Way the World Is: The Christian Perspective of a Scientist (Revised)

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and was, quite frankly, surprised by my enjoyment! I expected another effort to reconcile science, reason, and religious faith, but this book is a great deal more than that. In addition to chapters discussing the scientific, personal, and religious views of the world, the author also engages in an extended apologetic discussion of Christianity spanning several chapters. These chapters delve into the New Testament evidence, Jesus, his death and resurrection, and the Christian view of the world. I was repeatedly tempted to compare his discussion of these issues with that of C.S. Lewis in his classic, "Mere Christianity," and when I gave into that temptation, I could not help concluding that Polkinghorne compared quite favorably to Lewis in terms of his ability to communicate the basics of Christianity in an understandable and persuasive way. That being said, this work might not be for everyone. I purchased this book second-hand, and the person who had annotated it before me had obviously experienced no small displeasure to learn that the author (now an Anglican priest) was at least open to the historical-critical perspective on the Bible. I think that the author was remarkably even-handed in his approach to contrasting world-views and scholarship concerning the Bible itself, but it is possible not all would agree. Another aspect of the book that might jar is the references to scientific theories, discoveries, and personalities; not all those mentioned are among those that would be known by the typical non-scientist, and the author does not always fully elaborate as to why a particular reference is relevant to the discussion at hand. But, in my humble opinion, these are slight flaws in an otherwise outstanding book that was highly successful in its stated task of giving "a reasoned account of the Christian view of the world." Highly recommended for anyone interested in the topic (even those who might have read "Mere Christianity" a time or two!).

Good book for those who wish to understand how to reconcile what they know of science with what they know of God. Are the two exclusive? Polkinghorne, a product of 'Oxbridge', addresses this popularly assumed duality in his books.