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Title: Modern Physics and Ancient Faith by Stephen M. Barr ISBN: 0-268-03471-0 Publisher: Univ of Notre Dame Pr Pub. Date: March, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.14 (14 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Well-Intended and sincere, yet philosophically mediocre
Comment: Let me state first that I am Christian and not a philosophical materialist by any means. I really appreciate works by religious scientists (John Polkinghorne, for example) who attempt to show that modern science is compatible with, and at times underscores, traditional religious faith. So my review is one of a sympathetic, yet disappointed, reader.
I have no doubt that Barr's intentions are noble, and we need more scientists who believe in God to stand-up and defend their views. Since I am not a scientist, I cannot adequately judge Barr's physics, but he seems sound enough. But his philosophical arguments are mediocre at best. He repeatedly makes up quotations that a typical materialist "might say" and then attacks them, even though there is (as he acknowledges) a wealth of materialist literature in philosophy of mind and philosophy of science readily available. When he does quote a materialist philosopher directly, such as W.V. Quine, it is usually short and out of context. These straw-man arguments are quite inappropriate for a scholarly work such as this.
Furthermore, Barr attacks materialism as having no rational foundations. What he doesn't mention is that many philosophers adopt materialism (in one of its various forms) as a default position; mainly because the major alternative, dualism, seems far more problematic. Most would acknowledge that there are serious problems with materialism and there is by no means consensus among philosophers of mind (Searle, Kripke, Nagel, etc.). Barr's books in not primarily about the mind, as he points out. It would have been far better for him to leave mind and consciousness out altogether and stick to physics.
Rating: 5
Summary: a unique book
Comment: The author combines his expertise in physics (he is a theoretical particle physicist) with an ability to write well and an extensive knowledge of theology and philosophy, both ancient and modern. Peter van Inwagen, a well-known philosopher is quoted on the back cover of the book as saying, "The book is well written, clear, and its philosophical positions well defended." I totally concur. A previous reviewer faults the book for ignoring the position called "compatibilism", i.e. that free will is compatible with determinism. It doesn't. That issue is dealt with in several pages of very lucid discussion. The same reviewer criticizes the book for its discussions of biology, in particular of the "origin of life" question. However, Barr makes it clear that he is deliberately staying away from biological controversies in his book, which (as its title says) is about physics. He hardly mentions the origin of life problem at all, in fact, and his position on it is that one cannot use it to prove any theological conclusions.
I have read many science and religion books, but this is the best of the lot. As Prof. Owen Gingerich, a Harvard astrophysicist says on the back cover, "I know of no other book that makes the case against materialism so lucidly, honestly and deftly."
Rating: 5
Summary: Essential Reading for Students of Science and Religion
Comment: Dr. Barr's book lays the key points of traditional debates between theists and materialists' on how discoveries in physics relate to or actively disprove religious beliefs.
His greatest achievement is how he stays balanced and grounded. He shows how religion is compatible with science, but does not get bogged down trying to show how a given set of scientific discoveries *proves* a particular item of religious doctrine. Many Christians have gotten into trouble for this since if they rest their religious belief on a certain piece of scientific evidence, they will be grave trouble when further scientific progress may render that evidence they used obsolete.
While at least one reviewer has accused Barr of making straw men out of the materialist philosophers, I found him fair. At one point in the beginning of the book he wrote summarization of a materialistic case against religion. The wording was rather sweeping, and the footnote said that while this denunciation was written by Barr himself, it summarizes many anti-religion arguments. He does not directly cite any of the sources that he had in mind, which is unfortunate, especially in the light of his otherwise excellent documentation. However, when Barr goes into individual arguments, he documents everything well, and takes the materialists seriously.
The key value of the book is that it helps clarify what many of the science v. religion debates are really arguing about, and the hefty endnotes will help the reader continue on his own explorations. It makes a reliable starting point. Too frequently I have gotten into debates with people of differing religious beliefs (or lack thereof) where we wind up talking past each other.This book helps cure that. When asked what he would do to help his country, Confucius said that he would first have everyone agree on their definitions.
This book helps us agree on our definitions, or at the very least, know how they differ and understand what the other side is saying.
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Title: By Design: Science and the Search for God by Larry Witham ISBN: 1893554643 Publisher: Encounter Books Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Doubts About Darwin: A History of Intelligent Design by Thomas Woodward, Phillip E. Johnson ISBN: 0801064430 Publisher: Baker Book House Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
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Title: For the Glory of God : How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Science, Witch-Hunts, and the End of Slavery by Rodney Stark ISBN: 0691114366 Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr Pub. Date: 24 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: The Resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, 3) by N. T. Wright ISBN: 0800626796 Publisher: Fortress Press Pub. Date: May, 2003 List Price(USD): $39.00 |
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Title: Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950 by Charles Murray ISBN: 006019247X Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 21 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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