The Greatest Commandment

A wide-ranging exploration of creation, the human condition, and God’s relationship with humanity.

Steineker uses a verse from the Book of Matthew as the source of his title: “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ” Steineker often digresses from his discussion of this verse, and most of the author’s work is an exposition on the relationship between science and faith, from one view or another. For instance, a chapter on chemistry compares men and women to elements on the periodic table. Elsewhere, he discusses the science of “virgin birth,” noting that the Komodo dragon and zebra shark have been known to produce offspring in this manner. He concludes that Jesus Christ was therefore an “evolutionary birth.” In his concluding chapter, Steineker digs deeply into the “Greatest Commandment”: “God does not require us to be good,” the author writes. He references the books of John and Matthew when neatly outlining those requirements: “Love all that is good….The test is did you love your neighbor!” The author displays an impressive knowledge of the sciences, covering at length physics, biology, chemistry, etc. His writing style, however, often obscures his meaning. The text’s focus swings widely between or even within paragraphs. For instance, while describing the Catholic Church’s views on the Big Bang theory, the author suddenly shifts to a discussion of the use of wine and juice in the Eucharist. Puzzling statements (“Eve has Adam’s bone within her, just like Helium has the structure of Hydrogen in its electron cloud”) may cause further confusion.

A work steeped in scientific knowledge but perplexing in delivery.