East Baton Rouge Parish Library

The language of God, a scientist presents evidence for belief, Francis S. Collins

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The language of God

bibliography

65978711

Francis S. Collins

a scientist presents evidence for belief

Dr. Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists. He works at the cutting edge of the study of DNA, the code of life. Yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God and scripture. He believes that God cares about us and can intervene in human affairs -- on rare occasions, even miraculously. Collins has personally discovered some of the scientific evidence for the common descent of all living creatures, even though he repudiates the materialist, atheistic worldview argued by many prominent Darwinists. In short, Dr. Collins provides a satisfying solution for the dilemma that haunts everyone who believes in God and respects scienceFaith in God and faith in science can be harmonious -- combined into one worldview. The God that he believes in is a God who can listen to prayers and cares about our souls. The biological science he has advanced is compatible with such a God. For Collins, science does not conflict with the Bible, science enhances it. For many years Dr. Collins kept his views largely to himself, as he helped oversee the Human Genome Project's stunning sequencing of the code of life. Now, in what may be the most important melding of reason and revelation since C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity,Dr. Collins explains himself in detail.This book makes the case for God and for science. Dr. Collins considers and rejects several positions along the spectrum from atheism to young-earth creationism -- including agnosticism and Intelligent DesignInstead, he proposes a new synthesis, a new way to think about an active, caring God who created humankind through evolutionary processes. He has heard every argument against faith from scientists, and he can refute them. He has also heard the needless rejection of scientific truths by some people of faith, and he can counter that, too. He explains his own journey from atheism to faith, and then takes readers on a stunning tour of modern science to show that physics, chemistry, and biology can all fit together with belief in God and the Bible.The Language of Godis essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest questions of all: Why are we here? How did we get here? And what does life mean? "In today's world, scarred by cultural warfare, it is rare for a scientist to offer a testimony of faith in God. For that scientist to be one of the world's most renowned is rarer still. For his testimony to be so lucid and compelling, combining reason and revelation, science and spirit, is unheard of.The Language of Godbelongs on the shelf of every believer and every seeker." -- Dr. Robert H. Schuller, Founding Pastor, the Crystal Cathedral"When the head of the Human Genome Project calls the genetic code "the language of God," he deserves to be taken very seriously. In a discussion that is both broadly ecumenical and scientifically incontrovertible, Collins entertains propositions both for and against the existence of God and biblical authority, as well as the moral implications of bioethics. He personalizes the narrative by recounting his own journey from atheism to faith, portraying it as much an intellectual quest as a spiritual one. His excellent discussion of intelligent design seeks not to debunk the theory, but rather to cite its limitations and to show how a scientific worldview transcends them without, in his opinion, conflicting with faith. Finally, he talks about his vision of "BioLogos," or science and religion in harmony. An essential read, equally for readers of religious or secular persuasions." --Library Journal