Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Very poor and irresponsible scholarship, August 24, 2004
Kingsley is following in the footsteps of giants when he tries to tackle the converging fields of science and Christian theology. Unfortunately, his poor bible scholarship and weak interpretations lead him down many a wrong path. His idea that Adam and Eve's sin was sexual intercoure with one another is obviously an error, since the bible states in Gen 2 that God made Eve for Adam, and that the two "shall become one flesh," a clear reference to sex. Also, in the curse, God claims that Eve's pain in chilbirth will "greatly multiply," implying that she already gave birth to children prior to their sin, and that the pain was minor. He also states his thought that the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil are on and the same, and that the Tree of Life refers to mortal life. If this is the case, then why do we read that God set a ward about the Tree of Life so that they could not eat of its fruit and live forever? He also shows a general lack of theological understanding, failing to understand that the "talking serpent" is a symbol of Lucifer. He never mentions any of these problems when discussing his interpretations (or any others throughout the book) demonstrating either a lack of understanding, or a dishonesty.
Other problems include his use of paraphrased english translations of the bible, rather than resorting to the Hebrew texts. His scientific references are vague and incomplete, making mere mentions of string theory, etc. Kingsley cites several dubious Soviet experiments as proof of telepathy and therefore some sort of "cosmic" or divine conscious that literally dreamed us up. Finally, an annoyance was his persistent use of exclamation marks all over the place, often several per page.
With all these failings and many more, there are much better books to read on the subject, including Gerald L Schroeder's "Genesis and the Big Bang," "The Hidden Face of God," etc.
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A far-reaching advocacy of physical and spiritual truth, December 7, 2003
God, Science, And The Cosmic Jigsaw by Jonathan Kingsley is a thoroughly "reader friendly" guide from a Christian perspective to the resolution of diverse conflicts between modern theology and hard science, conflicts and seeming contradictions that often cause people to hesitate to bring God into their life. Emphasizing logical argument and painting a picture of harmony and faith, God, Science, And The Cosmic Jigsaw is a spiritually enlightening, intellectually satisfying, and far-reaching advocacy of physical and spiritual truth, both here and in the hereafter.
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Science versus Religion: a new dimension!, July 24, 2003
This book provides a welcome shaft of light in a world experiencing a waning respect for spirituality. In today's world we rely upon a logical understanding of all we are normally prepared to accept as truth. Therein lies the problem with religion, for if we accept the findings of modern science, it can be difficult to believe all the Holy Bible has to tell us where there are perceived conflicts between the two. This book seeks to show that this is really down to differing perceptions resulting from contrasting views of the same truth.Starting from the viewpoint that there must be truth in both science and the ancient beliefs detailed within the Bible, the author seeks to show us connections between the two. Throughout this inspiring work the author offers up scientific evidence, compares it with Bible extracts, and then uses powerful logic to lock the two together in a most convincing way. The results are amazing, with the kernel being that both natural evolution (science) and divine creation (the Bible) are detailed in Genesis 1 and 2, wherein we are really reading an account of a two-phase creation. In other words, God created a world which evolved as the scientist believes until, at a point where the Bible introduces the Garden of Eden, he took a personal hand and divinely created Adam and Eve alongside evolutionary man, using their genetics as a blueprint. In so doing, he disproves Erich von Daniken's theory that we were descended from spacemen, and also shows we are not directly descended from apes! The author points out there is clearly an evolving process in all of creation and we should give God the credit for starting this process, not leaping in at the middle of something with an implied back-story! By using evolution to produce a blueprint for a successful species, God had a perfect plan for the survival of his chosen `sons of God'. Genesis 6, he then shows us, describes how these two parallel races interbred against his will and how, as a result, God's anger brought about the Great Flood. Remarkably, this work manages to build bridges between science and the Christian religion and, despite its subject matter, succeeds in being both entertaining and enlightening. It also seeks to prove life-after-death, faith healing, the significance of Jesus, and how an overall explanation scheme can take into account the entirety of the Bible and modern science. This is a work to arrest the atheist, ignite the agnostic, assist the Christian uncomfortable with the enigmas thrown up by science, and challenge the scientist who seeks to derive a `theory of everything' without recognizing the ultimate source of such unity has to be God. Although delving into the most difficult areas of human perception, this book is remarkably easy to follow, encyclopaedic in its coverage, rich and flowing in its style. It is a highly recommended read that provides a new and most valuable contribution to the science versus religion debate.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
