The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

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The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 3,212 ratings · 504 reviews

Does science necessarily undermine faith in God? Or could it actually support faith? Beyond the flashpoint debates over the teaching of evolution, or stem-cell research, most of us struggle with contradictions concerning life's ultimate question. We know that accidents happen, but we believe we are on earth for a reason. Until now, most scientists have argued that science...more

Hardcover, 294 pages

Published July 11th 2006 by Free Press (first published January 1st 2006)

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Jul 17, 2012 Manny rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People interested in science and faith

Shelves: linguistics-and-philosophy, science, transcendent-experiences

Francis Collins comes across as such a nice guy! He's clearly a very good molecular biologist - he led the Human Genome Project to a successful conclusion, no mean feat - and he has strong Christian ideals that he's thought about a lot and tried hard to realize in practice. Here, he outlines his philosophy, a kind of theistic evolutionary creed which he calls BioLogos. It's intended to combine his scientific and religious beliefs into a harmonious whole; although it appears to work for him, I re...more Francis Collins comes across as such a nice guy! He's clearly a very good molecular biologist - he led the Human Genome Project to a successful conclusion, no mean feat - and he has strong Christian ideals that he's thought about a lot and tried hard to realize in practice. Here, he outlines his philosophy, a kind of theistic evolutionary creed which he calls BioLogos. It's intended to combine his scientific and religious beliefs into a harmonious whole; although it appears to work for him, I remain unimpressed, and I fear that both sides of the faith/science divide are going to see him as what Richard Dawkins memorably described as a "compliant quisling". But more about that shortly.

The core message of BioLogos is that God created the universe in order for it to contain living beings with souls - us, and any other sentient creatures that may happen to exist - and cares deeply about His people. As I've been arguing in my reviews of Martin Rees's Just Six Numbers and Before the Beginning, the idea that the universe was designed is right now perfectly respectable, though I thought Collins's cosmological arguments were on the superficial side. In particular, he in no way gives proper consideration to the multiverse theory that Rees describes; though the comparison with Dawkins's The God Delusion is amusing, Dawkins doing the exact opposite and dismissing the design theory in equally summary fashion. It would be nice to see a balanced presentation here some time. At any rate, the modern Argument from Design in terms of fine tuning of the universe's physical constants is one of the main planks of Collins's argument to the non-believers.

The other key component is derived from C.S. Lewis (Collins is a huge admirer), and is based on universal ethical norms, altruism, and the human hunger for religion which, Collins claims, can be observed in all cultures. If God doesn't exist, why do we all feel a need for Him, and why do we all agree on the important issues about what constitutes the difference between right and wrong? Here, again, I felt that Collins was on shaky ground, and the reasoning did not convince me. Many people have tried to explain the emergence of altruistic behavior in humans using an evolutionary perspective, but these ideas are hardly discussed at all, and there is almost no comparison with other social species. Yes, it's probably relevant that ants and bees are haplodiploid, and humans aren't, so "altruistic" behavior of insects may be misleading; but naked mole rats, which are not mentioned, are also a social species, and they are not haplodiploid.

So the first third of the book was disappointing, but it picked up again when Collins turned around and started explaining to the Creationists and Intelligent Design people why their criticisms of evolutionary theory were misguided. This part was excellent, and if you want an authoritative dismantling of ID I have never seen it done better. Collins first explains the holes in the often-quoted "flagellum" argument, showing how the bacterial flagellum could indeed have been created by evolution; he then quotes St. Augustine and other luminaries of the Church on the dangers of Christianity making itself look ridiculous by trying to maintain logically untenable positions. He does his best to sweeten the pill, emphasizing that he respects the motives that have led people to believe in ID, but I can't think that many of them like it. Indeed, he describes talks he's given to American Christian audiences where he's tried to explain this stuff, and people often leave the room before he's got properly started. I can see why.

At the end, he tries to wrap it all up in his vision of BioLogos. Christians, be reasonable and admit that evolution is a simple fact that reveals God's power and glory with even greater clarity! Scientists, look into your hearts and admit how much you want to feel His love! I fear very few people on either side are buying it. But, blessed are the peacemakers, and Dr. Collins is doing his damnedest to spread peace and understanding. Who knows, maybe it will do some good in the long run.
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I just have to include this wonderfully snarky quote from Russell's Science and Religion. Despite being written several decades before Collins was born, it is a perfect comment on his book:

Sir J. Arthur Thomson, as we saw, maintained that science is incomplete because it cannot answer the question why? Religion, he thought, can answer it. Why were stars formed? Why did the sun give birth to planets? Why did the earth cool, and at last give rise to life? Because, in the end, something admirable was going to result - I am not quite sure what, but I believe it was scientific theologians and religiously-minded scientists.

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mark monday Manny wrote: " I should read The Golden Bough sometime..."

perfect escapist fare. ideal for a light & breezy beach read!
May 18, 2012 03:17pm

Aussiescribbler Aussiescribbler I haven't read this book, but I have read some of Teilhard de Chardin, whose writing tried to reconcile evolution with spirituality.

The question of wh...more
May 19, 2012 06:33pm

Apr 08, 2008 Ellis rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERY person of faith and every person whose reasons for not believing in God are based on science

Shelves: nonfiction, science, religion

This book was Fantastic. If it were up to me, this book would be required reading for every college freshman or senior in high school. I listened to Dr. Collins speak at last year’s scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to listen to the head of the international group responsible for sequencing the human genome. I was impressed with his clear forward-thinking mind. Probably because I'd heard Dr. Collins speak, knew his work, and had a very g...more This book was Fantastic. If it were up to me, this book would be required reading for every college freshman or senior in high school. I listened to Dr. Collins speak at last year’s scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to listen to the head of the international group responsible for sequencing the human genome. I was impressed with his clear forward-thinking mind. Probably because I'd heard Dr. Collins speak, knew his work, and had a very good impression of him, I was a little dismayed when I saw the title of his book. I thought maybe he was a little off track. Personally, science hasn't shown me anything that confirms, OR DENIES, the existence of God. I figured I had to read his book just to see what he had to say on the matter.

Fortunately, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find what this book contained. This book isn't an attempt to use scientific knowledge and proofs to demonstrate that God exists, but it contains a very beautifully laid out reconciliation of religion and science. (Reconciliation is really a terrible term, because religion and science never have been at odds. Unfortunately, some religious people have attacked science because they felt threatened by its findings and chose to fear it rather than understand it. Likewise, some people thought that scientific theories, such as the Big Bang and the evolution of species, proved that God didn't exist. Anyway, some people have wrongly put science and religion at odds when, in fact, there was no need for the two to be mutually exclusive. All truth is good for man: whatever its source.)

I was extremely surprised to find in this book the nearly exact conclusion I have come to after years of considering how the scientific theories on the origin of the universe, the origin of man, and of religion may fit together. I struggled over these issues for a long time, because I felt that it was my duty to not ignore two seemingly incompatible (big bang/evolution and man created by God in his image) things that I knew (as strongly as a scientist can ever claim to "know" that a theory actually represents reality) to be true. I knew that it wouldn't be right to reject either of these truths because it was inconvenient to have them together. This conundrum caused me to spend plenty of time thinking about this issue. Thus, I was very surprised to see that Collins had come up with basically the exact same conclusions that I had come to. (In fact, this is exactly the book I would have written on the subject if I just weren’t so lazy and had the ability.) Did this happen because the world-renowned scientist, Francis Collins, and I are on the same intellectual playing field? No, unfortunately no... I think that we came to the same conclusions because if one puts him/herself to thinking on the matter for long enough and uses the best material to aid in the process, then the conclusion comes very naturally and logically.

I would suggest that everyone read this book. There is no contention between science and religion. Science and religion have no disagreement or incongruities on how man came to live on earth. Of course, the most important thing to remember is that it doesn't matter how man came to earth, but why man is on earth and what we do while here. However, understanding how this process occurred is extremely interesting and gives me so much more appreciation for the creation of mankind than the traditional "poof theory" that many cling to tightly with eyes and ears closed to avoid being tainted by scientific theory. (Oh yes, and thank you very much, Dr. Collins, for spending appropriate time on what it means for something to be a scientific theory.) This book is very stimulating and satisfying to the scientist because shows that religion need not be discarded because of scientific theory, and to the religious person because it shows that the greatest and most proven and unifying scientific theories need not be discarded to protect religious beliefs.
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Nov 03, 2007 Anand Patel rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have no doubt in the sincerity of Dr. Collins's beliefs, but I found this book insufferable. I picked it up at the store, hoping to catch a glimpse of how an established (and wildly successful) scientist reconciles his faith with the tradition of scientific rationalism. Instead, I found a lot of C.S. Lewis fan-dom mixed with a clumsy rehashing of pretty tired theological arguments hinging on a mysterious intrinsic "Moral Law". To be honest, it reads like Collins is trying to convince himself m...more

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Jun 25, 2007 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-philosophy-science

Let me preface this review by saying that I read this book as part of a discussion with my intelligent and faithful (not to mention extremely good looking - its a genetic thing) family members, who are open-minded to both science and religion. I hope that I can be likewise. They asked me for my sincere opinion about this book, and here is the result of that request. If they write a review, I will provide a link to it.

Collins seems like an intelligent, decent person with a sincere desire to help...more Let me preface this review by saying that I read this book as part of a discussion with my intelligent and faithful (not to mention extremely good looking - its a genetic thing) family members, who are open-minded to both science and religion. I hope that I can be likewise. They asked me for my sincere opinion about this book, and here is the result of that request. If they write a review, I will provide a link to it.

Collins seems like an intelligent, decent person with a sincere desire to help people overcome dissidence between two ways of understanding the world: science and religion. I admire his sentiments, and I appreciate any calm voice that enters the debate. He provides a nice summary of the evidence for evolution, and is obviously a highly qualified scientist (e.g. he was project manager for the human genome project).

I rate it as only OK because I found his arguments unconvincing. Here's why:

1) Collins did not provide data supporting the existence of a universal moral law, a law which he felt deserves the title of law, just like the law of gravity. He instead assumed that we would all agree that there is an absolute moral law that persists across time and cultural boundaries. While I imagine there are consistent moral codes, I would like a better description of what those are, especially if one is going to use that as the main support for one's belief in God. He cites the attributes of fairness and altruism, but doesn't define those terms well, nor does he describe their distribution within and among cultures. Those data are out there.

2) So let's say there is a moral "law", and it is reliable and persistent as any real law should be (a huge assumption). How can it be explained? While he belittled a "God-In-The-Gaps" approach to the study of creation/evolution, Collins advocated that approach for the study of human behavior. He invoked the existence of a supernatural power to explain the existence of morality in humans. His argument seemed to be that since science couldn't explain it (an argument that wasn't very strong, in my opinion), God must have given humans morality.

3) His other arguments for God include a distinct beginning to the universe (the big bang), and a hefty set of universal constants, constants that he finds extremely improbable without an intelligent creator.

The distinct beginning struck me as an idea consistent with his conception of God, but not really evidence for his conception of God.

In the case of the universal constants, Collins is committing the same errors he accuses the proponents of intelligent design of using.

Proponents of Intelligent Design claim that there are some parts of living things that are so complex that natural selection on random mutations (i.e. evolution) could not have made them. These parts (such as the complex eye and the bacterial flagellum) indicate an Intelligent Designer.

Likewise, Collins says that the development of so many universal constants is so improbable, that they provide evidence for an intelligent designer. As he said about Intelligent Design, this is another "God-In-The-Gaps" argument, one that is in danger of being explained by science as our knowledge progresses.

In short, Collins' use of the word evidence in the subtitle is premature. As the religions I am most familiar with would attest, belief in a supernatural being is ultimately a matter not of natural evidence, but of revelation. Therefore belief in that supernatural being comes down to a person's willingness to accept revelation, whether it be through scripture or prayer, as a valid way of understanding the world. Natural phenomena can be considered consistent with ones conception of the Almighty, but not the ultimate evidence for God.(less)

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Heather An interesting paper addressing one of Collins' main points came out in Science (the top-ranking journal in science, along with Nature) this week. Col...more
Jun 29, 2007 07:29am

Joseph very interesting lines of thought.

i think till date we cannot prove nor disprove God's existence. ( and hence all the frustration in the world :P)

he...more
Apr 15, 2008 09:12pm

Greg Kowal Joseph, while you address the questions to the original poster I did want to comment on your post. Pascal's wager? Probability tree? How many Gods are...more
Feb 06, 2013 08:07pm

Jul 12, 2009 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is now my recommended first read for anyone who is asking the question, "Can a scientist be a Christian or even believe in God?" Collins, best known for being director of the human genome project, has impeccable credentials in the scientific world. He began as an agnostic. Feeling that agnostics who have not really tried to find God have no basis to defend their position or criticize others, Collins endeavored to see whether belief in God is possible. He leads the reader through the pr...more

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Mar 28, 2007 Dave rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: listenedto, faith

It was very refreshing to hear a reasonable person discuss these issues without trying to overemphasize controversy. There are two portions of the book: Collins personal story of how he came to faith in God, and his views on a number of controversial issues in the overlapping worlds of science, ethics and faith. The first is particularly intriguing to scientists who are interested in faith. The second portion is more technical but valuable to anyone who wrestles with these issues.

Dave

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Sep 28, 2007 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

While I am not usually a big fan of non-fiction (takes too long to read) this book really affected me. As a scientist I was ready to disagree with the ideas of this evangelical Christian, but his arguments were well, scientific. His rational arguments struck a chord with me and he convinced me that theistic evolution is a valid possibility as to where we came from.

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Jun 28, 2007 Lynn Hay rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who think they can't believe in God and Evolution

This book was a disappointment to me, i did not gleam any new insight from it. It was the old circular 'I believe because I believe' argument meets an ode to C.S. Lewis. This guy obviously LOVES C.S. Lewis! He quoted him so often it started to feel a bit plagiarised.

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Feb 19, 2009 D. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book I read and re-read from it. It just blows your mind that an atheist and eminent scientist came to believe in God, just by coming to understanding how God created men. This author, who incidentally, is the Director of the Human Genome Project, can refute every argument against faith, against God; he also takes you through his own journey from atheism to faith and to his complete understanding that faith in science and faith in God are compatible. Incredible book for the open-minded on b...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I highly recommend this book! Francis Collins is a well known, highly respected scientist. He is a medical doctor and also a research scientist. He was head of the Human Genome Project and is now the director of NIH. Collins tells the story of his conversion to Christianity as an adult. He is brilliant and he truly loves science. But he also finds vital meaning and, indeed, salvation in religion. The point of his book is to show that science and religion are not opposed to each other, as some pe...more I highly recommend this book! Francis Collins is a well known, highly respected scientist. He is a medical doctor and also a research scientist. He was head of the Human Genome Project and is now the director of NIH. Collins tells the story of his conversion to Christianity as an adult. He is brilliant and he truly loves science. But he also finds vital meaning and, indeed, salvation in religion. The point of his book is to show that science and religion are not opposed to each other, as some people assume. Instead, they are complimentary. I find this to be true in my personal experience, as well. Faith explains the "why" and science explores the "how" of this wonderful universe we are part of. We need both.

I agree with most of what Collins says, and he explains it so well. His personal story and insights come at the beginning and end of the book. The middle of the book is Collins' explanation of fascinating topics in modern science. His expertise is in genetics, so an important section of the book is devoted to evolution. He argues decisively that 1) evolution is real and 2) the reality of evolution need not threaten faith. The book also includes an a very good, thought provoking discussion of medical and scientific ethics in an appendix chapter, so don't miss it. If you are religious and distrust science, this book is for you. If you love science and dismiss faith, this book is also for you.

Collins strongly makes the point that both sides need to come together in mutual respect for their different kinds of knowledge. Both viewpoints need to be valued at the table because we need to work together to find solutions to the pressing problems of our time. I find appreciating the blessings of both faith and science in my life to be very satisfying. To adhere only to one extreme or the other leaves important parts missing.

This book requires thought, but it is designed to be accessible to the lay reader. I learned a lot from it. I was struck by Collin's palpable enthusiasm for science, and also by his humanity and caring. He likes C.S. Lewis and includes good quotes by him. My scientist husband read this book several years ago and it has been on our bookshelf since then. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it! It is excellent.(less)

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Sep 06, 2010 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, 2010

I picked this book up because I thought it would be interesting to read about the religious views of the head of the Human Genome Project. What does someone who has his scientific credentials think about God and spirituality? Some of the reviews on GR attempt to attack perceived fallacies in his arguments and prove him “wrong,” but I was less interested in that than I was getting inside his head and listening to his personal story, whether I agreed with him or not.

The Language of God is a well-...more I picked this book up because I thought it would be interesting to read about the religious views of the head of the Human Genome Project. What does someone who has his scientific credentials think about God and spirituality? Some of the reviews on GR attempt to attack perceived fallacies in his arguments and prove him “wrong,” but I was less interested in that than I was getting inside his head and listening to his personal story, whether I agreed with him or not.

The Language of God is a well-written, easily-read rumination on the conflict between science and religion and why the author (along with many in the scientific community) feels this conflict doesn’t need to exist. Despite arguing from a believer’s point of view, Collins spends quite a bit of time shooting down creationism, Biblical literalism, and Intelligent Design. He advises against using God to “fill in the gaps” in current scientific knowledge and instead encourages believers to base their faith on something more stable. He points to history to illustrate that current arguments that require a literal reading of the Genesis are relatively new and that pre-Darwin religious thinkers didn’t hold the same views that current conservative religious folks do.

The only downside from my point of view is that Collins is Christian; I feel like I've spent enough time reading about how people arrived at their faith in Jesus. I'd love to read something written from the perspective of someone who became just about anything else, just for the sake of hearing some different experiences. To Collins' credit, though, in the few times he discusses the Bible, he refers to the original Hebrew. He also acknowledges several times that although his exploration of his personal beliefs brought him to Christianity, that every person will find what is right for them. A strike against him, though, is his use of the phrase "Judeo-Christian" several times, especially in reference to religious texts. That phrase needs to be disposed of and never used by anyone ever again.

The book ends with an appendix detailing some current bioethics concerns, and while it's interesting (especially since a bioethics class I took with Lori Andrews was one of my more interesting law school classes), I'm a little puzzled about its placement in this book.(less)

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Oct 04, 2008 Asher Gregory rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is actually really good, made all the better by the fact that the author is not a big shot priest trying to convince you his faith is correct, but rather is by a scientist who has experienced doubt, and even atheism, to come out a believer.

I found out more about evolution and had many of the myths that I had thought true corrected. It has made me more solid in my belief in evolution but also in the idea that one does not have to loose one's faith to ac...more I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is actually really good, made all the better by the fact that the author is not a big shot priest trying to convince you his faith is correct, but rather is by a scientist who has experienced doubt, and even atheism, to come out a believer.

I found out more about evolution and had many of the myths that I had thought true corrected. It has made me more solid in my belief in evolution but also in the idea that one does not have to loose one's faith to accept science. In fact, it shows that by being blind to the scientific discoveries around us religion is actually making itself look pretty bad. I mean, if you actually expect me to believe the Earth is 4,000 years old, you are so not going to get me to convert to your faith, or that man walked around with dinosaurs. I am astonished anyone with even minimal intelligence can believe such nonsense. But it does make religion look bad just as it had so many times in the past. [Ie the belief the Earth was the center of the universe] Eventually the truth will come forward and relgion has to accept it. But that does not mean you have to give up your belief in God.

This book was very well written, far better than "The God Delusion" which was my other side read and which I have not finished. The author is not overly wordy but neither does he talk down to the reader.

However, while it dooes show you can believe in God and science and why the author believes in God it cannot give you much information or proof on what version of God to believe in. The author himself is a Christian but like so many arguments I have read there is no proof why a person should choose the Christian God over the Muslim God over the Buddhist God over whatever. No book has been able to give a convincing enouggh argument. When it comes to choosing a God then the argument breaks down from logic to fluffy fuzzy feelings.

Still, it was a very good book and a recommend it to everyone, especially those you think belief in evolution means they have to be atheist! You don't! You can accept scienece and all that it proves but also believe in God. In a way it is an affront to God to do otherwise. A God who gave us a brain to think in reason with, do you think He would then expect us to blindly follow things that defy science? I think not.

It reminds me of something I read on a Church website, Top 10 reasons to be an Episcopalian:
#2 You can believe in dinosaurs ^_^(less)

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Jun 15, 2008 Sean rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy, science, religion

Full disclosure: I didn't read this whole book, as I was principally interested in Collins's arguments against Intelligent Design, so that and his arguments against atheism were the only two sections I have read so far. I will therefore confine myself to addressing those two sections.

Collins is a world-renowned scientist, a geneticist who headed the Human Genome Project, and as such his words carry a great deal of weight. In the cases where he gets it right, this is a good thing; where he gets i...more Full disclosure: I didn't read this whole book, as I was principally interested in Collins's arguments against Intelligent Design, so that and his arguments against atheism were the only two sections I have read so far. I will therefore confine myself to addressing those two sections.

Collins is a world-renowned scientist, a geneticist who headed the Human Genome Project, and as such his words carry a great deal of weight. In the cases where he gets it right, this is a good thing; where he gets it wrong, this is a terrible thing, especially since many of his readers will depend on him and his reasoning (instead of their own) to reach his conclusions. Where he gets it right is in the case of Intelligent Design: Collins argues that ID is simply not science, because it fails to solve any scientific problems, because it is unverifiable, because it fails to make any sort of useful prediction, and because it is ultimately a "god of the gaps" hypothesis. The fact that Collins is arguing this as an avowed theist who does not want to see faith fail because of a weak reed like ID does not undermine his arguments. Collins is a scientist, and—when he is not blinded by his own agenda and preconceptions—he can recognize science when he sees it.

Unfortunately, his arguments against atheism are utterly specious. In fact, they fail to be arguments at all: he merely cites passages by Dawkins (an atheist) and Gould (an agnostic) and pits them against each other. Sadly, he misquotes and mischaracterizes Dawkins's position (ironically calling it a "straw man"), and simply accepts Gould's (controversial, to say the least) position on "nonoverlapping magisteria" at face value.

Collins apparently has traveled from atheist to evangelical Christian, a journey that I can only describe as irrational in the extreme. I don't deny that he has thought long and hard about his beliefs, but it seems perfectly ludicrous to me that a person starting from square one, blank slate, as it were, could possibly narrow down the religious field to a specific set of beliefs using any kind of logic. And, reading ahead in his book, I find that this is the case: in his chapter on "Truth Seekers" he talks about reasoning, but that peculiarly religious kind of reasoning that is based ultimately on feelings instead of on empirical evidence. This is the same kind of apologetic, feel-good nonsense that C.S. Lewis churned out by the pound, and it is irrational, unscientific claptrap unworthy of one of the greatest geneticists of our age.(less)

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Jun 18, 2008 Clint rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: religion, science

In this book Collins explains how he harmonizes his belief in God with his understanding of evolution and other scientific processes involved in the creation of our universe. While I don't agree with every conclusion that Collins reaches, his honest and reasonable approach make this a very interesting book. He does a good job of giving a broad-brush description of the major scientific theories involved (big bang and evolution) and evidence for them. His explanations of DNA, how it's used, and ho...more

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Sep 16, 2008 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: agnostics, Young Earth Creationists, Intellegent Design Idiots

Recommended to Mike by: Richard Dawkins

First off, Collins is a very gifted writer. He can explain complex things like the creation of a protein from a stand of DNA with just enough detail to make sense, but never gets bogged down in jargon. Also, I like the moderate approach he has to religion and science, and I think it would appeal to a lot of people who are loosely religious or searching. If only every religious person thought the way he does! I love that Young Earth Creationists and Intelligent Designers are getting scolded by on...more First off, Collins is a very gifted writer. He can explain complex things like the creation of a protein from a stand of DNA with just enough detail to make sense, but never gets bogged down in jargon. Also, I like the moderate approach he has to religion and science, and I think it would appeal to a lot of people who are loosely religious or searching. If only every religious person thought the way he does! I love that Young Earth Creationists and Intelligent Designers are getting scolded by one of their own, but I doubt they will listen.

As far as atheism, Collins does a very poor job trying to convince the reader that it's a bad choice. Instead, he mentions Freud repeatedly as a prominent atheist thinker (without mentioning any other worthy thinkers such as Mark Twain or Issac Asimov), then tries to synthesize Richard Dawkins, one of his fiercest opponents, arguments into 2 pages. Also, he lulls the reader into believing him becuase he writes like an unassuming regular guy who's just trying to help everyone out. He has an agenda, and don't let your guard down, or else he'll have you convinced that atheism is the silliest idea since abstinence-only sex ed.

I think Collins might've bit off more than he can chew in this book. He only leaves one chapter for his thoughts on how to merge belief in science and faith, which I feel is the reason most people want to read this book. Personally, I think his grand conclusion is just another "god of the gaps" that he and other thinkers refer too. The moral law can be explained (and is currently being done) through evolution. Once again, God is unnecessary. He's given up a lot of ground on religion's behalf, but what he's left himself with falls to the same sword.

In all, its a great book becuase it has a very smart guy who also believes in god confirming that there's a tone of idiots who believe in god that have no idea what they're talking about. Read it as a good primer into the ID/YEC/atheism debate, but don't trat it like the end all be all, becuase it isn't.
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Nov 28, 2007 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I say "i really liked it" about this book because i enjoyed reading something "by the other side." I actually believe that Collins is sincere when he says that he believes proponents of Intelligent Design are sincere (whereas i do not believe that proponents of ID are sincere at all--i believe that they think they found a way to market an idea that undermines Evolution, an idea they fear/hate/want to destroy).

I really liked making notes in the margins about this book--snarky comments for myself,...more I say "i really liked it" about this book because i enjoyed reading something "by the other side." I actually believe that Collins is sincere when he says that he believes proponents of Intelligent Design are sincere (whereas i do not believe that proponents of ID are sincere at all--i believe that they think they found a way to market an idea that undermines Evolution, an idea they fear/hate/want to destroy).

I really liked making notes in the margins about this book--snarky comments for myself, mostly, though some are serious questions where Collins manages to pique my curiosity and desire for better understanding.

The Appendix is the part of the book that i liked (most sincerely/traditionally Liked) the most because it seemed the least affected by Collins's RELIGIOUS belief system.

The fact that "Religion" is on the back cover as the major subject classification for this title says a lot about its publisher's intended and anticipated audience. I have no proof or evidence on which to base the following conjecture, but cannot stop myself from proposing it: i suspect that Collins heard about a Richard Dawkins project (which would become The God Delusion) and decided he had to provide a counterpoint; i suspect that his friends and family and fellow faithful urged him, telling him that he had to do it For The Greater Good; i suspect that he hurried it to press without adequate editing as a result of his fervor to protect the weakest of The Faithful from Dawkins's corrupting, "irrational" atheism.

As such, this book is really intended to be read by Christians. I think he wants the worst of his fellow Christians to "accidentally" absorb some knowledge about evolution and biology and science in general so they'll stop giving the intelligent Christians a bad name.

Finally, Collins attempts to embrace other religious worldviews, but it's only lip service. This is not a slam, it's just an observation. I think Sam Harris (author of The End of Faith) might lump Collins in with other "moderates," but i don't think Collins's religious relativism is fearsome in the way Harris might expect. Collins does not dislike or fear or hate non-Christians. In fact, i think he's wonderful in many ways about encouraging reasonableness despite seemingly irresolvable ideological differences. He's still preaching to the choir, though, and will certainly rankle some non-Christian theists who were hoping for a more generic resolution of the (fallacy of false alternatives) faith vs science debate (the ostensible reason for this book).(less)

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Sep 19, 2007 Kent rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those not threatened by theistic evolutionists.

Very easy read considering the science involved in the subject matter. Collins develops his view of theistic evolution and gives it the name, "BioLogos."

Although Collins makes a very interesting history of the Human Genome Project, he is unconvincing in his argument against creation as presented in Genesis 1 and 2.

I find it funny that Collins is certain that his perspective of how nature begins is something "we know," but he can not seem to know what the Bible presents. Additionally, he "knows...more

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Mar 07, 2009 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Dr. Collins articulates the two sides of the argument (faith v. science) well - and then demonstrates how the argument really shouldn't exist at all as both faith and science are involved in the search for Truth, albeit with different tools and methods. Nothing spectacularly new, in fact he leans heavily on others' words, notably C.S. Lewis, but also many others from Copernicus to Augustine to generally good effect. Hard to judge how convincing he was since I already agreed with most of his prem...more

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Apr 18, 2009 Alisse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Collins covers much of the same ground covered by Kenneth Miller's books (plus some unique additions), but in a simpler format and a quicker read, and with a gentler tone. Collins' conclusions are both well-reasoned and heartfelt, underscoring the confidence we can place in both science and religion. Highly reccommended for those seeking an understandable, balanced, and fairly comprehensive introduction to important questions at the science-religion interface.

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Apr 06, 2011 Julie Reed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: spiritual, scientific, all-time-favorites

Excellent book! I found myself cheering throughout. Every believer, unbeliever, and everyone in between should read this book. In a very eloquent, gentle way, he tells believers "don't be so stupid and closed-minded about science" and to the unbeliever he says "don't be so closed-minded and think you are too smart for belief in God." In other words, he puts both extremes in their place and shows us the error of our ways. I hope there are many more Francis Collinses in the future who continue to...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Nani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Francis S Collins is one of the country's leading geneticists and the longtime leader of the Human Genome Project. He went from agnostic to atheist to believer. I gained a greater understanding of the creation of the universe, evolution and the bioethics of current medical and genetic research. I learned more about why the science of evolution is not in conflict with faith in God. It is very readable though I admit I didn't understand all the technical scientific terminology--I am at least famil...more

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Feb 01, 2008 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was interesting insofar as it was written by one of the co-directors of the Human Genome Project. A brilliant man, quintessential scientist and follower of Jesus.

It was intriguing mostly because as a 'liberal arts educated' person the questions and tensions he had, as a scientist, weren't ones I struggled with (dealing more with issues of post modernism, etc.). So his chapters were intriguing, but often I didn't understand his arguments.

He basically is a follower of the logic of C.S....more

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Mar 30, 2008 Davyhong07 rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: theists, atheists and everyone in between

If you are a faithful Christian but find it hard to believe that evolution is a false theory and can't accept intelligent design or the Young Earth theory on the origin-of-earth, this book is the book for you. The book makes the case for BioLogos, belief that God did create this world, but that evolution and other scientific theories and natural laws were God's method of creation.

To my fellow Christians...let's face facts here people, with the scientific knowledge we know now about life on eart...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is probably not a book I would have picked up on my own, mostly because this is not an issue I struggle with much. In the days when I took a more literal approach to scripture, I just didn� t think about it; and now I tend to take the creation story as something more metaphorical, which happens to also be the view that Collins takes. But my church book club selected it, and I enjoy the discussions, so I was game to read along.[return][return]Collins presents the science in clear straightfor...more

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Feb 07, 2009 Joel Justiss rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science, evolution

Collins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_...) is a prominent geneticist and head of the Human Genome Project. He is also a former atheist who became an evangelical Christian. His thesis in this book is that truth discovered by science should be welcomed by believers, and that unbelievers should be open to truth discovered by spiritual inquiry. After an overview of the current debate between scientists and religious fundamentalists, Collins highlights key evidence for the big bang theory and...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Steve Howes rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was mentioned in a letter to the editor of our local newspaper following the recent school shooting in Connecticut. The letter writer said he thought this book should be required reading for everyone, especially those who either didn't believe in God or those who thought God may have been AWOL during the shootings. Since I have spent most of my adult life involved in science, I thought I would listen to what a fellow scientist had to say about this subject which has been debated and fo...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Aaron Barnhart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Our Sunday School class has been reading this clear, concise defense of Christian faith from an evangelical and one of the country's leading geneticists. Collins is controversial with his fellow evangelicals because he argues that evolution is an accepted scientific method, and he is controversial among atheists and skeptics because he asserts that God is both the loving creator of the universe and a being who exists beyond the reach of scientific inquiry. He is, essentially, C.S. Lewis brought...more Our Sunday School class has been reading this clear, concise defense of Christian faith from an evangelical and one of the country's leading geneticists. Collins is controversial with his fellow evangelicals because he argues that evolution is an accepted scientific method, and he is controversial among atheists and skeptics because he asserts that God is both the loving creator of the universe and a being who exists beyond the reach of scientific inquiry. He is, essentially, C.S. Lewis brought into the 21st century — and I say that as someone who is well aware of Lewis's literary reputation. Collins is a highly readable author, and his informal, avuncular prose is arguably more accessible to Christians today than the somewhat outdated and dense argumentation of "Mere Christianity."

That said, I find The Language of God unsatisfying because it is largely a guide to fellow evangelicals on how to defend their faith against the atheistic meanies of the scientific world like Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould. Such people, and we can throw Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens in there while we're at it, are no threat to Christianity because they comprise such a small part of the population. (Harris's argument that Collins should not have been appointed the head of the National Institutes of Health because of his Christian views is a case in point. Collins has no controversial scientific views that I know of, and he is, like most taxpayers, a professed Christian.)

Many, if not most, American Christians, however, are neither evangelicals of the Collins stripe nor fundamentalist six-day creationist types (the other group this book takes aim at). Many Christians are members of non-evangelical churches who take their values to their workplace and households without a lot of fanfare or "God talk." Another emerging group is Gen-Y evangelicals, who grew up in these churches but disdain their parents' conservative politics and are ready to rethink what it is to be a Christian in the secular society. To me, a major challenge facing Christianity is how to coax these two sets of believers back into the public square, where their moderating influence and quiet moral strength would really come in handy right about now.

With his evangelical zeal and quick answers to every problem, Collins strikes me as too much like the nut cases he claims to oppose — people whose minds are made up and aren't interested in real discussion. The Language of God may appear to be at first on the side of such reasonable people, but in the end it offers them surprisingly little help, unless they happen to go to a church much like the one Collins attends.(less)

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Oct 03, 2012 Maria Khalid rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book has been such a fascinating and insightful reading. Even though I didn't study science in college, I love learning and reading about science and have for a long time been interested in the discussion regarding science/faith and theories of evolution vs. intelligent design. This book addresses so many of the questions I have had and does so elegantly and logically. He proves that although there is no scientific proof for God's existence, there is also no proof for His absence. It really...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Peter Grafe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Collins is a clear thinker and can present difficult material in a way that average readers can grasp. He is sensitive to the concerns of the Christian community, but is not shy from stating his view in some very divisive areas. I echo strongly a view that he also holds as a guide: God's truth in one sphere will not conflict with that in another area (physical world vs scripture). If there is apparent conflict between the two, it is POSSIBLE that the confusion arises from my INTERPRETATION. Afte...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars

The best thing Collins does is lend his credibility to the truth of evolution. To biologists such as himself, there is no debate. Evolution is truth. Macro-evolution is truth. He comes down squarely on the side of science, which is very good to hear. Hopefully his ability to make his Christian faith compatible with evolution can help others realize that accepting evolution in no way needs to threaten one's belief in religion.

Collins evidence for belief, though, I found unconvincing. Besides his...more

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About Francis S. Collins

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. is the former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). On August 17, 2009 he was sworn in as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Collins received a B.S. from the University of Virginia, a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Yale University, and an M.D. from the University of North Carolina. Following a fellowship in Human Ge...more

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“Will we turn our backs on science because it is perceived as a threat to God, abandoning all the promise of advancing our understanding of nature and applying that to the alleviation of suffering and the betterment of humankind? Alternatively, will we turn our backs on faith, concluding that science has rendered the spiritual life no longer necessary, and that traditional religious symbols can now be replaced by engravings of the double helix on our alters?

Both of these choices are profoundly dangerous. Both deny truth. Both will diminish the nobility of humankind. Both will be devastating to our future. And both are unnecessary. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. He can be worshipped in the cathedral or in the laboratory. His creation is majestic, awesome, intricate and beautiful - and it cannot be at war with itself. Only we imperfect humans can start such battles. And only we can end them.” — 2 people liked it

“There were long stretches of DNA in between genes that didn't seem to be doing very much; some even referred to these as "junk DNA," though a certain amount of hubris was required for anyone to call any part of the genome "junk," given our level of ignorance.” — 2 people liked it

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