The Fire in the Equations
by Kitty Ferguson, Templeton Foundation Press, 1994,
ISBN 1-932031-67-7, $16.95, paperback, 307 pages

The subtitle of this book is "Science, Religion, and the Search for God." You cannot tell from these titles and subtitles whether this book is "pro-God," "pro-atheism," or something else. The fact of the matter is that this book is an analysis and does not attempt to promote any belief system at all. Ferguson seems to be a very intelligent and well-informed writer who tries to allow us to see the whole picture in cosmology without taking sides.

The first five chapters of the book deal primarily with the development of various scientific views of the cosmos. Ferguson does a good job of explaining the significance of being able to show that there was a beginning. Black holes, singularities, quantum mechanics, and all of the personalities that were a part of these areas of study are explored and explained. Theists, agnostics, atheists, and deists are all given fair and equal status. The greatest strength of the book is that no group is denigrated or ridiculed. The book is one of explanation, not promotion.

Chapter six is titled "The God of Abraham and Jesus," and explores the implications of the Judeo-Christian tradition and its teachings about God. This is followed by a chapter titled "Inadmissible Evidences" which criticizes arguments for God's existence that the author feels have significant weaknesses, but allows no response to these claimed weaknesses.

This is a book for people with a scientific background. It covers some tough subjects, but is current, well written, and comprehensive in its coverage. It has a useful index and provides a great reference source. We recommend it highly for technical readers who want to understand the issues and what is going on in cosmology and its applications to apologetics. It is not promoting belief in God, nor does it offer any support for atheists. It is purely an information-type book.

Back to Contents Does God Exist?, MayJun05.