Test of Faith

Book excerpt: Is God a delusion? Are science and Christian faith incompatible? Ten scientists tell their stories. There is a popular myth at large in both modern society and in many churches. According to this myth, science and Christianity have been engaged in a long battle over the centuries. For many secularists this means that we must embrace science and reject religion, whilst for some Christians it means the exact opposite. But are science and Christian faith really in conflict? In this book ten respected scientists share their life stories and their reflections on science and faith. What led them to become scientists? Why did they embrace Christianity? And how do they relate their religious beliefs to the science that they do in the lab? The stories that they tell help us to see that when it comes to answering some of "life's big questions" we do well to listen for the insights from both science and faith. Samples and DVD trailer at www.testofaith.com Contributors Dr Francis Collins, Former Director, Human Genome Project Revd Dr Alasdair Coles, Cambridge University and St Andrews Church, Cambridge Dr Jennifer Wiseman, Astrophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Prof. John Bryant, Professor Emeritus of Cell and Molecular Biology, Exeter University Prof. Bill Newsome, Professor of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine Prof. Rosalind Picard, Professor of Media Arts & Sciences, MIT Dr Ard Louis, The Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, Oxford University Revd Dr John Polkinghorne, Former President of Queens' College, Cambridge Dr Deborah B. Haarsma, Associate Professor in Physics & Astronomy, Calvin College Prof. Alister McGrath, Professor of Historical Theology, Harris Manchester, College, Oxford Dr Ruth Bancewicz, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, St Edmund's College, Cambridge