22 December 2008

Book Review: A Biblical Case for An Old Earth

Quick Stats
Genre - Non-fic: religious science
Length - ~205 pages
Author - Dr. David Snoke

Overview
In this quick read, Dr Snoke prevents a convincing case for Biblical evidence of an old earth. He suggests that in the modern day, young-earth proponents are the equivalent of the Christians who at the time of Copernicus argued that a helio-centric universe was blasphemous: ultimately, science moved on, proving Copernicus's model and causing a re-examination of interpretations of the Bible that were once used to support the earth-centric model.

First Impressions
Easy to read style, presents logical arguments and sufficient data and references. Even the first few chapters of this book caused me to rethink some of my own assumptions - perhaps the most superficial of which being that it 'doesn't matter' whether the earth is old or new. In fact, as Dr Snoke outlines, taking an old or young earth view dramatically impacts many other areas of Biblical theology.

High Points
Pretty much the same as my first impressions. I read this book in a single sitting, and appreciate it for its conversational, yet logical and thorough analysis of the issue. So many things he mentions, which I'd never thought of before, simply make sense. :)

Low Points
This is not a book written to convince an atheist that the weight of scientific evidence supports Biblical history. The science is not rigourously backed nor minutely detailed. In my opinion, however, the book delivers exactly what it needs in order to reach its intended aim: to reach the often loud Christians who use pseudo-science and unsupported hypotheses to make their point, and in doing so preclude any opportunity for sensible, rational, scientific discussion.

(Usefulness) Rating
Well, it's not exactly the most useful book in terms of its impact on my writing. It's given me a few shiny worldbuilding ideas, but that's about the extent of it. However, I still rate this a pocket book (as in carry around in your pocket) simply for the impact it's had on my beliefs, allowing me once and for all to be satisfied that one really can believe in science and God.

2 comments:

Michelle said...

Sounds like a really cool book!

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Sounds great, Inky. I need to put this on my list. Thanks!!!

*heads over to goodreads*

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