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God: The Evidence: The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason in a Postsecular World
In the modern age science has been winning its centuries—old battle with religion for the mind of man. The evidence has long seemed Life was merely a product of blind chance—a cosmic roll of an infinite number of dice across an eternity of time. Slowly, methodically, scientists supplied answers to mysteries insufficiently explained by theologians. Reason pushed faith off into the shadows of mythology and superstition, while atheism became a badge of wisdom. Our culture, freed from moral obligation, explored the frontiers of secularism. God was dead.
"Glynn's arguments for the existence of God put the burden of disproof on those intellectuals who think that the question has long since been settled." — Andrew M. Greeley
But now, in the twilight of the twentieth century, a startling transformation is taking place in Western scientific and intellectual thought. At its heart is the dawning realization that the universe, far from being a sea of chaos, appears instead to be an intricately tuned mechanism whose every molecule, whose every physical law, seems to have been design from the very first nanosecond of the big bang toward a single end—the creation of life. This intellectually and spiritually riveting book asks a provocative Is science, the long-time nemesis of the Deity, uncovering the face of God?
Patrick Glynn lays out the astonishing new evidence that caused him to turn away from the atheism he acquired as a student at Harvard and Cambridge. The facts are Physicists are discovering an unexplainable order to the cosmos; medical researchers are reporting the extraordinary healing powers of prayer and are documenting credible accounts of near-death experiences; psychologists, who once considered belief in God to be a sign of neurosis, are finding instead that religious faith is a powerful elixir for mental health; and sociologists are now acknowledging the destructive consequences of a value-free society.
The Evidence argues that faith today is not grounded in ignorance. It is where reason has been leading us all along.
"Glynn's arguments for the existence of God put the burden of disproof on those intellectuals who think that the question has long since been settled." — Andrew M. Greeley
But now, in the twilight of the twentieth century, a startling transformation is taking place in Western scientific and intellectual thought. At its heart is the dawning realization that the universe, far from being a sea of chaos, appears instead to be an intricately tuned mechanism whose every molecule, whose every physical law, seems to have been design from the very first nanosecond of the big bang toward a single end—the creation of life. This intellectually and spiritually riveting book asks a provocative Is science, the long-time nemesis of the Deity, uncovering the face of God?
Patrick Glynn lays out the astonishing new evidence that caused him to turn away from the atheism he acquired as a student at Harvard and Cambridge. The facts are Physicists are discovering an unexplainable order to the cosmos; medical researchers are reporting the extraordinary healing powers of prayer and are documenting credible accounts of near-death experiences; psychologists, who once considered belief in God to be a sign of neurosis, are finding instead that religious faith is a powerful elixir for mental health; and sociologists are now acknowledging the destructive consequences of a value-free society.
The Evidence argues that faith today is not grounded in ignorance. It is where reason has been leading us all along.
216 pages, Paperback
First published October 22, 1997
28 people are currently reading
355 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Glynn
12 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 12, 2024
If you aren’t a novice in arguments for and against the existence of God, you'll recognize most of the arguments in this book. Patrick spends a good deal of time focusing on the fine-tuning argument, but he also spends a good chunk of time discussing NDEs as evidence for God. His approach to NDEs is quite unique, I shall say
October 1, 2012
Good book. Surprisingly opened my eyes to some evidence that could prove God's existence. It's strongest arguments lay in its philosophical underpinnings of how can we derive absolute moral truths in godless world promoted by secularist' culture. Indeed, by reading these thoughtful points, one can see that secularists' arguments do not hold because there are truths and values that man holds above despite what materialistic models would say.
I only wish the book hit more on the scientific evidence of God. Yes, it talked in great length, and persuasively I might add, about NDEs, but I wish it went more into the laws of physics and chemistry. Then it might prove to be a more formidable retort to the "new atheism."
I still seek to search the answers for the truth, however, this book pointed me more towards the direction that there is a benign creator in this Universe, or compilation of Universes.
I only wish the book hit more on the scientific evidence of God. Yes, it talked in great length, and persuasively I might add, about NDEs, but I wish it went more into the laws of physics and chemistry. Then it might prove to be a more formidable retort to the "new atheism."
I still seek to search the answers for the truth, however, this book pointed me more towards the direction that there is a benign creator in this Universe, or compilation of Universes.
April 28, 2017
Patrick Glynn was raised religiously, lost his faith when it seemed that science had destroyed its foundations, and has rediscovered it again. In this book he details some of the things that are in his quiver of evidence. (I'm including a brief, brief summary here.)
1- The anthropic principle, which can be colloquially summarized as: "For a bunch of random constants without design or intent, it's pretty amazing that they are all exactly right for human life. Tweak any one of them the tiniest bit and there isn't any life at all." Glynn examines some of the rebuttals to the anthropic principle (parallel universes, baby universes, bubble universes) which are intended to indicate that, sure, you know, that's how it has to be here, in our universe, but there are an infinite number of possible universes in which different constants are the constant, and there could be life there, so life here, you know, isn't that big a deal. (Of course, none of them are verifiable by scientific experiment. They remain untestable, unverifiable hypotheses. And frankly, science is at its most useful when it has testable, verifiable conclusions.)
2- In psychology as presented by Freud, religiosity/spirituality are mental disturbances that evolved man will shed like prehensile toes and excessive back hair, and man will be happier and more confident without it and the buzz-killing moral laws that attend religious life/thought. And then modern psychology and medicine find that people who are religiously committed seem (as a whole) to be happier, healthier and less inclined to destructive habits (addiction, suicide, divorce) than their non-religious counterparts (as a whole). And in nursing school, they emphasize the importance of assessing and treating the whole patient, including addressing any spiritual needs.
3- Medical advances have allowed us to bring people back from the brink of death, with some of those travelers reporting near death experiences (NDEs) that indicate that people just might be more than collections of random genetic chance and chemical reactions, and there may be something else after this life, including lost family, possibly a life review, and some type of judgment. Skeptics who study the phenomenon have an array of responses; some find faith, some become significantly less skeptical, and those who retain their hard won skepticism reluctantly concede that their alternate theories don't seem to be validated on investigation, so they just don't know (yet) what it's all about.
I enjoyed the read and found many things useful and interesting. I think this book is largely about confirmation bias, though. A genuine searcher, who has no commitment to a worldview or paradigm, might be persuaded; a believer will feel validated; and a committed skeptic will simply wave this away, glibly certain that we just don't have the answers yet.
1- The anthropic principle, which can be colloquially summarized as: "For a bunch of random constants without design or intent, it's pretty amazing that they are all exactly right for human life. Tweak any one of them the tiniest bit and there isn't any life at all." Glynn examines some of the rebuttals to the anthropic principle (parallel universes, baby universes, bubble universes) which are intended to indicate that, sure, you know, that's how it has to be here, in our universe, but there are an infinite number of possible universes in which different constants are the constant, and there could be life there, so life here, you know, isn't that big a deal. (Of course, none of them are verifiable by scientific experiment. They remain untestable, unverifiable hypotheses. And frankly, science is at its most useful when it has testable, verifiable conclusions.)
2- In psychology as presented by Freud, religiosity/spirituality are mental disturbances that evolved man will shed like prehensile toes and excessive back hair, and man will be happier and more confident without it and the buzz-killing moral laws that attend religious life/thought. And then modern psychology and medicine find that people who are religiously committed seem (as a whole) to be happier, healthier and less inclined to destructive habits (addiction, suicide, divorce) than their non-religious counterparts (as a whole). And in nursing school, they emphasize the importance of assessing and treating the whole patient, including addressing any spiritual needs.
3- Medical advances have allowed us to bring people back from the brink of death, with some of those travelers reporting near death experiences (NDEs) that indicate that people just might be more than collections of random genetic chance and chemical reactions, and there may be something else after this life, including lost family, possibly a life review, and some type of judgment. Skeptics who study the phenomenon have an array of responses; some find faith, some become significantly less skeptical, and those who retain their hard won skepticism reluctantly concede that their alternate theories don't seem to be validated on investigation, so they just don't know (yet) what it's all about.
I enjoyed the read and found many things useful and interesting. I think this book is largely about confirmation bias, though. A genuine searcher, who has no commitment to a worldview or paradigm, might be persuaded; a believer will feel validated; and a committed skeptic will simply wave this away, glibly certain that we just don't have the answers yet.
January 12, 2013
I recently came across a book titled "How to Prove God Does Not Exist," and it reminded me of this book I read more than a decade ago. It is no longer on my physical bookshelf, so I may have loaned it out or donated it years ago. But I remember it was a compelling read, and may pick it up again for a second look. The author, a man of science and a former atheist, lays out in a simple, direct way the scientific facts that eventually led him to once again believe in a higher power. It is intellectually enlightening and spiritually uplifting. It's educational on many levels(though not so scientific as to be overwhelming) and I recommend it to believers and nonbelievers alike.
May 18, 2013
Here we have a skeptic who reasoned away God as part of his own philosophy in the early 70's, stumbled 20 years later on more modern evidence (from physics and from medicine), and explored that and other evidence fully. He now believes there is enough to found faith on reason due to modern advancements in physics, psychology, sociology, and medicine.
September 23, 2007
This book holds a lot of information that people don't widely know about. It shows just how intricate God made the world and everything in it. This is a good book to read if you are doubting your faith.
May 29, 2014
Good book with some new arguments for God
February 10, 2023
I found this apologetical book to be very interesting, in part because it was unusual and sometimes unorthodox in its (generally Protestant) presentation. For instance, Glynn does not subscribe to a young earth nor is he very sympathetic to the notion that the US was founded as a "Christian nation". He also comes across as very ecumenical at points, favorably quoting Gandhi as saying, "If a man goes to the heart of his own religion, he has reached the heart of others too". (Norman Geisler & Lee Strobel would doubtless take issue!)
Unfortunately, the author does use a fairly standard tact of citing Pascal's wager and threatening unbelievers with "eternal torment" in one (solitary) instance. (I wish Glynn had followed Gandhi here as well, who found the doctrine of eternal punishment to be plainly immoral. It's further worth mentioning that Pascal would not have approved of a Protestant like Glynn using his wager; for him, the choice was between the Catholic Church and damnation!)
While I get no sense that Glynn held out any hope for skeptics, I was encouraged that he did seem to think that non-Christian believers may in fact be bound for heaven. In his long discussion of near-death experiences, for instance, the author remarks that it is not surprising that Hindus experiencing NDE's see Krishna instead of Jesus since it would be disconcerting for them to "be greeted by Christian religious figures announcing that he or she had adhered ... to the wrong religion!" I did not find the NDE discussion particularly persuasive, but I did appreciate this enlarged sense of the divine benevolence.
Glynn also has an unorthodox view of the OT, remarking on God's commands to commit massacres to be indicative of "confusion taking place at the early stage in human history, where the experience of God is more completely submerged in the imperatives of a culture and its will to survive". He views the NT much more highly, and the lessons of textual criticism, higher criticism, and the formation of the canon are generally neither referenced nor refuted.
Glynn has some reasonable critiques of the excesses of postmodernism and some fair-minded criticisms of Freud's speculative theories and lack of research. The author further derides scientific speculation about the multiverse, calling it "purely speculative, undetected, and undetectable in principle". While he has his point about the hypothetical nature of such ideas, I found it perplexing that Glynn did not comment on undetectable and unverifiable nature of spiritual beings and theological doctrines. Religion is rife with speculation of course, and it seemed strange that the author didn't acknowledge this point directly.
To his credit, Glynn had a sharp critique of many Christian failings like crusades, witch burnings, inquisitions, and the like. While he appears to be correct about the mental health benefits of milder and non-fanatic forms of spirituality, the author does not discuss research that shows the anxiety, dysfunction, and other psychological damage that religions can cause. Perhaps there was less research on this at the time of publication, but it still seemed like a sizeable omission.
Glynn also spends a good bit of time discussing the anthropic principle and the amazing nature of the universe. This was probably the most weighty part of his discussion generally; it is certain that creation abounds in profound mysteries and confounding puzzles. And perhaps surprising for an apologetical work, the author even notes at one point that he "is not claiming that anyone today can reason his or her way to faith in God"! While Glynn seems to forget this admission at some points in the book, it was an important and honest reflection -- and I think a good reminder that humanity still has many riddles that are yet to be solved.
Unfortunately, the author does use a fairly standard tact of citing Pascal's wager and threatening unbelievers with "eternal torment" in one (solitary) instance. (I wish Glynn had followed Gandhi here as well, who found the doctrine of eternal punishment to be plainly immoral. It's further worth mentioning that Pascal would not have approved of a Protestant like Glynn using his wager; for him, the choice was between the Catholic Church and damnation!)
While I get no sense that Glynn held out any hope for skeptics, I was encouraged that he did seem to think that non-Christian believers may in fact be bound for heaven. In his long discussion of near-death experiences, for instance, the author remarks that it is not surprising that Hindus experiencing NDE's see Krishna instead of Jesus since it would be disconcerting for them to "be greeted by Christian religious figures announcing that he or she had adhered ... to the wrong religion!" I did not find the NDE discussion particularly persuasive, but I did appreciate this enlarged sense of the divine benevolence.
Glynn also has an unorthodox view of the OT, remarking on God's commands to commit massacres to be indicative of "confusion taking place at the early stage in human history, where the experience of God is more completely submerged in the imperatives of a culture and its will to survive". He views the NT much more highly, and the lessons of textual criticism, higher criticism, and the formation of the canon are generally neither referenced nor refuted.
Glynn has some reasonable critiques of the excesses of postmodernism and some fair-minded criticisms of Freud's speculative theories and lack of research. The author further derides scientific speculation about the multiverse, calling it "purely speculative, undetected, and undetectable in principle". While he has his point about the hypothetical nature of such ideas, I found it perplexing that Glynn did not comment on undetectable and unverifiable nature of spiritual beings and theological doctrines. Religion is rife with speculation of course, and it seemed strange that the author didn't acknowledge this point directly.
To his credit, Glynn had a sharp critique of many Christian failings like crusades, witch burnings, inquisitions, and the like. While he appears to be correct about the mental health benefits of milder and non-fanatic forms of spirituality, the author does not discuss research that shows the anxiety, dysfunction, and other psychological damage that religions can cause. Perhaps there was less research on this at the time of publication, but it still seemed like a sizeable omission.
Glynn also spends a good bit of time discussing the anthropic principle and the amazing nature of the universe. This was probably the most weighty part of his discussion generally; it is certain that creation abounds in profound mysteries and confounding puzzles. And perhaps surprising for an apologetical work, the author even notes at one point that he "is not claiming that anyone today can reason his or her way to faith in God"! While Glynn seems to forget this admission at some points in the book, it was an important and honest reflection -- and I think a good reminder that humanity still has many riddles that are yet to be solved.
March 28, 2020
Unless I'm missing something, Patrick Glynn didn't offer any evidence of God in the "postsecular world." He starts off strong talking about how our universe appears to support evidence of a divine Creator but then the book goes completely off topic. He spends a tremendous amount of time trying to make the case that Near Death Experiences (NDEs) are real (I'm still not convinced and I also don't understand why this is important evidence that God exists). Finally, the last chapter is simply a philosophical discussion of the fact that reason can't replace God; spirituality must precede reason for reason to have value (again, how is this evidence of God?).
October 5, 2020
This might not be the most unbiased review because I have always and still do believe in God. Glynn went from believer to unbeliever and back. This book relates his journey back to belief based on the science that killed his belief in the first place. He carefully lays out the evidence he sees in nature and science, especially physics, that makes his case. He also writes about his personal journey and sometimes wanders off track. The book is well written and interesting; the writing is livelier than I expected in the beginning. Whether a believer or an unbeliever, this book gives you a lot to think about.
July 29, 2021
A solidly written book about the abounding and overwhelming evidence that not only is there an Intelligent Designer, but that He is the only way through which lasting joy and true meaning can be attained. Highly recommend to believers and nonbelievers alike. It is very scientific and certain parts were a tad advanced for my liking, but I prefer that as opposed to not deep enough. It definitely presents solid after solid argument for the reality of God.
October 30, 2024
My main takeaway: It is sad that this book did not have great influence on succeeding generations. The world missed moral lessons that could have ended Marxism. In the matter of hope, the world’s loss is just a temporary misstep in the Great Experiment of freedom.
February 6, 2019
Dr. Glynn is a rockstar! Great book, well cited, nd an easy read. Well done!
March 23, 2020
I love the way Glynn lays out his argument with simple clarity, using an economy of words. He makes a very strong case for faith. His argument is cogent but not excessive.
July 29, 2023
Borrowed from library. Need to add this to my permanent collection.
March 29, 2011
This is a book by a believer-turned-atheist-turned-believer. Glynn explains, “After many years of being a philosophical atheist or agnostic, I finally realized that there was in fact a God.” He then leads us on a journey through various lines of thought that eventually coalesced into what he found to be overwhelming evidence for God’s existence. Some quotes and conclusions:
· The non-random universe: “How does one explain that the laws of physics fit so perfectly within the fifteen-billion-year project of creating life?”
· The psychological benefits: “It is difficult to find a more consistent correlative of mental health, or a better insurance against self-destructive behaviors, than a strong religious faith.”
· The medical benefits: “Contemporary medical research is showing that the human mind and body are ‘wired for God.’”
Glynn next dives into near-death experiences, which are conclusive enough for him to now believe that life continues after death. He touches on healing power of prayer and the unconquerable spirit of man. He reaches the conclusion that faith is not grounded in ignorance; it is where reason has been leading us all along.
Glynn is not a scientist, nor a physician, and none of these topics are presented in detail; instead, what he presents is enough frosting to make you think, to make you want to dig deeper into the evidence. I admit, I found nothing in the book directly addressing whether the God of the Bible exists, but the book struck a chord with me because I’ve also spent a number of years researching many of the same topics. I’ve shelves of books about cosmology, near-death experiences, and religious philosophy. Unfortunately, I remain a Dubious Disciple, but this book was a well-written and thought-provoking read.
· The non-random universe: “How does one explain that the laws of physics fit so perfectly within the fifteen-billion-year project of creating life?”
· The psychological benefits: “It is difficult to find a more consistent correlative of mental health, or a better insurance against self-destructive behaviors, than a strong religious faith.”
· The medical benefits: “Contemporary medical research is showing that the human mind and body are ‘wired for God.’”
Glynn next dives into near-death experiences, which are conclusive enough for him to now believe that life continues after death. He touches on healing power of prayer and the unconquerable spirit of man. He reaches the conclusion that faith is not grounded in ignorance; it is where reason has been leading us all along.
Glynn is not a scientist, nor a physician, and none of these topics are presented in detail; instead, what he presents is enough frosting to make you think, to make you want to dig deeper into the evidence. I admit, I found nothing in the book directly addressing whether the God of the Bible exists, but the book struck a chord with me because I’ve also spent a number of years researching many of the same topics. I’ve shelves of books about cosmology, near-death experiences, and religious philosophy. Unfortunately, I remain a Dubious Disciple, but this book was a well-written and thought-provoking read.
January 23, 2009
This book started out slightly intriguing, but I ended up very disappointed. I don't believe Patrick Glynn used his arguments well. They were extremely broad and he didn't say enough on his own personal beliefs and opinions about his facts - something that I think would help skeptics relate.
As someone who does believe in God (myself), I found his "evidence" to be totally uninspiring. I was expected a "wow" factor in something and didn't find one.
The one thing I did find interesting was the scientific information about our earth - the formulas for the physics of life - gravity and etc. and how the big bang theory looks like it isn't as likely as scientists thought. it appears that if one small factor in our matter/energy/force of life was slightly adjusted, life wouldn't exist. So if gravity was off by one small force, life couldn't be possible. Scientists are saying things can't just come together randomly like that, as the big bang theory would suggest...it appears like there had to have been a plan of some kind.
As someone who does believe in God (myself), I found his "evidence" to be totally uninspiring. I was expected a "wow" factor in something and didn't find one.
The one thing I did find interesting was the scientific information about our earth - the formulas for the physics of life - gravity and etc. and how the big bang theory looks like it isn't as likely as scientists thought. it appears that if one small factor in our matter/energy/force of life was slightly adjusted, life wouldn't exist. So if gravity was off by one small force, life couldn't be possible. Scientists are saying things can't just come together randomly like that, as the big bang theory would suggest...it appears like there had to have been a plan of some kind.
March 27, 2016
Tedious twaddle
God the ( asserted but entire lack of ) evidence.
Accepts that there's an Anthropic principle idea, Buys into near death experience baloney , mistakes correlation with causation Rè religion with suicide, drug use, happiness etc. " postsecular world " ? - sure, if you can convince enough people that imaginary brings are real . Shallow empty wishful thinking , not worth the price. ( on the plus side , the correlation between religion and various factors does seem real and should be investigated)
God the ( asserted but entire lack of ) evidence.
Accepts that there's an Anthropic principle idea, Buys into near death experience baloney , mistakes correlation with causation Rè religion with suicide, drug use, happiness etc. " postsecular world " ? - sure, if you can convince enough people that imaginary brings are real . Shallow empty wishful thinking , not worth the price. ( on the plus side , the correlation between religion and various factors does seem real and should be investigated)
November 19, 2010
This book began quite intriguing so I was glad to keep reading. Sadly as I went on the writing became more an more repetitive and a lot of the research/information was quite biased. Towards the end I found myself starting to skim due to the fact that there was so much repetition. I myself am a believer in the higher power, but if I was not I do not believe this book could have changed my mind.
December 17, 2012
Most of the arguments are cyclical, the research is quite dated, and the presentation was poorly arranged. The section on near death experiences was somewhat interesting, but otherwise the book is rather flat. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, theist or nontheist. It's simply not a helpful contribution to the discussion.
October 16, 2010
This book ended way too soon. The author needs to say more. One of the most intriguing thoughts is that the universe was designed to create man. Something only a Mormon would think but this guy is definitely non-LDS.
October 6, 2013
The last chapter surprised me because it was so clearly Christian theology while the rest of the book was more interdenominational. For me, a book like this would make its point more convincingly if it included all faiths. However, I did think the scientific history was presented well.
Read
August 23, 2007religion,nonfiction,philosophy
November 4, 2007
It was going pretty well, until about 1/3 of the way through the guy suddenly pulls out the old saw about God as a ground of ethical values, which I find childish and repugnant.
May 2, 2008
Honestly, I read this years ago and need to reread it to accurately review it...I haven't felt the desire to do so yet though...ummm...
January 8, 2010
Like Francis Collins did in The Language of God, Patrick Glynn also bridges the gap between science and faith.
January 22, 2010
Glynn, a Harvard-trained scientist and former atheist, makes an objective and pretty thorough case for the existence of God.
Want to read
February 8, 2013A few good points but not an enjoyable read
December 5, 2015
Certain sections were fascinating and well orchestrated while others were somewhat weak. Overall a good read though
Read
September 20, 2018There are many arguments, there are many avenues of discussion and debate, there are many topics to glean truth from and to apply...the fact is that those of us that do believe that God exists, that Jesus is real, and that the Holy Spirit touches our lives and guides us. The fact remains is this...that whether you believe our our arguments, our positions, our factual or circumstantial points or evidences is truly irrelevant. Our belief in God is based upon reason, logic and faith!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews