An insightful treatise on the intersection of faith and science for believers and nonbelievers alike.
A timely book on the relationship between religion and science.
Al-Ali, a surgeon, argues that there is no gap between religion and science when they’re seen and studied in the correct light. As a devout Muslim—though that wasn’t always the case—well versed in both fields, he’s ideally positioned to write a treatise on religion and science. There’s a long tradition of both religious authors and laypeople writing tafsirs, or commentaries on the Quran. Al-Ali writes that “classical Tafsirs (commentaries) were written centuries ago and, of course, without the benefit of the scientific discoveries and knowledge that we now have.” His goal in part is to remedy this deficiency, thereby illuminating the close relationship he perceives between scientific discoveries and timeless sacred texts that, he writes, contain scientific truths, some of which have only recently been realized. Consciously approaching his project as a layperson, Al-Ali has different intentions than what some readers might expect from a commentary on the Quran. He aims not to prove Islam but to demonstrate “to all believers that faith is tangible, not visionary or priggish.” While it is common for Christians writing on the same topic to assert that, Al-Ali means to show that faith and science are nonexclusive, overlapping domains that support and reinforce one another. After all, he maintains, science discovers the laws and workings of the creator, and divine books anticipate scientific advances that would have been unthinkable at the time they were written. While quoting extensively from religious texts to make his points, Al-Ali’s engaging, readable commentary is accessible even to readers with little or no knowledge of the Quran.
An insightful treatise on the intersection of faith and science for believers and nonbelievers alike.Pub Date: April 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1480169968
Page Count: 282
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: June 17, 2013
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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