A thorough, right-wing perspective on the philosophical vices of modern science.
A theoretical critique of scientism, the hyperbolically confident view that scientific materialism is capable of explaining the universe in its totality.
Christopher announces an ambitious agenda: to challenge the “scientific vision of life,” the reductive attempt to capture all existing phenomena—human and otherwise—in the categories of scientific materialism. The author principally devotes his attention to the relentless attempt to explain human behavior from the perspective of DNA, the alleged “language of life.” However, Christopher contends, with impressive clarity and rigor, that such an attempt has long been exposed as a failure—explanatory recourse to DNA simply doesn’t account for the whole spectrum of behavioral differences or variations in innate intelligence. Despite the mounting difficulties with the explanatory power of DNA, however, the scientific community has doubled down on its commitment to it—a type of “faith-based” rather than evidentiary allegiance. The author interprets this commitment as an expression of irrational scientism, which combines a “total confidence in the materialistic model of human life” with a self-congratulatory “hype and arrogance.” Christopher devotes so much attention to the field of genetics precisely because he sees it as the crucible of this scientism: “I suggest that biologists/geneticists are effectively in the front lines of the defense of materialism. That foundational scientific belief that life is completely describable in terms of physics dictates that DNA fulfill the heredity role. Never mind some of the extraordinary behavioral challenges, DNA has to cover all of materialism’s bets.”
Christopher also assesses the ways scientific dogma clouds discussions of environmental sustainability, race, intelligence, and even meditation—in the latter case he furnishes a fascinating discussion of the limitations of the analysis of Sam Harris, a philosopher and neuroscientist who is a well-known critic of religion. Further, he does a credible job of not only exposing the vulnerabilities and limitations of DNA as a theoretical panacea, but also the ways the scientific community routinely dismisses them, betraying their avowed commitment to intellectual openness. “Contradicting the certitude of science there are bunch [sic] of behavioral phenomena which are very difficult to explain from a materialist perspective. The inability of science to acknowledge this situation contradicts the regularly proclaimed openness and curiosity of scientists. In fact science has its own rigid materialist purview and strongly defends it.” The author, whose perspective is unmistakably locatable on the right of the political aisle, claims he does not supply a “nuanced effort,” and this is sometimes true. In his discussion of black communities, he offers common racist tropes: “A relatively weak commitment towards education and a tendency towards violence are still substantial problems in parts of the African American community.” Overall, the author’s argument is clear and free of technical convolution, a remarkable feat given the forbidding nature of much of the subject matter. His chief goal is to demonstrate the “sacred” nature of the scientific community’s fidelity to DNA as a settled theory and, as a consequence, encourage it to “start looking elsewhere for explanations.” At the very least, he accomplishes this goal.
A thorough, right-wing perspective on the philosophical vices of modern science.Pub Date: March 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62967-170-3
Page Count: 178
Publisher: Wise Media Group
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
This child-friendly introduction to tashlich will be welcome in Jewish homes and classrooms and will open up secular...
Jackie and Jesse and Joni and Jae come together with other children and adults to participate in the tashlich ritual during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
As they walk through a forest to a river, the children carry bread that they will tear up and throw into that moving body of water to represent any wrongdoings committed last year. Perhaps some of the children are not Jewish, as “Jackie asked Jesse and Joni asked Jae, / ‘Is this bread for the ducks / or a game that we’ll play?’ ” Before Jesse or Jae can answer, Rabbi Miriam explains: “On Rosh Hashanah, we all need to say / ‘I’m sorry’ to those whom we’ve / hurt in some way.” The children each remember moments when they hurt their friends, incidents that range from teasing to betraying a secret. All have apologized, but their acts still weigh on their minds. After their personal reflections, they throw their breadcrumbs into the water to take part in the symbolic communal action of asking for forgiveness. Their actions and their vows are concrete and will easily be understood by readers. The simple rhyming text adequately covers the concepts of tashlich and forgiveness for young children. The illustrations, seemingly digital, have a childlike, naïve quality. Most characters present as white, although Jae and his family appear Asian. A brief author’s note explains the custom for readers not familiar with it.
This child-friendly introduction to tashlich will be welcome in Jewish homes and classrooms and will open up secular discussions of forgiveness. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68115-550-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charged and intriguing exploration of gender differences through a Christian prism.
A Roman Catholic discussion examines the male and female natures in the Christian faith.
The inspiration for the title of this book by Catholic Spiritual Directors Spruce and Southers is Genesis 2:18, when God saw that the man he created had no mate. The Lord then decided to create a woman to act as the man’s companion and partner. The bulk of this brief work explores the nature of that relationship, between men and women and between men, women, and God. “When we believe that God loves us unconditionally and we believe that we want to…try to love Him in response,” the authors write, “then it follows that we are now in the frame of being able to love others as Christ has loved us.” In order to study things in general terms, the authors use overarching patterns. For certain aspects (positive and negative) of the male psyche and nature, they use the term “the Brutus Persona,” and for the female personality, they invoke the Virgin Mary. The book’s sections are introduced by bits of dialogue between the two authors as they expand on these ideas. “The Brutus male persona has serviced us well, if but brutally at times,” Spruce contends, for instance. “Man cannot be as close to God as the woman because she is more like God than the male and is able to surrender, love, etc. to the man Jesus,” asserts Southers at another point. This dialogue format often yields the work’s most captivating sections. Many readers will wish there had been more dialogue and fewer digressions. At one point, Spruce maintains that “a man knows that a woman is different, but we don’t really understand why. Sometimes women are too mysterious. We want women to be equal, but we don’t want them to be men,” to which Southers responds: “Good point.” The authors take turns beginning these exchanges. This lively dynamic keeps the book moving forward.
A charged and intriguing exploration of gender differences through a Christian prism.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Manuscript
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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