A thoughtful, yet approachable, attempt at reconciling the cultural gulf between faith and science.
Cranley seeks to reconcile the divide between faith and reason in this nonfiction work.
To bridge the seemingly growing division between a subset of Christians who insist that “science must be left out altogether as anathema” when it contradicts their spiritual beliefs and those who believe that “science has the final say” on all issues, the author posits that “God has written His image into the very science of the universe.” Cranley argues that rather than being at opposite ends of a spectrum, science and faith are intimately tied. The book is divided into three parts; the first chapters urge modern readers to reengage with ancient wisdom, drawing on the writings of figures such as Plato, Aristotle, and Thomas Aquinas. Greek philosophers (who characterized God as “the Unmoved Mover”) and Scholastic Christians, the author convincingly argues, both drew on “logic and natural reasoning” rather than blind faith. While this first section calls on religious skeptics to reconsider the insights of ancient philosophers, the book’s second part urges religiously devout readers to reevaluate their skepticism of the Big Bang, evolution, and the “mystery of the human mind,” all three of which, per Cranley, “carry within them a strikingly similar pattern—the pattern of God’s own image.” The work’s final section explores how the sacred scriptures of Christians, Jews, and Muslims similarly reflect the “rational image of God.” Cogent in his takes on both contemporary science and classical philosophy and theology, the author offers a well-balanced argument that challenges readers on all sides of the debate. While this is a profoundly intellectual work (the citations span from Charles Darwin and Fyodor Dostoevsky to Plato and Augustine), the author conveys the material in an accessible writing style (the text includes short fictionalized “fable[s]” at the introduction of each chapter). Referencing Socrates’ maxim that “Wisdom begins in wonder,” Cranley’s frequent reflections on the power of “authentic wonder” (stressing the power of pondering “things that are outside of ourselves,” from the existence of God to the marvels of nature) are perhaps the volume’s most poignant elements.
A thoughtful, yet approachable, attempt at reconciling the cultural gulf between faith and science.Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9798886452969
Page Count: 272
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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