Last month I read Science, Faith, and Ethics: Grid or Gridlock? A Christians Approach to Controversial Topics in Science by Denis Alexander and Robert White (2006). Since it has been a while since I have posted on this topic, the timing is good for a short book review.
Dr. Alexander and Dr. White are British scientists who are also involved with the interaction between religion and science. They skillfully defend how science works, how religion plays an important role in our life, and how they two are not in conflict.
While science makes a difference in what we know about the world, religion makes a difference in how we think about the world. As science makes new advances, we face moral and ethical decisions; such as decisions around nuclear energy, the environment, genetic engineering, DNA therapy, and many more. Therefore, in order for us to make grounded decisions, we should be knowledgeable about both science and religion.
The first five chapters examine the science, religion, and the relationship between them. Establishing the similarities and differences between these disciplines sets the stage for the relationship between them. Chapters 6-8 examine specific issues around evolution, genetics, and the environment. Chapter 9 concludes the 168-page book about being a Christian in science today.
There is no question in my mind that too few people know much about science, religion, and the interplay between these two influential disciplines – thus many are incapable of making an informed decision about something they think they know, but actually don’t.
Science, Faith, and Ethics: Grid or Gridlock? is an easy read, so I highly recommend this book as one of the early books to read in a journey to learn more about the topic – but not the only. After all, the more one learns, the more they will discover how little they know – thus, how much more there is to learn. Here are some resources to get started on the topic.
A Frank Angle 
Hi Frank,
I trust that your Thanksgiving was time well spent with the people you love and care about. With that said, I appreciate this post and the accompanying book review as well. Have a good week.
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Al,
Thanksgiving was well and hope your holiday time was bountiful in Virginia.
The science-theology topic is one of high interest for me. Soon (probably next week) will post a review on a book by Dr. Francis Collins (current director at NIH) on the topic. Thanks for commenting!
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Thanks for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comments and I do hope you’ll come back to my blog next time. Yes it’s true, my faith is so important in my life—in my family’s lives. If not for it, we would just be like “spiritless living creatures ” who don’t have a purpose in life, and inside , worthless and rotting.
I don’t call it a religion, but faith because religion is “organized” and religion equates rituals to earn righteousness. God doesn’t need us to earn it, he graciously gives us righteousness and forgiveness through HIs Son Jesus Christ.
I think that everything in this world may it be scientific and natural occurrence is God’s will. And as you said here, both science and religion (faith) interplay because, actually one can only understand science when you know that there is a Great Engineer behind it. God only uses us and that’s why He gave us our minds, intellect and talents to make the world a better place to live in not to destroy it.
God still controls the world, not men and so whatever man can do to the world, He has the final decision
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Bingkee,
Many thanks for visiting … and my plan is to return to your site.
I firmly believe that given the battle between the all- science and the all-theology, people have the impression that they must make a choice – which is far from the truth because science and theology have an interesting interplay – which is what I’ve been actively reading and thinking about for the past two years.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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