The Sacred Cosmos: Christian Faith and the Challenge of Naturalism

I was raised in the evangelical Christian tradition and was very much enslaved to the idea that there is no resolution between science and religion. Every Discovery Channel documentary I watched or National Geographic article I read that started with "12 Billion Years Ago..." was immediately discounted as naturalistic propaganda. Lately, though, I've gone through a change of heart. In the interest of thinking critically, I decided to give evolutionary ideas a shot, and I am so glad I've allowed myself to explore these areas--it's really opened my mind to the myriad possibilities to which I never gave a second thought. "The Sacred Cosmos" is an excellent place for someone in a similar situation to start on a journey of thinking critically. Nichols presents clear ideas, original theories, and sound theological discourse on origins and science in general, and has boosted my interest in the topic to the point that I'm now reading everything I can get my hands on about the topic. If you have a sneaking suspicion that Strobel's "The Case for a Creator" is just a bit too propagandic to be viable scientific study material, give this book a shot. Likewise, if you consider Polkinghorne, Barbour, et. al. to be too technical for light bedtime reading, this book most definitely is not--but it contains more than enough detail to provide plenty of food for thought.