be in denial.

4. This may be the most ridiculous premise of all. Of course this book is only this man's opinion. He does not claim it to be a religious text. He only says that he is trying to find a way to reconcile what seem to be completely exclusive opinions. Also, in the same vein, of course his postulates are untestable. So is Darwin's theory of evolution, as it would take millions of years from now for us to observe any real macroevolution. That does not mean that Darwin was wrong, nor does it mean that this author is wrong. On the other hand, Einstein's theory of relativity has been tested. Without a counterexample, it cannot logically be assumed to be false. Certain parts of evolutionary theory, such as microevolution, HAVE been tested and shown to be true as well.

I, as I said, am a Catholic. In reading this book, I find my faith greatly strengthened. Not because this man or his work is specifically Catholic in nature (I think he is an Israeli Jew), but because his work lends scientific backing and independent credibility to what the Catholic Church has always taught. St. Augustine, in the 4th century AD, said that we should always have "faith seeking understanding". He also said that if science or OUR UNDERSTANDING of Scripture are at odds, then one of them is incorrect. For many years, Creationists have said that science was wrong, and Evolutionists have said that Scripture was wrong. What is beautiful about this book, is that it shows that both of these groups could be wrong about their assumptions, and all the while both groups could be right about their core beliefs. Does this mean that both might have to modify their worldviews to accept this thesis? Yes, however, this modification neither endangers faith nor science, but should strengthen both. Because of the fact that Catholic teaching is bolstered by these ideas, this is definitely a must-read for Catholics. Actually, I think it is a must-read for all who seek truth.

Those who say that nothing in this book changes their minds about anything (unless, of course, they already agree 100% with the author), are either not actually reading the book, or their minds are SO closed that they believe they already know everything worth knowing. (If the latter is the case, why bother reading? Reading a book only to create a straw man is not evidence of a person seeking truth, but only that of a person with a closed mind. Only God knows everything.)

Obviously, as this man is not God, nor is inspired directly by Him, this work is not perfect. But it is definitely gourmet food for thought.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Novel approach but suspect sources for theological inputs, October 15, 2005

By	David C. Leaumont "Dave" (Bossier City, LA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Schroeder's book does a superb job of evoking new thought on this subject and ongoing debate of exactly how God created the earth. There are many theories, such as Day-Age, Gap, Flood and Literal-24 Hour Day. But, Schroeder brings another idea into the equation, that of Einstein's relativity. A very interesting read.

While Schroeder's scientific approach is novel, his theological sources are suspect. Maimonides, a 13th century Jewish philosopher, was one of his major sources for theology. Conservative Christian teachings of all congregations today would disagree with these ideas. Nahmanides, also from the 13th century, was a Jewish Biblical commentator and kabbalist. His ideas are closer to today's beliefs, but both of these sources were in a theological no-man's land of time. They were far removed from the authors, the cultural/linguistic aspects behind the Torah of Scripture and they did not benefit from the scholarship of the past 150 years. While these are good sources of reading, they are not the place to rest ideas of theology regarding Creation because of these issues.

Schroeder brings up a SUPERB observation regarding those involved in the debate of Creationism versus Atheistic Macro-Evolution. Very few people involved in the debate are highly knowledgeable regarding both sides of the argument. Most scientists have a "high-school level" or lower understanding of theology and most supporters of Biblical Creationism have the same level of understanding of science. Very few are well-versed in both.

Schroeder delves deep into scientific discussion supporting Creation and Biblical accounts. This is interesting and is much too deep for those not trained in science. There is some superb theory put forth, but this is really for graduate level study.

This is not the book to start an investigation in the theories of Creation and Evolution, but after much reading, this could be an interesting book to read to get deeper inputs.