Six Modern Myths: challenging Christian faith
By Philip J. Sampson
IVP. £8.99
ISBN 0 85111 659 0
Myths are old, untrue stories. But we have modern myths, garbed in the language of history or science, which are not very old but are quite untrue. Yet, for all our modern sophistication, we are likely to pass on even scientific truth via stories, not formulae, for example, gravity via the story of Newton's apple, which probably never happened!
Sampson takes six modern stories and shows that, despite their claims to be based on fact, they 'pass on powerful modern myths and distort history and truth in the process' (p. 159). The stories are about: Galileo, the hero of science against a hostile church; Darwinism - the truth about our origins; environment - the Bible is the root of global exploitation; missionaries - a story of oppression; the human body - a story of repression, and witches - a story of the subjugation of women.
For a sample of how he deals with these myths take Darwinism. It had a mixed reception at the time. The myth has Bishop Wilberforce, the ignorant and bigoted cleric, resorting to insult in debate against Darwin's advocate, T. H. Huxley, by referring to his ancestors as apes. The reality is that no contemporary account agrees with the received version. What is more, did you know that Wilberforce was then Vice President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science? He was no benighted cleric, but a leading scientist. The fact is that the scientific world of the day was generally sceptical of Darwin's theories, while the Christian world was generally open.
A fascinating and enjoyable read with a lot of quotes from sources. Give a copy to anyone going to college to study science.
Post-modern variations to these modern myths are touched upon at the end. This needs expansion, perhaps in a new edition.
