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Genesis and the Big Bang: The Discovery Of Harmony Between Modern Science And The Bible
Here is a ground-breaking book that takes on skeptics from both sides of the cosmological debate, arguing that science and the Bible are not at odds concerning the origin of the universe.
The culmination of a physicist's thirty-five-year journey from MIT to Jerusalem. Genesis and the Big Bang presents a compelling argument that the events of the billions of years that cosmologists say followed the Big Bang and those of the first six days described in Genesis are, in fact, one and the same - identical realities described in vastly different terms. In engaging, accessible language, Dr. Schroeder reconciles the observable facts of science with the very essence of Western religion: the biblical account of Creation.
Carefully reviewing and enterpreting accepted scietific principle, analogous passages of Scripture, and biblical scholarship, Dr. Schroeder arrives at a conclusion to lucid that one wonders why it has taken this long in coming. The result for the reader - whether believer or skeptic, Jewish or Christian - is a totally fresh understanding of the key events in the life of the universe.
The culmination of a physicist's thirty-five-year journey from MIT to Jerusalem. Genesis and the Big Bang presents a compelling argument that the events of the billions of years that cosmologists say followed the Big Bang and those of the first six days described in Genesis are, in fact, one and the same - identical realities described in vastly different terms. In engaging, accessible language, Dr. Schroeder reconciles the observable facts of science with the very essence of Western religion: the biblical account of Creation.
Carefully reviewing and enterpreting accepted scietific principle, analogous passages of Scripture, and biblical scholarship, Dr. Schroeder arrives at a conclusion to lucid that one wonders why it has taken this long in coming. The result for the reader - whether believer or skeptic, Jewish or Christian - is a totally fresh understanding of the key events in the life of the universe.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
184 people are currently reading
969 people want to read
About the author
Gerald Schroeder
16Ìýbooks72ÌýfollowersGerald L. Schroeder is a scientist, author, and lecturer, who focuses on what he perceives to be an inherent relationship between science and spirituality.
In 1965, Schroeder received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in nuclear physics and earth and planetary sciences. He worked five years on the staff of the MIT physics department. After emigrating to Israel in 1971, he was employed as a researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Volcani Research Institute, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His Doctorate was in two science fields, Earth sciences and physics. He teaches at Aish HaTorah College of Jewish Studies.
He professes Orthodox Judaism, and his works frequently cite Talmudic, Midrashic and medieval commentaries on Biblical creation accounts, such as commentaries written by the Jewish philosopher Nachmanides. Among other things, Schroeder attempts to reconcile a young earth creationism Biblical view with the scientific model of a world that is billions of years old using the idea that the perceived flow of time for a given event in an expanding universe varies with the observer’s perspective of that event. He attempts to reconcile the two perspectives numerically, calculating the effect of the stretching of space-time, based on Einstein's theory of general relativity. Schroeder holds to a theistic evolution view.
Gerald Schroeder lives in Jerusalem with his wife (the author, Barbara Sofer). They've had five children with a changing number of grandchildren.
(Sources: Wikipedia, official website)
In 1965, Schroeder received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in nuclear physics and earth and planetary sciences. He worked five years on the staff of the MIT physics department. After emigrating to Israel in 1971, he was employed as a researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Volcani Research Institute, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His Doctorate was in two science fields, Earth sciences and physics. He teaches at Aish HaTorah College of Jewish Studies.
He professes Orthodox Judaism, and his works frequently cite Talmudic, Midrashic and medieval commentaries on Biblical creation accounts, such as commentaries written by the Jewish philosopher Nachmanides. Among other things, Schroeder attempts to reconcile a young earth creationism Biblical view with the scientific model of a world that is billions of years old using the idea that the perceived flow of time for a given event in an expanding universe varies with the observer’s perspective of that event. He attempts to reconcile the two perspectives numerically, calculating the effect of the stretching of space-time, based on Einstein's theory of general relativity. Schroeder holds to a theistic evolution view.
Gerald Schroeder lives in Jerusalem with his wife (the author, Barbara Sofer). They've had five children with a changing number of grandchildren.
(Sources: Wikipedia, official website)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
January 11, 2011
The Bible says the universe was created 5770 years ago.
Science says, the universe is over 15 billion years old.
Who is right?
Dr. Shroeder proposes that they both are. My life changed after reading this book. I cannot summarize it, explain it, or define it. This is a must read for every person that has been curious about this discrepancy. It is truly an amazing book, written in a layman's language by the hand of a nuclear physicist.
Science says, the universe is over 15 billion years old.
Who is right?
Dr. Shroeder proposes that they both are. My life changed after reading this book. I cannot summarize it, explain it, or define it. This is a must read for every person that has been curious about this discrepancy. It is truly an amazing book, written in a layman's language by the hand of a nuclear physicist.
January 8, 2012
Dr. Schroeder enlightens readers with easily understandable wording of complex cosmological concepts. He shows that the biblical account in Genesis is in no way out of harmony with modern science. According to Galileo, the Bible has never been out of harmony with science: "The Bible teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go." Many of Schroeder's books deal with physics and God; this is a good introduction to his work. I also recommend following up with "The Hidden Face of God" and "The Science of God."
Merged review:
Dr. Schroeder enlightens readers with easily understandable wording of complex cosmological concepts. He shows that the biblical account in Genesis is in no way out of harmony with modern science. According to Galileo, the Bible has never been out of harmony with science: "The Bible teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go." Many of Schroeder's books deal with physics and God; this is a good introduction to his work. I also recommend following up with "The Hidden Face of God" and "The Science of God."
Merged review:
Dr. Schroeder enlightens readers with easily understandable wording of complex cosmological concepts. He shows that the biblical account in Genesis is in no way out of harmony with modern science. According to Galileo, the Bible has never been out of harmony with science: "The Bible teaches us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go." Many of Schroeder's books deal with physics and God; this is a good introduction to his work. I also recommend following up with "The Hidden Face of God" and "The Science of God."
March 19, 2009
Fabulous integration between science and religion.
July 29, 2021
Libro breve de divulgación escrito por un fÃsico y rabino.
El libro tiene un enfoque concordista/teleológico, con mucha info sobre la interpretación judÃa del libro del Génesis.
Cuando lo comencé a leer tuve un deja vu importante... Hasta que llegué a la página 70 y encontré un señalador que indicaba que lo habÃa comenzado y dejado en algún momento, no me acordaba. Me tomé mi tiempo en leerlo, según la inscripción de la portada lo compré en 1995...
Se puede o no estar de acuerdo con la premisa del libro, pero el enfoque es bastante original para un libro sobre el Big Bang. Como dice el autor casi al final, los hallazgos de la ciencia confunden al creyente y al escéptico por igual.
El libro tiene un enfoque concordista/teleológico, con mucha info sobre la interpretación judÃa del libro del Génesis.
Cuando lo comencé a leer tuve un deja vu importante... Hasta que llegué a la página 70 y encontré un señalador que indicaba que lo habÃa comenzado y dejado en algún momento, no me acordaba. Me tomé mi tiempo en leerlo, según la inscripción de la portada lo compré en 1995...
Se puede o no estar de acuerdo con la premisa del libro, pero el enfoque es bastante original para un libro sobre el Big Bang. Como dice el autor casi al final, los hallazgos de la ciencia confunden al creyente y al escéptico por igual.
January 22, 2014
I first came across Dr. Schroeder's work back in my teens, when I read an article of his on a aish.com - a popular jewish website - titled "Age of the Universe". Schroeder had new theory that the 6 days of creation referred to in Genesis, and the 15billion year figure quoted by modern science as the age of the universe, were not totally irreconcilable. In fact, using einstein's theories of special and general relativity, Dr. Schroeder made the case that these two figures are both entirely correct, but merely measured from different frames of reference.
Schroeder's article really astounded me back then, and the thought of it stuck with me for years. Even later after I had a chance to study relativity in depth at university, and failed to find any flaws in the physics behind his argument. When I realised Schroeder had written books aswell as articles, I decided I had to get hold of one, hoping to hear more of his theories.
Genesis and the Big Bang puts forward essentially the same points as Schroeder's article that I fell in love with years ago: That the biblical creation story can be shown to agree with modern day scientific theories of the creation of the universe, the big bang, and the origins of life on earth.
Schroeder apparently has a double phd in 'Nuclear Physics and Earth and Planetary Sciences', and he really does seem to know his stuff. I can't speak completely for the archeology/paleontology topics that he covers but certainly I have found his physics to be correct, interesting and reasonably easy to understand. Some of the topics Shroeder touches upon, in his main theories and in background explanations include the wave-particle duality of light, general and special relativity, the expansion of the universe and doppler shifts. I would say that you'd probably need some background knowledge of the science to make reading the novel worthwhile, as he doesn't cover the topics quite thoroughly enough to teach a complete novice.
Of course since he's relating scientific theories to biblical scripture, Schroeder does also quote a lot of scripture. He also refers often to Nahmanides and Maimonides, 12th century jewish scholars who are two of the most influential commentors on the Torah. Turns out that these two were seriously ahead of the times in their interpretation of scripture, I'm willing to bet certain modern day christians would be picketing their gravesides if they'd heard some of their ideas.
I honestly find it a breath of fresh air to come across a science writer that doesn't believe that science and religion always have to be in competition with eachother. I know that religious scientist are out there, Hell einstein and most of his contemporaries were christian. But these days it seems like its taboo to bring up your religion whilst practicing science.
Unfortunately, I didn't realise that Genesis and the Big Bang was published several years earlier than the article I originally fell for. So while it does cover several of Schroeders ideas in more detail it doesn't go as far as his article did in actually trying to covert the biblical 6 days into our inertial reference frame. Which was a little bit of downer. I'll probably have to pick up his more recent work in order to read more about that precise theory.
I suppose the question now is, after being so fascinated by his theories am I convinced? Well in a way I think I am; I find his arguments utterly plausible aswell as astoundingly interesting. Like I said before, I don't believe faith and science need to be at odds with one another, and I do think there is much more to the book of Genesis than can be read at surface value. But unlike Schroeder I would have to say that I don't think that the abrahamic religions are the only ones to hold a grain of truth.
All in all though, this book is a fascinating read, even if you don't find yourself convinced by his theories in the end.
Schroeder's article really astounded me back then, and the thought of it stuck with me for years. Even later after I had a chance to study relativity in depth at university, and failed to find any flaws in the physics behind his argument. When I realised Schroeder had written books aswell as articles, I decided I had to get hold of one, hoping to hear more of his theories.
Genesis and the Big Bang puts forward essentially the same points as Schroeder's article that I fell in love with years ago: That the biblical creation story can be shown to agree with modern day scientific theories of the creation of the universe, the big bang, and the origins of life on earth.
Schroeder apparently has a double phd in 'Nuclear Physics and Earth and Planetary Sciences', and he really does seem to know his stuff. I can't speak completely for the archeology/paleontology topics that he covers but certainly I have found his physics to be correct, interesting and reasonably easy to understand. Some of the topics Shroeder touches upon, in his main theories and in background explanations include the wave-particle duality of light, general and special relativity, the expansion of the universe and doppler shifts. I would say that you'd probably need some background knowledge of the science to make reading the novel worthwhile, as he doesn't cover the topics quite thoroughly enough to teach a complete novice.
Of course since he's relating scientific theories to biblical scripture, Schroeder does also quote a lot of scripture. He also refers often to Nahmanides and Maimonides, 12th century jewish scholars who are two of the most influential commentors on the Torah. Turns out that these two were seriously ahead of the times in their interpretation of scripture, I'm willing to bet certain modern day christians would be picketing their gravesides if they'd heard some of their ideas.
I honestly find it a breath of fresh air to come across a science writer that doesn't believe that science and religion always have to be in competition with eachother. I know that religious scientist are out there, Hell einstein and most of his contemporaries were christian. But these days it seems like its taboo to bring up your religion whilst practicing science.
Unfortunately, I didn't realise that Genesis and the Big Bang was published several years earlier than the article I originally fell for. So while it does cover several of Schroeders ideas in more detail it doesn't go as far as his article did in actually trying to covert the biblical 6 days into our inertial reference frame. Which was a little bit of downer. I'll probably have to pick up his more recent work in order to read more about that precise theory.
I suppose the question now is, after being so fascinated by his theories am I convinced? Well in a way I think I am; I find his arguments utterly plausible aswell as astoundingly interesting. Like I said before, I don't believe faith and science need to be at odds with one another, and I do think there is much more to the book of Genesis than can be read at surface value. But unlike Schroeder I would have to say that I don't think that the abrahamic religions are the only ones to hold a grain of truth.
All in all though, this book is a fascinating read, even if you don't find yourself convinced by his theories in the end.
August 17, 2015
Schroeder compares the Hebrew Bible with modern science to find that the two can be brought to agree with each other to a surprising extent. Although I am of no fixed religion myself, I did not mind the emphasis on traditional religion as it is not Schroeder's intention to convert anyone to his point of view. He is simply explaining the truth as he sees it. I found much of the information he presents to be completely new to me, and fascinating. There is no doubt that the simplistic atheism that is so widespread today, and the so-called New Atheism, cannot stand up to the power of Schroeder's argument as given here. However, it has to be admitted that Schroeder simply side-steps many of the questions which come to mind with regard to the relationship between religion and science. What about traditional moral prohibitions such as not stealing or bearing false witness and so on? What about dietary and other requirements of religion? But still, Schroeder does hit the target he is aiming for, which is that both science and religion can agree that there is a God.
November 10, 2008
INCREDIBLE. Schroeder nails the head. Not only do the his claims of creationism make since but he backs up every single one and doesn't even leave room for doubt.
January 3, 2013
Excellent book, must read! The book is one of the most important books I read so far. Dr. Schroeder makes the connection between science and theology in a very knowledgeable way.
August 16, 2014
This was a really good book, provided that you are already a Physicist. Thus, as a Physics lecturer, I really liked the book and may well recommend it to some of my students. This is a warning to anyone who reads this review and takes note of my rating. I fully expect that if I was not a Physicist I would not have rated the book so highly.
In this book the author seeks to show that modern science is in complete agreement with a literal reading of Genesis 1. Initially this seems absurd given the different time scales that are assumed in these different origin accounts. However the author invokes Einstein’s theory (law?) of relativity, pointing out that time flows very differently in different reference frames. He suggests that during the Genesis 1 account the reference frame was of God’s choosing, rather than ours. And since mankind was not made until day 6, he suggests that this should not be a problem. In so doing he expands out the fix days of creation into 6 billion years. Following the creation of man in God’s images, the author suggests that the rest of Genesis follows our particular time reference.
Clearly there are many other issues related to the days of creation that might seem to be problematic. The author deals with each one in turn mostly very well. Some of his arguments, while sounding good are not completely satisfying to me. As these arguments often rely on thousand year old Jewish scholarship and tradition, it is hard for me to comment intelligently. All told, this is one of the better books I have read on origins and I certainly recommend it to anyone who understands Physics and is interested in science and theology.
In this book the author seeks to show that modern science is in complete agreement with a literal reading of Genesis 1. Initially this seems absurd given the different time scales that are assumed in these different origin accounts. However the author invokes Einstein’s theory (law?) of relativity, pointing out that time flows very differently in different reference frames. He suggests that during the Genesis 1 account the reference frame was of God’s choosing, rather than ours. And since mankind was not made until day 6, he suggests that this should not be a problem. In so doing he expands out the fix days of creation into 6 billion years. Following the creation of man in God’s images, the author suggests that the rest of Genesis follows our particular time reference.
Clearly there are many other issues related to the days of creation that might seem to be problematic. The author deals with each one in turn mostly very well. Some of his arguments, while sounding good are not completely satisfying to me. As these arguments often rely on thousand year old Jewish scholarship and tradition, it is hard for me to comment intelligently. All told, this is one of the better books I have read on origins and I certainly recommend it to anyone who understands Physics and is interested in science and theology.
May 23, 2015
Having a rather unimpressive background in science, I found this book easy to follow and sufficient in providing biblical and scientific explanations for concepts I'd long considered contradictory to biblical teachings. I was forced to confront God and the Bible in a new way. With an open mind and a healthy sense of skepticism, I quickly began to see how a marriage between the Bible (and some really old theologians) and modern science could do more than give a plausible explanation for the beginning, and age, of the universe; my relationship with God became deeper, I found his creation project around me even more astounding, and I am no longer an animosity-fueled young-Earth Christian.
I would like to mention that I would never have considered myself ignorant in holding my beliefs as a young earth creationist. I believe in a God who has the power to do everything, who created the universe, and who created me, therefore I had no problem in arguments such as, "If God wanted the universe to appear like it was 15 billion years old, he could do it." But this book gave me a reason to challenge that idealism. I still believe God is capable of this, but I really like how well Schroeder explains why the explanations of modern science pay homage to God's creation.
I would like to mention that I would never have considered myself ignorant in holding my beliefs as a young earth creationist. I believe in a God who has the power to do everything, who created the universe, and who created me, therefore I had no problem in arguments such as, "If God wanted the universe to appear like it was 15 billion years old, he could do it." But this book gave me a reason to challenge that idealism. I still believe God is capable of this, but I really like how well Schroeder explains why the explanations of modern science pay homage to God's creation.
February 27, 2009
I always had trouble trying to understand that this world is supposed to be 6000 years old, yet scientific evidence tells us this universe is about 15 billion years old. They tell us dinosaurs really existed and men roamed the earth for thousands years before the events of Genesis.
Dr. Shroeder was able to piece it all together. This book is a must read.
Dr. Shroeder was able to piece it all together. This book is a must read.
December 27, 2012
I am not an expert in relativity nor in Torah interpretations. I had never heard of Maimonides before reading this book but as someone else has commented, there is much food for thought and investigation.
Want to read
October 17, 2008This topic fascinates me. I term myself as believing in "Theistic Evolution," in line with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. I do think God and science go fine together.
December 20, 2010
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent!!!
May 17, 2012
The first of his books, and got me going through all of them.
May 21, 2011
WOW! What a Bang. Maar ek verstaan steeds niks van Einstein se Theory of Relativity nie.
March 25, 2025
A GREAT concept for a book!
If you've ever wondered about the discrepancy about the first six days of creation in Genesis and what Science says about creation, this book is for you. Seemingly, Genesis and science are billions of years apart in that timeline, BUT as an MIT educated Phd AND a biblical scholar, the author explains just how BOTH accounts are correct. It's a matter of perception according to science.
I read this book out of curiosity, and am so glad I did. Although my faith is strong, it was nice seeing how science backs it up.
If you've ever wondered about the discrepancy about the first six days of creation in Genesis and what Science says about creation, this book is for you. Seemingly, Genesis and science are billions of years apart in that timeline, BUT as an MIT educated Phd AND a biblical scholar, the author explains just how BOTH accounts are correct. It's a matter of perception according to science.
I read this book out of curiosity, and am so glad I did. Although my faith is strong, it was nice seeing how science backs it up.
Read
July 25, 2011I enjoyed this read, mostly because the science talk was so delicious. The only problem is that in my heart of hearts, I don't believe there IS harmony between science and the bible. They are two separate spheres. Also, creation is ordered a bit differently between the competing entities, yet Schroeder says they're not. He is also extremely dismissive of other points of view - which he often doesn't take the time to source - and he doesn't counter classic non-creationist points of view successfully.
January 16, 2011
This book is a good companion to "The Science of God" which was written after this one. There is definite overlap of content between the books. The other book explains time relativity more clearly. This one explains evolution more clearly. They both describe the Big Bang quite well, this one with more detail about the events from then to now (such as extinction of the dinosaurs). Worthwhile reading.
September 21, 2014
For a layperson of science like myself, with limited basic science knowledge, I was able to grasp the gist of the book. The discrepancy between the six-day creation and the 15 billion years of universe remains a mystery by the author has an interesting and reasonable conjecture. I also appreciate the scientific evidence of the improbability of the random start of life and the perfection of the conditions on earth that makes it possible for life to exist.
August 6, 2009
For those of you who can not connect The Bible with The Big Bang and Darwin. This author gets the closest of anyone by trying to answer his childs question relating to the above. Suggested reading for anyone who is still confused about the topics and believes the nonsense put forth almost 360 years ago by the Bishop of Usher.
March 7, 2007
Tries to justify the literal creation story with relative time and a loose translation of Genesis.
Interesting food for thought.
Interesting food for thought.
July 11, 2015
Really interesting book that provides an intelligent and cogent thesis for harmony between the Bible account of creation and modern science.
March 12, 2018
It took me a million years to finish this book - well, not really, more like one year and one month. And why did it take me so long to finish such a small book? Not because it was boring, oh no, far from it. It is because it was so much information to take in at once and a lot of times I needed to take long pauses to meditate on what I was learning.
I started this book last year after becoming a Christian, because I still had questions. Questions I felt nobody I knew could fully answer - even my Christian friends getting their bachelor degrees in biology. And I definitely think I found those answers now.
So enough about the past, let's talk about now. Now, when the book is closed. This book is so amazing. It did a fantastic job of attacking the problems I had with the views at both ends of the spectrum - the scientific literalist and the biblical literalist - and explaining, scientifically and mathematically, what is wrong with them.
I definitely always believed that life was too perfect to have come from nowhere/just by coincidence, but I ALSO have always believed that evolution is real and cannot be denied. And this book satisfied my needs, letting me know I am not alone and the professionals in the industries (theologians and paleontologists) also have trouble digesting these questions.
This book has truly been an eye-opening experience for me and I recommend it to every single person out there on ANY end of the spectrum who is willing to go in with an open mind and possibly have their views challenged, or need help figuring out what their views truly are. Because it definitely helped me do so, and I hope I never forget this book. However, after all the information I've learned from it over this past year, I am not sure how it would be possible for me to do so.
I started this book last year after becoming a Christian, because I still had questions. Questions I felt nobody I knew could fully answer - even my Christian friends getting their bachelor degrees in biology. And I definitely think I found those answers now.
So enough about the past, let's talk about now. Now, when the book is closed. This book is so amazing. It did a fantastic job of attacking the problems I had with the views at both ends of the spectrum - the scientific literalist and the biblical literalist - and explaining, scientifically and mathematically, what is wrong with them.
I definitely always believed that life was too perfect to have come from nowhere/just by coincidence, but I ALSO have always believed that evolution is real and cannot be denied. And this book satisfied my needs, letting me know I am not alone and the professionals in the industries (theologians and paleontologists) also have trouble digesting these questions.
This book has truly been an eye-opening experience for me and I recommend it to every single person out there on ANY end of the spectrum who is willing to go in with an open mind and possibly have their views challenged, or need help figuring out what their views truly are. Because it definitely helped me do so, and I hope I never forget this book. However, after all the information I've learned from it over this past year, I am not sure how it would be possible for me to do so.
July 15, 2022
The science presented in this book is probably going to be over the heads of most individuals. The overall concepts not so much but the particulars were beyond casual reading fare so don’t be surprised if you get into it and find that things like general and specific relativity are making your head spin.
I’ve never been one to subscribe to the idea that religion and science are mutually exclusive belief systems so it was nice to see someone discuss how the two merge. However, in trying to use science to prove theology should be undertaken carefully. First, we must remember that all of the scientific evidence Dr. Schroeder presents in this book is *theoretical* physics, meaning it makes mathematical sense and at some levels can be observed and replicated but in the big picture of how the universe and everything in it was created it is very possible that the explanations won’t hold up. There have been many theories about the how of creation that have been disproven meaning to cling to something as undeniable fact is a bit arrogant (I’d recommend Phoebe monologue on evolution to Ross in the sitcom Friends here). Second, I’m not sure we should be in a hurry to figure out the how of God’s creating because I think humans having cracked the code will mean the end is near. Third, as Dr. Schroeder himself notes on p. 160, “As usual, accepting or rejecting belief in the Divine must be a personal choice.� Faith is just that, faith. It doesn’t mean we can’t hypothesize about how we think things work or can’t accept scientific discoveries. But we must remain every cognizant that we don’t, and never will, know some things and that there are things that we may believe with all our hearts that cannot be proven at all.
I’ve never been one to subscribe to the idea that religion and science are mutually exclusive belief systems so it was nice to see someone discuss how the two merge. However, in trying to use science to prove theology should be undertaken carefully. First, we must remember that all of the scientific evidence Dr. Schroeder presents in this book is *theoretical* physics, meaning it makes mathematical sense and at some levels can be observed and replicated but in the big picture of how the universe and everything in it was created it is very possible that the explanations won’t hold up. There have been many theories about the how of creation that have been disproven meaning to cling to something as undeniable fact is a bit arrogant (I’d recommend Phoebe monologue on evolution to Ross in the sitcom Friends here). Second, I’m not sure we should be in a hurry to figure out the how of God’s creating because I think humans having cracked the code will mean the end is near. Third, as Dr. Schroeder himself notes on p. 160, “As usual, accepting or rejecting belief in the Divine must be a personal choice.� Faith is just that, faith. It doesn’t mean we can’t hypothesize about how we think things work or can’t accept scientific discoveries. But we must remain every cognizant that we don’t, and never will, know some things and that there are things that we may believe with all our hearts that cannot be proven at all.
July 27, 2017
Well, I put a "finished" date on this book, but I didn't finish it. And this is unusual, for, as a good Scott, I seldom fail to finish a book I have bought with my own money. Here I make an exception. When I was 14 years old, I started to write a thesis comparing Genesis and the science of creation. Lo and behold, I found some similarities! But I was wise enough even then to realize that "some similarities" does not equal "agreement". In this book the author tries to present Genesis and science as in total agreement because both are "true" in the same sense of that word. But he does so by time after time just ignoring the differences. For example, the Biblical time line is seen as agreeing with the scientific record of human existence. Yes, it does if, you believe that people used to live for centuries. I should have heeded the review which said, "Bad science and bad Torah." Both of these stories are "true" but not in the same sense of that word, and any attempt to make them agree will rely largely on picking and choosing the facts to include.
September 15, 2019
Perhaps the best I’ve read
I’ve read several books on cosmology and faith and find this one to be a great compromise between the more rigorous scientific based writings and deeper philosophical arguments. It strikes a balance that
forces each side to reconsider the dogma of their own beliefs by tying together relatively and Scripture in a very readable format. Toward the end he challenges those who have minimal scientific backgrounds to fully grasp the idea that there aren’t any ‘really smart people� who have figured this all out specifically pointing to problems relating to Big Bang origins, bouncing universes, fine tuning and the complexity of biological origins, adaptation and the like. Disagree with his conclusions if you will but you will at least be given the opportunity to consider the idea that science and creation don’t necessarily conflict.
I’ve read several books on cosmology and faith and find this one to be a great compromise between the more rigorous scientific based writings and deeper philosophical arguments. It strikes a balance that
forces each side to reconsider the dogma of their own beliefs by tying together relatively and Scripture in a very readable format. Toward the end he challenges those who have minimal scientific backgrounds to fully grasp the idea that there aren’t any ‘really smart people� who have figured this all out specifically pointing to problems relating to Big Bang origins, bouncing universes, fine tuning and the complexity of biological origins, adaptation and the like. Disagree with his conclusions if you will but you will at least be given the opportunity to consider the idea that science and creation don’t necessarily conflict.
March 3, 2024
I really had hope for this when I started reading. I’m very interested in learning about space time and how it can be stretched and warped based on gravity and light. I’m a young earth creationist but remain open minded and was hoping that the author would provide in-depth scientific concepts that could help me consider a new perspective. Unfortunately, as the book progressed it turned into overly complicated and purposely dense discussions that seemed to make a ton of assumptions and misinterpreted scripture.
The death knell for the concepts in this book, is that the author provides no answer for the fossil record being dated older than the fall of Adam. Scripture is clear that death entered the world through sin. The author selectively chooses what he wants to acknowledge in scripture, and as a result, it’s a poor rehashing of the “day-age� theories out there.
The death knell for the concepts in this book, is that the author provides no answer for the fossil record being dated older than the fall of Adam. Scripture is clear that death entered the world through sin. The author selectively chooses what he wants to acknowledge in scripture, and as a result, it’s a poor rehashing of the “day-age� theories out there.
November 5, 2023
Wishing The Average Person Could Read This
Fantastic book that has verified what I have been contemplating about Genisis for quite a while. In fact it stunned me that this book seemed to have been reading my mind proving to me that Yehova, Yeshua and the holy spirit was the real source of my thoughts. I just wish people who know absolutely nothing about physics could understand this book and work it into there sermons about Genesis. So many times a non believer will start reading the Bible at Genesis and stop with Genesis. The concepts of time dilation are pretty simple if you leave out the proof and refer the reader to an appendix for the physics discussion. In fact , strip all of the physics proofs out and put them in the appendix.
Fantastic book that has verified what I have been contemplating about Genisis for quite a while. In fact it stunned me that this book seemed to have been reading my mind proving to me that Yehova, Yeshua and the holy spirit was the real source of my thoughts. I just wish people who know absolutely nothing about physics could understand this book and work it into there sermons about Genesis. So many times a non believer will start reading the Bible at Genesis and stop with Genesis. The concepts of time dilation are pretty simple if you leave out the proof and refer the reader to an appendix for the physics discussion. In fact , strip all of the physics proofs out and put them in the appendix.
September 1, 2020
This is one of those books that's been on my Kindle for longer than I care to admit--started but not finished. In the age of Covid I've committed to cleaning up my backlist, and while it took me a long time to plow through this one, I'm glad I did. Not that I understood it all perfectly. Schroeder is a scientist and theologian and I appreciate his reconciling the apparent conflicts between science and the Bible. Much of this went over my nonscientific mathematical brain. But I get the takeaway--the creationists' 6-day creation and the scientists' 15-billion-year earth are not in conflict. He challenges both sides to acknowledge their biases.
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