SCIENCE FICTION
Has Science disposed of God
By John Blanchard
Evangelical Press. 120 pages. £5.99
ISBN 978 1 783 971 761
This book seeks to address the question of whether Science has given, or indeed ever could give, a valid argument against the existence of God.
The author sets about demonstrating that it has not and could not. He draws the distinction between genuine Science and Scientism, where Scientism is the philosophy that all things in this universe are the product of chance and can be explained as such. He defines the limits of genuine Science, as having no ability to make any kind of pronouncement as to the existence of God. It is only the propagandists of Scientism who claim that God has been done away with.
The book includes a series of chapters drawing on different aspects of scientific work and the scientific community, with the aim of supporting this basic argument. Much of this material will not be new to anyone who has read similar books. This book itself is based on material from the author’s Has Science Got Rid of God?, first published in 2004. There are chapters on evidence from the field of physics, such as the fine-tuning of physical constants; on the Evolution versus Creation debate and the lack of any evidence for macro-evolution; and accounts of a number of well-respected scientists, both past and present, who are Christians. This is done to show that the claim of Scientism, ‘a true scientist cannot be a person of faith,’ is wrong. Having reviewed the evidence, the book ends with a chapter giving a clear explanation of the work of the Lord Jesus and the gospel.
It is aimed at being an apologetic evangelistic tool and is very suitable to give to those who are clued-up on science, but without being overly technical. Also it is very helpful for highlighting the planning and skill required in designing things as God has done, and I was encouraged, as a believer, in being reminded of that. In summary, it is clearly written, easily readable and compelling.
