Before I committed my life to Jesus as a teenager, I had hesitated for quite a while because I had a lot of questions relating to science versus Christianity. However, I was given the reassurance that those questions had answers and that I would, over time, be given answers.
Since spending a lifetime working in a science profession, discussing and thinking about such matters, many of those early questions have been answered for me. It is certainly the case that in a science-dominated, materialist age, many people thinking about or rejecting Christianity have such questions. Here is a book that looks at all the main questions along these lines that people ask as barriers to coming to faith, and provides sound answers.
The subtitle, “How science and philosophy lead us to God”, says what it does. In 13 chapters, Latham, a retired GP with a strong interest in philosophy and ethics, covers a lot of ground; from cosmological reasons to believe in God, to looking at micro evolution versus macro evolution, to consciousness and free will, the moral argument for God and whether we live in a closed universe or an open one where miracles can happen. He finishes by reviewing the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Each chapter is short and succinct, but very clearly written. Counterarguments are raised and addressed using clear logical steps, and references are given throughout enabling further study of each topic covered.
Here are three examples that particularly caught my attention:
- Firstly, the discussion on the impossibility for the universe to be infinitely old, it must have had a beginning and a cause.
- Then, a biographical chapter looking at, “Darwin the man”, examining how life events shaped his thinking.
- And finally, the chapter discussing beauty, where Latham says, “I believe that flowers are really beautiful and therefore their beauty has an objective reality. If not, then the rose has no more beauty than a piece of coal or a rusty nail”.
Such beauty comes from a beautiful creator. This book comes highly recommended and will be particularly valuable in evangelistic work with all thinking people.
WHEN I CONSIDER YOUR HEAVENS: How science & philosophy lead us to God By Antony Latham. Kharis Publishing. 166 pages. £11.99. ISBN 978 1 637 463 703
