The lion Handbook of Science and Christianity

Reviewed by Margaret Roberts

The technology now exists to enable some paralysed people to walk again. We are unanimous in our praise of such developments. The same technology could give a soldier or police officer the physical stamina to perform her job better : still a worthwhile use of science? What if a postman wants to use the technology to complete his round more quickly and with less fatigue? Or a weary mother with three demanding young children? Still happy with that? How about a student seeking to earn a place on the college football team? Or an athlete hoping to break the world record for 100m? Most of us are probably starting feel a little uneasy by this stage, but where did we cross the line? when does admirable ‘pioneering research’ become selfish ‘playing at God’?


The ‘Lion Handbook of Science and Christianity’ examines such issues from a balanced perspective, looking at the implications of modern science on our traditional understanding of modern science on our traditional understanding of the world, human beings and God. For example, have the biblical accounts of creation and God’s dealings with people been superseded by theories of evolution, the Big Bank, genetic research into human origins or geological estimates of the age of the earth? Now that so much of our behaviour can be explained in terms of brain chemistry, neural pathways and DNA, is there still a place for free will or for God? Are the physical laws which govern the world sufficient to make redundant the notion of a supreme power, especially the Christian idea of a God who came to the earth in the form of the man Jesus Christ? And even if we do still believe that a divine being has placed us in charge of the world, are there any limits to our use of science to do so? For example, are genetically modified crops a positive step towards eliminating world hunger or a dangerous interference in nature? What about cloning, artificial intelligence, happiness pills? Why is it ok to select embryos which are free of hereditary disease genes, but not to select for other life enhancing characteristics such as intelligence or good looks?

There are no easy answers to such questions, and this book does not claim to offer clear cut classifications of right and wrong. Rather, it encourages ongoing debate, by re-examining the frameworks which philosophers and theologians have used in the past to make sense of their world, applying them to today’s dilemmas. The book provides a wealth of information on issues of both science and faith, presenting a variety of competing viewpoints. But a word of warning – it is not exactly light reading or even user friendly. A proper study of this book would require weeks of serious academic reflection, a familiarity with philosophy and theology, and a willingness to have the whole of one’s existing belief system challenged. This is a shame, because the questions it raises are of potential interest and relevance to us all. There is certainly scope for an enterprising (or bored) academically inclined prisoner to re-write the comprehensive information provided into a more accessible format. But don’t volunteer for the job unless you’ve got a very long sentence, as it would be a mammoth undertaking.