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The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief | 
 enlarge | Author: Francis S. Collins
Publisher: Free Press
Category: Book
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Avg. Customer Rating:  298 reviews
Sales Rank: 208605
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Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.2
Dewey Decimal Number: 215
ASIN: B0012F7VFE
Publication Date: July 11, 2006
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Product Description
Does science necessarily undermine faith in God? Or could it actually support faith? Beyond the flashpoint debates over the teaching of evolution, or stem-cell research, most of us struggle with contradictions concerning life's ultimate question. We know that accidents happen, but we believe we are on earth for a reason. Until now, most scientists have argued that science and faith occupy distinct arenas. Francis Collins, a former atheist as a science student who converted to faith as he became a doctor, is about to change that.Collins's faith in God has been confirmed and enhanced by the revolutionary discoveries in biology that he has helped to oversee. He has absorbed the arguments for atheism of many scientists and pundits, and he can refute them. Darwinian evolution occurs, yet, as he explains, it cannot fully explain human nature -- evolution can and must be directed by God. He offers an inspiring tour of the human genome to show the miraculous nature of God's instruction book. Sure to be compared with C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, this is a stunning document, whether you are a believer, a seeker, or an atheist.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 293 more reviews...
 Helpful for some Christians, but generally Unconvincing and Weak October 7, 2008
The Language of God features the perspective of Francis Collins, a world leader in genetics and head of the Human Genome Project, on the issue of reconciling science and faith. Collins begins by explaining his own history: how he came to be interested in science, and especially how he came to confess faith in Christ after experiencing a very secular upbringing. Collins offers insights of what initially lead him to faith: patients in his medical profession asking him big, spiritual questions, and C.S. Lewis' description of the Moral Law, the dilemma regarding interpreting Jesus in his historical personage, and the innate desire in human beings that finds fulfillment only in God. Collins goes about defending these views of Lewis, and championing their logic and profundity.
The remainder of the book is Collins explaining how he personally is at peace with being both a scientist and a Christian. He goes at some length explaining what science has to say about God, describing some elements of design in the universe, and discussing the Big Bang. He also gives some evidence for macroevolution, all the while describing why the view of Young Earth Creationists regarding scientific interpretation of the world is deeply mistaken. Collins himself espouses the idea called "theistic evolution," a belief that God in his sovereign power guides evolution along, and that the natural laws are his tools. Though, Collins prefers to call this idea his coined term BioLogos. Collins even gives some of his own thoughts about how human beings could have evolved and at the same time be seen by Christians as being made in the image of God and gifted with soul. By the end of the book it is clearly seen that Collins believes that science is enhanced by a belief in God, and that science in no way threatens its Creator.
While reading this book, I found myself very disappointed, especially during the first half in which it seems as if Collins is trying to convince the reader that it is very rational to believe in God, and that there is evidence that is very defensible. Personally, I am under the philosophical (rather Kierkegaardian, to be more specific) conviction that faith in God is something that is inexplicable, and that there is no amount of evidence that should be able to move a person to faith. In other words, if faith is founded on evidence, and if it can be destroyed if incontrovertible evidence existed in opposition to it, then it never was faith to begin with! Faith is the persistent and hopeful belief in the absurd. It is quite silly especially to go about proving the existence of God from nature, because the existence of God is only important for us if we prove the existence of a God who cares about us and wants to communicate with us, and nature can never, in any circumstance prove such a "romantic" thing! And proving that there may have been a "designer" is irrelevant to our lives; the god postulated is absolute nothingness unless it is described by a theology that comes about only by faith! So therefore, the only way one can say something important about God is if the person already has some sort of descriptive or at least intuitive faith, so it is pointless to say anything about God from mere observations of the world.
I not only disagree with the intentions of Collins in the first half of the book; I also disagree with many of his arguments. The subtitle for the book "a scientist presents evidence for belief" is not fulfilled in the slightest. First of all, in his discussion of Agape being a stamp of the divine on humanity, he very flippantly dismisses all evolutionary theory on this matter. Sure, it may be a more difficult element to explain by evolution, but it is not impossible! Here Collins falls into the "god of the gaps" mode of thinking, though he argues against this mode later on. Indeed, natural selection can accomplish much diversity in form and function via direct and indirect means. It is not unfeasible to propose that caring for others and developing an ethics is a byproduct of the high cognitive and problem-solving abilities of humans evolving over time.
There are other problematic arguments that Collins makes. First, he is not a very good theologian, and has no education at all in metaphysics. He relies heavily on the works of C.S. Lewis, and C.S. Lewis never claimed to be more than a reflective, amateur theologian. The Moral Law is a heavily debated issue that the history of philosophy has struggled with since the ancients, and Collins not only seems to attribute it to Lewis, but describes it so simply with little rebuttal. Also, Collins affirms Lewis' argument from desire, which claims that we were meant for another world if we have a desire which something in this world cannot satisfy. The criticisms of this argument are huge, as the argument is not even considered a proof! Just because we desire something does not mean that something exists, and it is easy to see that such a desire (a byproduct of evolution perhaps) can easily lead to construction of God.
In addition, to put down the psychoanalytic idea that belief in God is just wish fulfillment, Collins asks, why would we want a God who curbs our freedom? Collins answer does not make sense metaphysically, as there is no freedom for mankind unless there are limits: Freedom would be meaningless and contentless without its contrary: limitation. Therefore, we would want there to be a God for meaning, so that we can be free. The psychoanalysts are not refuted.
By the end of the book, however, I did come to an appreciation of Collins' work. I think that while his book was not necessarily for me, it definitely could benefit a wide audience, most especially people of faith who fear science. The simple theology he uses, his congenial tone, and the clear conviction in his writing that what he believes is the most sensible and fruitful view of God and science is enough to get a more general audience to open up their minds a bit and become more informed concerning this age-old debate. Collins writes clearly with many personal anecdotes and reflections to keep the reader interested. He was also the man to do it: as both a Christian and leading scientist, he commands attention and respect from the general audience by default. He did a great job pointing out the types of questions science is supposed to ask, and the types of questions theology is supposed to ask, but then again, there are many books out there that say the same thing. I would not necessarily recommend this book to a scientist who has a repugnance for belief in God, as I think Collins does a meager job at building a straw man, but I would recommend it to someone who is struggling with how his or her faith can cope with scientific discovery.
So what do I think of this whole faith vs. science controversy? If it, by chance, has not shown through above, I believe that my faith has little bearing on the observations of scientific inquiry and vice-versa. I am very pleased with the idea that God created the world by whatever means he did, and that the natural laws, discoverable by science, are his movements. I do not believe that God had to ever use "supernatural" intervention, necessarily: even the resurrection of Christ from the dead could have been a "natural" law in a sense, but one that science has not been able to describe and predict! Genesis I interpret as a myth, but a quite important one that teaches us how we relate to God and He to us. I am content to know that my faith needs no evidence, and that science can never disprove God anyway. As for the raging controversy in the mainstream, however, I just encourage more respect, more books and more conversations that clear up the issues and use demystified language. Eventually, however, people will come around. They surely did about the Earth being round!
 I am on my 2nd reading September 5, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed it that much, and need to appreciate his expertise even more.
I really appreciated the sensitivity to theology from the scientist. I have read attestations to belief in deity by other scientists who should have consulted a theologian to frame their case.
Courage September 3, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Languag of God had a profound effect on me. As a corporate director for a fortune 500 company I continually strive to incorporate spirituality in the workplace. Not as an in-your-face endeavor, but rather as an example. With the way the world is becoming and indeed, our own nation, I find this to be an ardous task.
This book, helped me over some rough spots. Having recently read the God Delusion and God Is Not Great, I was in dire need of a refreshing view from my side of the fence.
This book will fortify what you already know and will be a great comfort to you as you live out your life in this changing time.
Now I only need for the author to continue the tread and write several more books. I can assure you that I will buy and cherish all of them.
Michael L. Gooch, SPHR - Author of Wingtips with Spurs
Thank God & Amazon.com August 31, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Thank God for Francis S. Collins and his creative scientific perspectives concerning the natural aspects of God & Nature.
Thank Amazon.com for the fine service it performs bringing products and information like this to the public.
 Terrible. Bad literature research, bad science, bad theology. August 29, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was very disappointed in this book.
I have studied the theories of origins for 10 years. My educational and career background is in both biology and theology. I very much enjoy exploring the various theories, opinions, and points of view---when they are credible.
I could not believe my eyes when I read many blatantly false and flimsy statements in this book! What the heck?! This author is supposed to be a brilliant scientist!
Concerning several of the theories he "critiques," he did not do his literature research well. Some of his arguments have strong, published rebuttals that anyone with half a brain would see the perfect logic and scientific merit in.
In addition, his lack of scriptural knowledge is very obvious to anyone who is intimately familiar with the Bible.
I was hoping for a thought-provoking, ground-breaking idea from this guy. What I got was a bunch of grossly misrepresented and misinterpreted science and scripture.
Don't waste your money.
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