Christian Literature & Book Reviews
Belief in God in an Age of Science
By John Polkinghorne
Based upon the Terry Foundation Lecures he gave in 1996, Belief in God in an Age of Science shows Polkinghorne in top form as he gives an apologia for the compatibility of science and religious faith that defuses much of the antireligious nonsense currently being pushed as the educated consensus. The argument is not so much as reconstructing "proofs" for God's existence as much as philosophical arguments that collectively have led great thinkers to believe that there is indeed some ultimate power and design behind the wonders of the cosmos. There is not so much a single slam dunk "there is God" argument as a series of explorations that leave the hardened antireligious view prevalent in popular culture recently dying a slow death from a thousand cuts.
Througout, Polkinghore gives a concise overview of the historical, methodological, philosophical, and psychological reasons behind the hostility shown towards religion among many in fields related to scientific endeavors. This hostility is shown to be upon a foundation of sand although the religious community is certainly not blameless in contributing to the continued battles. Instead of adding to the groundfire, the author calmly explains how the world we live in consists of a "multilayered reality" and that science is vital in explaining important facets of this reality but is not sufficient in this regard. Various other forms of thought - religion amongst them - also contribute in revealing the textures of our existence and together they ultimately lead us to understand the Creator of such richness.
Polinghorne has long been a vocal advocate for the great need for an honest and fruitful dialogue between science and religion. Such a dialogue can only take place in an environment of mutual respect and a recognition of the need for interaction between the two fields. It may seem a long shot given the recent outpouring of scientific triumphalism and the long standing antagonism towards the scientific community in parts of the Church, but if books like this were read more widely in both communities it could well be a possibility.
Judas and the Gospel of Jesus: Have We Missed the Truth about Christianity?
By N. T. Wright
Despite the fact that the various gnostic movements did not have the internal cohesion to put forward a unified doctrinal synthesis, Wright correctly points out that there were defining tenets that identified a movement as gnostic. The key among these were the following four points: the belief that the material world is inherently bad; the belief that the material world is the work of an inferior - and perhaps evil - god; the belief that salvation is achieved by escaping the material world for a higher plane of existence; the belief that the salvific escape from the evils of this world is gained through the knowledge provided by the group's leaders. Naturally, such an outlook would take a dim view of the Jewish emphasis on the redemption of the material world and thus would see the God of the Old Testament as the material world's capricious creator. Considering one of the claims against by contemporary apologists for the gnostics against traditional Christianity is its alleged anti-Semitism, Wright quite correctly replies that it was the gnostics who rejected any Jewish influence and the orthodox Christians who kept the link to Judaism alive and would identify the God of the Old Testament with the Triune God of the Christian faith.
N. T. Wright has proven again that he is the greatest debunker of revisionist movements within the Church. Much of this is no doubt due to the fact that among orthodox writers, he is among the most intellectually curious and willing to give unconventional ideas a fair hearing. Yet he is not one to suffer fools in silence and when faced with poorly researched theses that are presented merely to undermine confidence in the message of the Holy Scriptures, he is more than able to leave the follies of their supporters exposed. In Judas and the Gospel of Jesus, he not only debunks the idea that it presents anything authentic about Judas or Jesus, he also debunks the entire construction of novel new ideas on the origins of the Church. It is a powerhouse of a presentation that should be read by any seeking the truth on such "alternate" gospels.
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