The Language of God
LC Class | BL240.3 .C66 2006 |
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief is a
Collins raises arguments for the idea of God, drawing from science and philosophy. He cites many famous thinkers, most prevalently C. S. Lewis, as well as Saint Augustine, Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Theodosius Dobzhansky and others. In 2007, Christianity Today judged it one of the best books of the previous year.[4]
BioLogos
The book proposes the name "BioLogos" as a new term for
Bios is the Greek word for "life". Logos is Greek for "word", with a broader meaning in Heracleitean philosophy and Stoicism—namely the rational principle ordering the universe. This concept was appropriated by Christian theology. In Christian theology, "Word" is actually a creative agent for all that exists, in addition to being an ordering principle. Furthermore, in some Christian thinking the eternal and divine Logos merged and synthesized with a human nature to become Jesus Christ in the Incarnation. This is laid out in the opening prologue of the Gospel of John, forming part of the textual basis for Christian belief in the Trinity, as the concept of Logos morphed over time into God the Son for the second person of the Trinity.[7]
"BioLogos" expresses the belief that God is the source of all life and that life expresses the will of God. BioLogos represents the view that science and faith co-exist in harmony.[8]
Description
Collins' conversion to Christianity is detailed at the beginning and end of The Language of God. He grew up in an agnostic family, and knew at an early age that he wanted to be a scientist. At first, he was interested in the physical sciences, since "biology was rather like existential philosophy: it just didn't make sense" (page 181). However, nearing the end of a Ph.D. program, Collins took a biochemistry course and was hooked. He applied for and was admitted to medical school, from which he graduated and began genetic research and a clinical practice. During one clinic, Collins was asked by a Christian patient about his spiritual beliefs. He did not really have an answer, but determined that he should confirm his atheism by studying the best arguments for faith. A pastor directed him to Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, which he cites as the main cause of his conversion.
Another section of The Language of God focuses on 'The Moral Law Argument.' Moral Law is very important for Collins: "After twenty-eight years as a believer, the Moral Law stands out for me as the strongest signpost of God" (p. 218). Moral Law is an argument for the existence of a God. What is the Moral Law? Collins quotes C. S. Lewis, "the denunciation of oppression, murder, treachery, falsehood and the injunction of kindness to the aged, the young, and the weak, almsgiving, impartiality, and honesty." Collins has two main arguments: one is that all cultures and religions of the world endorse a universal, absolute and timeless Moral Law. It is overwhelmingly documented in the "Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics." According to Collins, it is a unique property that separates humans and animals. The Moral Law includes altruism which is more than just reciprocity ("You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours"). His second argument is: "Selfless altruism presents a major challenge for the evolutionist" (p. 27).
Collins argues that science and faith can be compatible. In an interview on the Point of Inquiry podcast he told D. J. Grothe that “the scientific method and the scientific worldview can't be allowed to get distorted by religious perspectives”, but he does not think “being a believer or a non-believer affects one's ability to do science”.[9] He also said that "the faith Dawkins describes in the God Delusion isn't the faith I recognise", and that, like him, "most people are seeking a possible harmony between these worldviews [faith and science]"[9]
Reception
The July 17 Publishers Weekly review reads: “This marvelous book combines a personal account of Collins’s faith and experiences as a genetics researcher with discussions of more general topics of science and spirituality, especially centering around evolution.” Robert K. Eberle summarizes his opinion of the book: "The Language of God is well written, and in many places quite thoughtful, but unless one is predisposed to the idea of theistic evolution, most will probably find the book unconvincing on this front."[10]
In contrast to Harris' criticisms, physicist
References
- ^ "NIH Directors". National Institutes of Health (NIH). 2015-02-11. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
- ^ "Scientists on Religion". Scientific American. October 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
- ^ "Book Awards 2007".
- ^ "BioLogos — Home". Retrieved 2011-04-20.
- ^ "What is evolutionary creation?". Retrieved 2019-07-05.
- ^ See Athanasius treatise The Incarnation of the Word of God
- ISBN 0-7432-8639-1. p.203
- ^ D.J. Grothe (2007-08-31). "Dr. Francis Collins - The Language of God". Point of Inquiry. Retrieved 2015-09-03.
- eSkeptic. October 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
- ^ "Sam Harris: The Language of Ignorance". www.samharris.org. August 21, 2006. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
- ^ Barr, Stephen. "The Form of Speaking". www.firstthings.com. First Things. Retrieved 15 August 2014.