The Fool and the Heretic: How Two Scientists Moved Beyond Labels to a Christian Dialogue About Creation and Evolution

Wood, president of Core Academy of Science, and Falk, professor emeritus at Point Loma Nazarene University, examine evolution from a Christian perspective through meticulous and cogent conversations. Over the course of several years, the two met to hash out and record their opposing views. Wood believes strongly in a literal interpretation of the creation story in the Book of Genesis, while Falk takes a broader view, explaining biblical events as metaphorical storytelling subject to scientific examination. Most of the book consists of first-person accounts of Wood and Falk’s time together and discussions of how their experiences have influenced their views on creation and evolution. Wood considers the quirks of biological sciences and the unknowns of the physical sciences (such as quantum physics) as examples of the limits of human understanding. Though Falk doesn’t view this as proof of Biblical literalism, their opinions converge about the spiritual nature of what lies beyond known science; one must understand God, they believe, to truly understand the workings of the universe. The most thought-provoking sections cover their views on how church communities should handle the intersection of science and Christianity, with the consensus that the Bible’s narrative power should remain the focus. Any reader interested in Christian belief will enjoy this refreshing dialogue. (Feb.)