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Biology Through the Eyes of Faith (Christian College Coalition Series)
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Average Rating:  out of 7 Reviews
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Price: $15.95
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Sale: $8.00
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Manufacturer: HarperOne
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EAN (European Article Number): 9780060696955
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Number of Items: 1
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Binding: Paperback
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Author: Richard Wright
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Publisher: HarperOne
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Edition: 1
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Dewey Decimal Number: 261.55
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Publication Date: 1989-05-03
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Reading Level: 320
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Description: Newly Revised
The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Series Stressing the biblical message of stewardship, biologist Richard T. Wright celebrates the study of God's creation and examines the interaction of the life sciences with society in medicine, genetics, and the environment. The author brings a biblical perspective to theories on origins, contrasting creationism, intelligent design, and evolution. Highlighting the unique nature of biology and its interaction with Christian thought, Wright demonstrates that Christian stewardship can be the key to a sustainable future. This comprehensive work, one of a series cosponsored by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, addresses the needs of the Christian student of biology to align science and faith. It demonstrates that the study of biology penetrates to the core of human existence and has much to contribute to the construction of a consistent Christian worldview.
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Customer Reviews
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Review Summary: This book should be required reading... |
Date: 2007-09-05 |
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Details: for Christians studying biology and struggling with conflict between what they believe and what they are asked to learn. I have a dog-eared and valuable (to me) pre-publication copy of the first edition of this book that Dr. Wright himself gave me. I was one of his students many years ago when he taught Ecology and Evolution. That book helped me immensely, although I don't think I ever properly thanked him at the time. We used it in a discussion class my senior year, and it was wonderful to be able to talk with the author, even though I eventually came to my own conclusions on the matter of creation/evolution. It's greatest strength isn't in giving you the answers, because thinking for yourself was always paramount at the Christian college where I met Dr. Wright, but the book makes it clear that these difficulties make it even more important that Christians understand the issues in order to be good stewards. I teach at a secular college now, but I'm still going to recommend this book to my students that are struggling with this issue. |
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Review Summary: Part Interesting; Part Laughable; Part Offensive |
Date: 2007-05-22 |
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Details: Wright's book has a few interesting chapters which are certainly worth serious consideration by college students. His basic approach is to 'bridge' the current academic gap found between the macroevolutionary naturalists who are currently in the majority at the high school and university level, and the creationists and ID proponents who are in the much smaller, but rapidly growing minority. In some areas, Wright shines in this role of mediator. However, in the area where it is most critical, namely the actual origin of man and the Biblical account, Wright plunges the reader into a laughable and ridiculous chasm of compromise that is both unsatisfying scientifically, and theologically. In a few key chapters in the middle of the book, Wright proposes that Adam and Eve could actually have been descendants of some prehistoric and 'prehuman' race that existed prior to the account in Genesis. These early male and female creatures were then "plopped" into the Garden of Eden by God to become the first fully developed humans! And so, from this first family the human race came, Wright postulates.
This view has so many problems logically--it is almost too difficult to determine where to begin. First, Wright tries to hold on to many of the blatantly untenable and unscientific aspects of evolution. Namely, that by the 'creative' mechanisms of natural selection and mutation alone, humans evolved from 'lower primates'. God may have directed the process...but Wright plants seed of doubt throughout the reading. If macroevolution did in fact occur...is God therefore even necessary ? The creative agent now becomes random chance, natural selection, and mutation of genetic material, not God. This is at the very foundation of current macroevolutionary thought, and here is where Wright tries to build a bridge between evolutionists and creationists. However, this 'scientific bridge' one serious problem: it is impossible! There is not one recorded example in all the history of science where a mutation (brought about by everything from radiation to toxic waste) brought about a 'fitness-increasing' mutation. The idea that being blasted by radiation will bring about any change in the DNA or RNA that could increase the ability of a living creature to thrive in the world should ONLY be found in the comic books (think Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk, etc...), but it is found taught as fact in every secular university in the world, and in many Christian colleges. However, if natural selection + mutation cannot produce an improved species in the laboratory, how could it have happened in the wild ? Of course, the evolutionist simply will say "Time..time--we just need more time and virtually anything is possible." But this is not science--it is science fiction.
This is the greatest flaw of Wright's text. He sacrifices Scripture on the alter of academic compromise, apparently in the hopes of building bridges between competing ideas. However, Wright only succeeds in adding confusion to the creation/evolution debate. If Genesis 1-3 is to be doubted, why not also John 3:16 or any other Scripture for that matter. Jesus spoke of Adam being created...never evolved. Since He was there and Darwin was not, why should any writer from a Christian perspective attempt to marginalize what Jesus so obviously taught, while at the same time give credibility to Darwin's macroevolutionary philosophy ? |
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Review Summary: New Edition |
Date: 2006-12-12 |
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Details: This book is a newer edition (2003) of the other Amazon listing.
Good book, really shows some thoughtful insight on how Christians can percieve evolution and other issues in Biology. |
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Review Summary: An excellent and very unbiased view. |
Date: 2005-12-03 |
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Details: Unlike someone else from Abilene, TX, I found this book to be excellent, and so did all the other people I talked with who read this book for a discussion class. Bias to me is only presenting one view and igoring all the others, which is not what Wright has done. Having investigated thoroughly, he has an opinion, which he presents calmly and respectfully.
Wright's intended audience is Christians who have an interest in biology. Writing from that perspective, he goes to great links to connect with his audience and show that the current animosity between Christians and scientists, which is currently at frenzied levels in our culture, need not be. He thoroughly discusses the idea of worldviews, and how they shape our understanding of the world we live in.
One of the things he does best is calmly tackle issues like evolution, allowing Christians to consider the topic from the reasoned voice of a fellow believer who understands the science well. The book's not just about evolution though. Wright also examines medical, ethical, and environmental issues, all of which involve biology and beg for well reasoned Christian perspectives in our culture.
More than anything else, I suspect Wright's book has enabled hundreds (thousands?) of Christians, whether biology students or simply those interested in the subject, to develop a much stronger and more integrated faith, enjoying God's works in our world.
As a parting shot... For the reviewer that talked of Wright's bias and suggested that Wright's view is that God can be found nowhere else but rural nature, I highly beg to differ. Wright was simply pointing out one place where we've stopped seeing God because we never visit anymore. Romans 1:20 certainly gives a good perspective on this. And speaking of bias, isn't your perspective that we need not be concerned with God's creation in these rural places just that -- biased? |
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Review Summary: Identifying the struggles for faith integration in biology |
Date: 2005-05-05 |
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Details: Biology through the Eyes of Faith [BEoF] attempts to make the reader aware of the struggles that occur with someone who professes a Christian faith (primarily evangelical or fundamental [EC]) with the current understandings of biological sciences and the impact that these science have had in our world. While Wight attempts to be neutral in his approach, as with most people who are passionate with their field of expertise, his biases break through. The reader can sense how his striving for practicing of both good science and being honest to his faith can be accomplished.
BEoF first introduces the reader to passion that someone in biology has for his/her profession. Wright then addresses how this person integrates his/her EC faith structure into biology and where conflicts occur. He addresses the varied EC faith/science integration approaches and attempts to identify the strengths and weakness of each. BEoF discusses many of the areas in biology that the EC community struggles; such as origins, genetic engineering, stem-cell research and the environment to name a few.
BEoF attempts to be fair yet truthful to both science and faith, but Wright's own struggles and biases show through. However, this honest approach to the struggles of faith/science integration help the reader to understand the complexity of the issues and makes them aware that there is not one view accepted within EC communities. Wright's attempt to address where these conflict occur is factual and brief. Here the book turns more philosophical that science oriented. But this is it's purpose; not to be the book on "Truth" or on "Biology", but to show that strongly faith-based individuals must and can address the issues of biology and faith.
If you want a book to support only one viewpoint, this is not the book. If you want a book that gives you the answers to all your questions, you will need to look elsewhere. If you want to read a book that describes the struggle in the EC community and helps to show why they must be a participant in biology, this will be a good read.
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