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Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark: The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making It All Fit
A scientific look at creationism from a former creationist A significant number of Americans, especially evangelical Christians, believe Earth and humankind were created in their present form sometime in the last 10,000 years or so—the rationale being that this is (presumably) the story told in the book of Genesis. Within that group, any threatening scientific evidence that suggests otherwise is rejected or, when possible, retrofitted into a creationist worldview. But can this uncomfortable blend of biblical literalism and pseudoscience hold up under scrutiny? Is it tenable to believe that the Grand Canyon was formed not millions of years ago by gradual erosion but merely thousands of years ago by the Great Flood? Were there really baby dinosaurs with Noah on his ark? Janet Kellogg Ray, a science educator who grew up a creationist, doesn’t want other Christians to have to do the exhausting mental gymnastics she did earlier in her life. Working through the findings of a range of fields including geology, paleontology, and biology, she shows how a literal interpretation of the book of Genesis simply doesn’t mesh with what we know to be reality. But as someone who remains a committed Christian, Ray also shows how an acceptance of the theory of evolution is not necessarily an acceptance of atheism, and how God can still be responsible for having created the world, even if it wasn’t in a single, momentary, miraculous event.
227 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2021
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September 10, 2021
Back in high school, a boyfriend of mine first challenged my literal view of Genesis. “Wait,” he said, “You don’t think that’s exactly how creation happened, do you?”
“Uh, of course I do! Well, kind of. One day is like a thousand (million) days to God and a thousand (million) days are like a day! Of course I don’t think the days of creation are literal days, but it can span a chunk of time. Right? And God could have just put fossils in the ground as part of it!”
“If you go with that thinking,” he said, “God could have just created everything yesterday and put all these experiences in our minds! That is faulty reasoning!”
I just hadn’t thought that there was any other way except reading the Bible as literal truth. I learned the days of creation (as my kids are learning now in church) to the point of memorization as implied scientific fact. Never did I imagine that Genesis was not written as a history and science book but as an ancient text.
Through the years, I would think about this conversation, but I never pursued diving in deeper.
Until I met Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray.
Janet and I went to church together. We took a trip to Ghana together, where we both helped with teacher training at our beloved Village of Hope. She brought her science lessons (she is a college science professor) and I brought my language arts lessons (I was a 6th grade language arts teacher). Her passion for science coupled with her deep faith inspired me.
When my firstborn Garrett started showing interest in dinosaurs, I knew I needed a bit of help. I reached out to Janet. She had been writing blogs about dinosaurs, science, and the Bible that were a bit over my head, honestly. She came over to our home one day to talk about dinosaurs with Garrett. Man, that was special! But I needed it all written down in an easier way to understand.
This book is that.
"Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making it All Fit” explores the different camps of beliefs about creation. Dr. Ray dives into how the Bible gives us the “who and why” of creation while science answers the “how and when” (p. 184). She fleshes out what science theories even are. In a nutshell, theories are not simple claims. They have been vetted and peer-reviewed and challenged. “Science theories rank above laws and facts because they make sense of laws and facts” (p. 29). Then she discusses in great detail what Evolution Theory actually means. She does not shy away from any topic on this.
I know I posted a picture of Garrett and me holding this book up. Please let me clarify that this is not a kid’s book. I do plan on reading it and discussing it with Garrett, of course, but this is a 185 page deep dive. The inscription Janet wrote to Garrett in his copy of the book encourages Garrett to “Love God with all your heart, soul, _and_ mind.”
One example towards the end that I really appreciated was a discussion about Galileo Galilei. Galileo was shunned, humiliated, and broken because of his scientific claim that the sun was the center of the solar system, not the earth. But as more evidence was acquired, people’s views changed. “In the face of unequivocal scientific evidence, Christians changed long-held interpretations of Scripture. The earth-not-moving Scriptures still speak truth, but the truth they speak is not literal science truth” (p. 173).
As Janet concludes each blog post and each email with this scripture, I wanted to share it here:
Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
If this review strikes a chord with you at all, I encourage you to read this book.
“Uh, of course I do! Well, kind of. One day is like a thousand (million) days to God and a thousand (million) days are like a day! Of course I don’t think the days of creation are literal days, but it can span a chunk of time. Right? And God could have just put fossils in the ground as part of it!”
“If you go with that thinking,” he said, “God could have just created everything yesterday and put all these experiences in our minds! That is faulty reasoning!”
I just hadn’t thought that there was any other way except reading the Bible as literal truth. I learned the days of creation (as my kids are learning now in church) to the point of memorization as implied scientific fact. Never did I imagine that Genesis was not written as a history and science book but as an ancient text.
Through the years, I would think about this conversation, but I never pursued diving in deeper.
Until I met Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray.
Janet and I went to church together. We took a trip to Ghana together, where we both helped with teacher training at our beloved Village of Hope. She brought her science lessons (she is a college science professor) and I brought my language arts lessons (I was a 6th grade language arts teacher). Her passion for science coupled with her deep faith inspired me.
When my firstborn Garrett started showing interest in dinosaurs, I knew I needed a bit of help. I reached out to Janet. She had been writing blogs about dinosaurs, science, and the Bible that were a bit over my head, honestly. She came over to our home one day to talk about dinosaurs with Garrett. Man, that was special! But I needed it all written down in an easier way to understand.
This book is that.
"Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making it All Fit” explores the different camps of beliefs about creation. Dr. Ray dives into how the Bible gives us the “who and why” of creation while science answers the “how and when” (p. 184). She fleshes out what science theories even are. In a nutshell, theories are not simple claims. They have been vetted and peer-reviewed and challenged. “Science theories rank above laws and facts because they make sense of laws and facts” (p. 29). Then she discusses in great detail what Evolution Theory actually means. She does not shy away from any topic on this.
I know I posted a picture of Garrett and me holding this book up. Please let me clarify that this is not a kid’s book. I do plan on reading it and discussing it with Garrett, of course, but this is a 185 page deep dive. The inscription Janet wrote to Garrett in his copy of the book encourages Garrett to “Love God with all your heart, soul, _and_ mind.”
One example towards the end that I really appreciated was a discussion about Galileo Galilei. Galileo was shunned, humiliated, and broken because of his scientific claim that the sun was the center of the solar system, not the earth. But as more evidence was acquired, people’s views changed. “In the face of unequivocal scientific evidence, Christians changed long-held interpretations of Scripture. The earth-not-moving Scriptures still speak truth, but the truth they speak is not literal science truth” (p. 173).
As Janet concludes each blog post and each email with this scripture, I wanted to share it here:
Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
If this review strikes a chord with you at all, I encourage you to read this book.
September 5, 2021
“Baby Dinosaurs On The Ark?: The Bible and Modern Science And The Trouble Of Making It All Fit” is a good book on science and faith (although more so on the former than the latter). The book’s chapters on the scientific evidence for an old Earth and for common ancestry is extremely accessible to anyone wanting to know what the evidence for an old Earth and common ancestry is, but who don’t want a lot of technical scientific jargon. Other books have explained the evidence on a layperson’s level as well, such as Francis Collins’ “The Language Of God” and Aaron Yilmaz’ book “Deliver Us From Evolution?” which was, by the way, the book that convinced me that the theory of evolution was true. But “Baby Dinosaurs On The Ark?” is SO accessible, I would be comfortable giving it to an elementary school student.
I also liked how she argued for evolution. In chapters 8, 9, and 10 in which she discusses the evidence for the evolution, she presents the scientific facts and asks whether this is what we would expect if evolution were true or is this what we would expect if God miraculously created creatures through independent ex nihilo miracles.
The best Scientific theories make the best predictions. If scientific theory A has all of its predictions come true, but Scientific Theory B has to explain away the evidence (as special creationists and ID proponents so often do), then that is a sign that Theory A is more probably true than theory B.
She asks “If evolution were true, what would we expect to see? We would expect to see X, and that is exactly what we find”.
What I would say this book lacks is vigorous discussion on evolution’s relationship with Christian theology. There is one measly chapter at the very end “Chapter 12: Leaving Creationism Without Leaving God” which talks about this to a certain extent, but not very much. How do we interpret the Adam and Eve story in Genesis 2? How should we read Genesis 1? If, as Ray argues, there could not be one single couple from whom all of humanity descends, how do we deal with verses which seem to indicate just that (e.g Acts 17:26). Ray fortunately refers the reader to other resources to look into these questions (such as the works of Peter Enns and John Walton), but she doesn’t talk about it at all herself. It would have been nice to have more of the faith part in a book about science and faith. As it is, it seems more like a Christian friendly popular level book on the science of evolution, which isn’t a bad thing, but that’s not how the book was advertised.
People wanting to know how to reconcile their Christian faith with evolution won’t find very many answers here, unfortunately. That isn’t to say you won’t find ANY answers, but this book really focuses more on the scientific problems with Young Earth Creationism and the scientific evidence in favor of an old Earth and evolution than it does with the conversation between Christian Theology and Evolution.
I think it’s a nice starter, but you’ll have to go beyond Ray’s book to be completely satisfied. Such as John Walton’s “The Lost World Of Genesis One”, John Walton’s “The Lost World Of Adam and Eve”, and maybe Francis Collins’ “The Language Of God”.
Don’t get me wrong. I think this is a good book, and if there’s an audio version of Audible (which I hope there will be), I will get that. I plan to return to this book again because of how plain and simple the scientific explanations of the paleontological, genetic, fossil, etc. evidence is. However, like I said, it would have been better to have more theology and how it relates to all this science.
But, then, this is a problem I see across all Theistic Evolution books I’ve read. They’re either too heavy on the science or too heavy on the theology. It makes me want to write a book on my own to fill this need, except unfortunately I don’t feel like I’m well read enough to talk about the science even from a layperson’s perspective. I’d need some heavy duty studying before I produced such a book. Either that, or I’d have to partner with a Christian friend who has a heavy scientific education. I know a few, but I’m not sure how to handle split copyright and split royalties, and so on. Plus, they may not be totally on board with all of the things I would write in the biblical and theological departments.
The problem I consistently find with TE books is that they’re either heavy on The Bible or heavy on the science, but to get a well rounded defense of Theistic Evolution, you need to read more than one book. And when people ask me what book I would recommend them read, it’s always a minimum of 3 books.
The only book I have read that doesn’t have this problem is BioLogos’ “Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins: Cosmology, Geology, and Biology in Christian Perspective” By John Walton, Stephen Moshier, Richard Bishop, Larry Funk, and Raymond Lewis. However, it’s a whopping $68.00 on Kindle and $76.00 in hard copy! Not many people are going to want to spend that amount of money.
So the issue I find with Janet Kellogg Ray’s book isn’t really unique to hers, although this probably the BIGGEST science-to-faith disproportionate ratio I’ve come across yet.
Again, I think this is a good book. I liked it. I want you to get it. If there’s an audio version, I’ll get it and listen along whenever I pick this book up again. But I’m just saying that unless you already have read books by author like John Walton or Peter Enns, or Joshua Swamidass, you’ll put the book down still not knowing what to do with Adam, or the days of Genesis, or how God could have purpose in a “random” process.
I also liked how she argued for evolution. In chapters 8, 9, and 10 in which she discusses the evidence for the evolution, she presents the scientific facts and asks whether this is what we would expect if evolution were true or is this what we would expect if God miraculously created creatures through independent ex nihilo miracles.
The best Scientific theories make the best predictions. If scientific theory A has all of its predictions come true, but Scientific Theory B has to explain away the evidence (as special creationists and ID proponents so often do), then that is a sign that Theory A is more probably true than theory B.
She asks “If evolution were true, what would we expect to see? We would expect to see X, and that is exactly what we find”.
What I would say this book lacks is vigorous discussion on evolution’s relationship with Christian theology. There is one measly chapter at the very end “Chapter 12: Leaving Creationism Without Leaving God” which talks about this to a certain extent, but not very much. How do we interpret the Adam and Eve story in Genesis 2? How should we read Genesis 1? If, as Ray argues, there could not be one single couple from whom all of humanity descends, how do we deal with verses which seem to indicate just that (e.g Acts 17:26). Ray fortunately refers the reader to other resources to look into these questions (such as the works of Peter Enns and John Walton), but she doesn’t talk about it at all herself. It would have been nice to have more of the faith part in a book about science and faith. As it is, it seems more like a Christian friendly popular level book on the science of evolution, which isn’t a bad thing, but that’s not how the book was advertised.
People wanting to know how to reconcile their Christian faith with evolution won’t find very many answers here, unfortunately. That isn’t to say you won’t find ANY answers, but this book really focuses more on the scientific problems with Young Earth Creationism and the scientific evidence in favor of an old Earth and evolution than it does with the conversation between Christian Theology and Evolution.
I think it’s a nice starter, but you’ll have to go beyond Ray’s book to be completely satisfied. Such as John Walton’s “The Lost World Of Genesis One”, John Walton’s “The Lost World Of Adam and Eve”, and maybe Francis Collins’ “The Language Of God”.
Don’t get me wrong. I think this is a good book, and if there’s an audio version of Audible (which I hope there will be), I will get that. I plan to return to this book again because of how plain and simple the scientific explanations of the paleontological, genetic, fossil, etc. evidence is. However, like I said, it would have been better to have more theology and how it relates to all this science.
But, then, this is a problem I see across all Theistic Evolution books I’ve read. They’re either too heavy on the science or too heavy on the theology. It makes me want to write a book on my own to fill this need, except unfortunately I don’t feel like I’m well read enough to talk about the science even from a layperson’s perspective. I’d need some heavy duty studying before I produced such a book. Either that, or I’d have to partner with a Christian friend who has a heavy scientific education. I know a few, but I’m not sure how to handle split copyright and split royalties, and so on. Plus, they may not be totally on board with all of the things I would write in the biblical and theological departments.
The problem I consistently find with TE books is that they’re either heavy on The Bible or heavy on the science, but to get a well rounded defense of Theistic Evolution, you need to read more than one book. And when people ask me what book I would recommend them read, it’s always a minimum of 3 books.
The only book I have read that doesn’t have this problem is BioLogos’ “Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins: Cosmology, Geology, and Biology in Christian Perspective” By John Walton, Stephen Moshier, Richard Bishop, Larry Funk, and Raymond Lewis. However, it’s a whopping $68.00 on Kindle and $76.00 in hard copy! Not many people are going to want to spend that amount of money.
So the issue I find with Janet Kellogg Ray’s book isn’t really unique to hers, although this probably the BIGGEST science-to-faith disproportionate ratio I’ve come across yet.
Again, I think this is a good book. I liked it. I want you to get it. If there’s an audio version, I’ll get it and listen along whenever I pick this book up again. But I’m just saying that unless you already have read books by author like John Walton or Peter Enns, or Joshua Swamidass, you’ll put the book down still not knowing what to do with Adam, or the days of Genesis, or how God could have purpose in a “random” process.
September 10, 2021
“Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe” ― Galileo Galilei
I was taught all the stories as a child in Sunday school. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Noah and his family in the ark. We took each of these stories at face value. After all, the Bible was the ultimate primary source and could not be questioned. Well, at least not until I did. I had difficulty reconciling the Genesis stories with the scientific evidence I was learning about in school – fossil records, carbon dating, Darwin. Well-meaning but often unprepared Sunday school teachers scrambled for answers to my increasingly persistent questions. Why would God make it look like the Earth was older than 6000 years if it wasn’t? How could all those animals fit on the ark? What about dinosaurs? Was Cain’s wife also his sister? The answers I received were varied in content and in tone but shared a common theme: The Bible is right and good; science is anti-God and bad.
Janet Ray is the Sunday school teacher I wish I had. In “Baby Dinosaurs On the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making it All Fit,” Dr. Ray clearly and systemically answers many of the questions I had as an adolescent and provides context to many of the conclusions I arrived at as an adult. She makes no secret of the fact that she is not a fan of the mental gymnastics required to hold fast to a literal reading of the creation and flood narratives. Rather, Ray provides a well-researched and well-reasoned argument for accepting scientific evidence of an old earth and evolution of species as God’s revelation rather than his enemy.
Scholarly yet accessible, this book goes well beyond the pseudoscience and emotional arguments that frequently prop up the topics of creation and evolution in Christian publications. Sadly, those who most need to hear this message are the least likely to read this book. But for those of us who are weary of the distrust of scientific evidence so prevalent in the church, this book stands as a compelling apologetic for the harmonious connection between faith and science.
I was taught all the stories as a child in Sunday school. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Noah and his family in the ark. We took each of these stories at face value. After all, the Bible was the ultimate primary source and could not be questioned. Well, at least not until I did. I had difficulty reconciling the Genesis stories with the scientific evidence I was learning about in school – fossil records, carbon dating, Darwin. Well-meaning but often unprepared Sunday school teachers scrambled for answers to my increasingly persistent questions. Why would God make it look like the Earth was older than 6000 years if it wasn’t? How could all those animals fit on the ark? What about dinosaurs? Was Cain’s wife also his sister? The answers I received were varied in content and in tone but shared a common theme: The Bible is right and good; science is anti-God and bad.
Janet Ray is the Sunday school teacher I wish I had. In “Baby Dinosaurs On the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making it All Fit,” Dr. Ray clearly and systemically answers many of the questions I had as an adolescent and provides context to many of the conclusions I arrived at as an adult. She makes no secret of the fact that she is not a fan of the mental gymnastics required to hold fast to a literal reading of the creation and flood narratives. Rather, Ray provides a well-researched and well-reasoned argument for accepting scientific evidence of an old earth and evolution of species as God’s revelation rather than his enemy.
Scholarly yet accessible, this book goes well beyond the pseudoscience and emotional arguments that frequently prop up the topics of creation and evolution in Christian publications. Sadly, those who most need to hear this message are the least likely to read this book. But for those of us who are weary of the distrust of scientific evidence so prevalent in the church, this book stands as a compelling apologetic for the harmonious connection between faith and science.
September 27, 2021
Well-researched and logical. It gives Christians space to consider science and the mystery of God.
September 7, 2021
To be a Christian and accept modern science is neither a compromise of faith nor a compromise of intellect. For people who have questions about the Christian faith and science, this is a very easy-to-read and enjoyable book.
Drawing the same conclusion I have come to regarding the Bible and the Genesis creation narrative, the author says “Trying to force a modern understanding of science into an ancient document misses lots of boats. Not only do we miss the message intended by the original authors and compilers, we also force the Bible to be something it is not — a scientifically accurate natural history of the earth. When we read Genesis, we don’t learn about modern science, but we do learn about God” (p. 184).
Drawing the same conclusion I have come to regarding the Bible and the Genesis creation narrative, the author says “Trying to force a modern understanding of science into an ancient document misses lots of boats. Not only do we miss the message intended by the original authors and compilers, we also force the Bible to be something it is not — a scientifically accurate natural history of the earth. When we read Genesis, we don’t learn about modern science, but we do learn about God” (p. 184).
November 7, 2022
Incredibly interesting book. It was a much more "scientific" book than I expected when originally expected when I grabbed it. If you're not ready to think back to your school science classes, then hold off...you need to be ready to remember, relearn and reconsider scientific topics you may not have thought about since your school years.
If you're ready to dive in, be ready to keep an open mind. Question what you've always assumed, come to this discussion with curiously and a willingness to either reconsider or retain your beleifs based on faith.
No one questions the science behind how a baby is created, and yet we thank God for a baby and the science behind that creation-- and yet we do this with the creation of the earth and animals, discrediting the science to fit Genesis.
If you're ready to dive in, be ready to keep an open mind. Question what you've always assumed, come to this discussion with curiously and a willingness to either reconsider or retain your beleifs based on faith.
No one questions the science behind how a baby is created, and yet we thank God for a baby and the science behind that creation-- and yet we do this with the creation of the earth and animals, discrediting the science to fit Genesis.
January 6, 2022
Well presented and well executed. Ray has done her research and presents her data and reasoning for the beliefs she has that christianity and science are not exclusive of each other. I've held many of the same issues in my head and Ray has done much more research into the issues than I ever will.
Most of the issues brought up were ignored growing up, or taught in a way I did not notice we were side-stepping issues.
I had come up with some of the same answers Ray has but most of mine were for the wrong reasons or just flat out wrong.
Faith means nothing if it cannot be questioned.
Most of the issues brought up were ignored growing up, or taught in a way I did not notice we were side-stepping issues.
I had come up with some of the same answers Ray has but most of mine were for the wrong reasons or just flat out wrong.
Faith means nothing if it cannot be questioned.
October 24, 2021
Excellent book! Intelligent, easy to understand, and often hilarious. She hits all the marks!
I definitely recommend this to anyone who has struggled at the intersection of faith and science (as well as to those who closed their eyes and plowed through the intersection).
I definitely recommend this to anyone who has struggled at the intersection of faith and science (as well as to those who closed their eyes and plowed through the intersection).
June 21, 2022
Effective arguments for evolution, written by a woman raised as a creationist. Her arguments are easy to understand, and she doesn't get into the deep weeds with them, but there are many footnotes allowing for further study. Often these books get so deeply into the science that many people cannot understand them. Well done!
December 22, 2021
If you’ve spent any sort of extended time within American evangelical circles (especially those of a more conservative variety), you have likely been exposed to some sort of anti-science sentiment. Physical sciences, especially geology and biology (and increasingly, medicine), are unfortunately approached by many evangelicals with suspicion, if not outright revulsion. Most often the framing is that science is intentionally in conflict with the Christian religion, and is a godless field practically designed to lead the faithful astray. This carries with it the implicit claim that true believers will not accept scientific consensus on issues that conflict with certain readings of scripture nor enter scientific professions (unless if the intent is to use credentials to “disprove” major theories). The message is reinforced through media in the evangelical subculture, including multiple films in which haughty atheistic biology professors are humbled by freshmen students who prove the existence of God, apologetic ministries that suggest dinosaur fossils were planted by the devil (or were created with the appearance of age, or are the result of unlucky dinosaurs caught in Noah’s flood), and museums and tourist attractions which claim that most of the world’s problems can be attributed to folks buying in to evolutionary theory.
The pernicious effects of this posture extend far beyond cheesy movies and tourist traps, as evidenced by the unfortunate prevalence of anti-vaccine, pseudoscience, and general quackery amongst American evangelicals.
At the heart of this issue is a lack of understanding about what science actually is, reinforced through culture war framings in the evangelical subculture. At a secondary level, evangelical science denialism is a matter of hermeneutics (or “how we interpret the bible”).
It is within this cultural setting that I find Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark?: The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making It All Fit by Janet Kellogg Ray most welcome. This book is hardly the first attempt to address evangelical science denialism at its root causes and is also not the first to do so for general readers. But where this book excels is in providing an easily approachable, non-technical introduction to the topic of science and faith written for those living within the evangelical subculture, by an author who herself remains within that culture as a professor of science. As a result, this book is presented with terminology that may be familiar to current (or former) evangelicals, with reference to familiar faces in the subculture, and without technical jargon from either the sciences or theology. It concludes with the important truth that it is in fact possible to be a sincere follower of Jesus and a science affirming person – provided that our understanding of what science does and how the scriptures function avoid the pitfalls prevalent in certain segments of evangelicalism. For general readers, this is, simply put, one of the best books on the topic that I have had the pleasure of reading.
The author, Janet Kellogg Ray, is an adjunct clinical assistant professor of Biology at the University of North Texas. Throughout the book her skills as an educator to present the complexities of science in non-technical, easy-to-understand ways. Chapters are generally quite short yet still informative. The third and fourth chapters, which describe the scientific method, what the word theory means, and various perspectives on God’s process creation, are wonderfully succinct overviews that should help most readers develop a more informed outlook on the topic. The fourth chapter does a good job of illustrating the diversity of viewpoints on science and faith (especially pertaining to the creation of the earth) that exists within Christian orthodoxy and should be helpful at combating the charge that some folks are not actually believers because of differing scientific perspectives.
Following these remarks are several chapters describing what scientists have uncovered about the earth’s development (and how they’ve arrived at their conclusions). Those engaged in advanced scientific study may find the descriptions a bit simplistic, but for the target audience, Ray provides easily comprehended explanations with plenty of analogies. She addresses such topics as the Big Bang theory, geology, fossil records, and evolution, all with a gentle approach towards those who have been taught in their churches to ignore the experts. I am especially appreciative of these chapters because many of the discussions that I have had with folks over the years have involved suspicions about scientists without an understanding of the tools and data that they use (for example, radiocarbon dating).
Ray concludes the book by offering an approach to scripture that recognizes its theological emphases, rather than viewing it as a collection of scientific data. Similar to the works of John Walton, she observes that the creation narratives are about God more so than about the world. They reveal a God who acts in certain ways and not others, who is involved in his creation, and who alone is worthy of worship. Notable in this section is a list of “costs” that come with insisting that the literalist “6,000 year old earth” is the only true reading of the creation narratives, chief among them that this would mean that God has fashioned a creation that presents the illusion of age, and that would mean that God is in some sense untrustworthy.
In my experience, I have found that many folks’ hostility towards the sciences are not grounded in personal criticism of the data, but rather forces within the evangelical subculture which assert that the only faithful reading of the scriptures is one that asserts them to be scientifically exact in every description of the world. Due to the complexity of technical data about the Doppler effect or erosion, people tend to rely upon sources that are deemed trustworthy by their peers. And so, out of a sincere desire to honor their faith and the scriptures, people generally accept the dominant view in their church circles or amongst authors that they read. Exposure to books like Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? can help reorient such readers to a less hostile stance in reference to science and introduce alternate ways of reading the bible from a faithful posture.
And for that, it comes highly recommended.
The pernicious effects of this posture extend far beyond cheesy movies and tourist traps, as evidenced by the unfortunate prevalence of anti-vaccine, pseudoscience, and general quackery amongst American evangelicals.
At the heart of this issue is a lack of understanding about what science actually is, reinforced through culture war framings in the evangelical subculture. At a secondary level, evangelical science denialism is a matter of hermeneutics (or “how we interpret the bible”).
It is within this cultural setting that I find Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark?: The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making It All Fit by Janet Kellogg Ray most welcome. This book is hardly the first attempt to address evangelical science denialism at its root causes and is also not the first to do so for general readers. But where this book excels is in providing an easily approachable, non-technical introduction to the topic of science and faith written for those living within the evangelical subculture, by an author who herself remains within that culture as a professor of science. As a result, this book is presented with terminology that may be familiar to current (or former) evangelicals, with reference to familiar faces in the subculture, and without technical jargon from either the sciences or theology. It concludes with the important truth that it is in fact possible to be a sincere follower of Jesus and a science affirming person – provided that our understanding of what science does and how the scriptures function avoid the pitfalls prevalent in certain segments of evangelicalism. For general readers, this is, simply put, one of the best books on the topic that I have had the pleasure of reading.
The author, Janet Kellogg Ray, is an adjunct clinical assistant professor of Biology at the University of North Texas. Throughout the book her skills as an educator to present the complexities of science in non-technical, easy-to-understand ways. Chapters are generally quite short yet still informative. The third and fourth chapters, which describe the scientific method, what the word theory means, and various perspectives on God’s process creation, are wonderfully succinct overviews that should help most readers develop a more informed outlook on the topic. The fourth chapter does a good job of illustrating the diversity of viewpoints on science and faith (especially pertaining to the creation of the earth) that exists within Christian orthodoxy and should be helpful at combating the charge that some folks are not actually believers because of differing scientific perspectives.
Following these remarks are several chapters describing what scientists have uncovered about the earth’s development (and how they’ve arrived at their conclusions). Those engaged in advanced scientific study may find the descriptions a bit simplistic, but for the target audience, Ray provides easily comprehended explanations with plenty of analogies. She addresses such topics as the Big Bang theory, geology, fossil records, and evolution, all with a gentle approach towards those who have been taught in their churches to ignore the experts. I am especially appreciative of these chapters because many of the discussions that I have had with folks over the years have involved suspicions about scientists without an understanding of the tools and data that they use (for example, radiocarbon dating).
Ray concludes the book by offering an approach to scripture that recognizes its theological emphases, rather than viewing it as a collection of scientific data. Similar to the works of John Walton, she observes that the creation narratives are about God more so than about the world. They reveal a God who acts in certain ways and not others, who is involved in his creation, and who alone is worthy of worship. Notable in this section is a list of “costs” that come with insisting that the literalist “6,000 year old earth” is the only true reading of the creation narratives, chief among them that this would mean that God has fashioned a creation that presents the illusion of age, and that would mean that God is in some sense untrustworthy.
In my experience, I have found that many folks’ hostility towards the sciences are not grounded in personal criticism of the data, but rather forces within the evangelical subculture which assert that the only faithful reading of the scriptures is one that asserts them to be scientifically exact in every description of the world. Due to the complexity of technical data about the Doppler effect or erosion, people tend to rely upon sources that are deemed trustworthy by their peers. And so, out of a sincere desire to honor their faith and the scriptures, people generally accept the dominant view in their church circles or amongst authors that they read. Exposure to books like Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? can help reorient such readers to a less hostile stance in reference to science and introduce alternate ways of reading the bible from a faithful posture.
And for that, it comes highly recommended.
October 24, 2025
Overall, a great book. Interesting how the author chose to wait to define and explain [YEC] beliefs. I appreciate her explanations of techniques used to predict the age of the earth; I've only read books about dinosaurs and mammal evolution so some of it was new to me. This was extremely interesting: "Evolution is accepted by 99% of active research scientists" and that "there have been no peer-reviewed studies challenging principles of evolution." In a few parts, I felt I was reading a strictly science book and forgot that there was a faith component which may be overwhelming to some but I loved it. However, I do wish she had a couple more chapters like her final chapter. I do wish she spent more pages explaining how faith and evolution can coexist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2021
Christian distrust of science is noticeable in the current pandemic response and climate change, but the root of that distrust—even though the historical rift goes back to the Middle Ages—is the debate between creation and evolution. Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? takes a close look at the debate, carefully defining every major position and terminology, making reference to every major player on all positions, and making a case for theistic evolution.
The book starts with the provocative chapter “The Biology Professor Who Doesn’t Believe in Science.” It sets the tone for the rest of the book and helps frame the conversation that author Janet Kellogg Ray is trying to have. She doesn’t believe in science, she writes, she simply accepts science evidence—“After all, a fact is true whether I believe it or not.” And alongside that, she makes the statement that evolution theory does not inherently say anything about religion or God. It’s a thesis that both Ken Ham and Richard Dawkins would hate.
Ray grew up in a conservative Christian church tradition, believing evolution to be synonymous with atheism and holding firmly to young earth creationism. Then middle school hit and Ray was introduced to science. And as she grew in scientific knowledge, she began to struggle fitting science into the story of Genesis. The early chapters of the book shift from memoir to a study of what science is and is not and how polarizing the debate into two extremes with no in-between is harmful to the exploration and understanding of both science and Christianity.
From there, Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark lays out the major positions and players and tackles the crucial interpretive issues one by one. Ray accomplishes this as a scientist, not a theologian, so her concern is more with scientific record than the biblical one. That is, she doesn’t spend much time talking about how the creation accounts can be interpreted, but on how the scientific accounts give evidence that an interpretation away from young earth creationism is necessary. While YEC proponents will definitely disagree—and Ray doesn’t do much in the way of countering potential rebuttals—she provides enough lines of evidence that readers should at least begin to question a YEC interpretation of creation.
A few chapters are spent on the flood, as the cataclysm of a global flood is the driving force of young earth creationism’s of the earth’s apparent ancient appearance. The flood is often used as a cure-all to explain anything that might point to the earth being older. Again, Ray does enough to cause us to question that explanation, poking holes in the theory while rebutting some of the major arguments that YEC proponents give.
Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark also devotes time to the intelligent design movement, which can exist in either young or old earth interpretations, but criticizes evolution theory on the belief that organisms can only undergo so much change. That is, while animals can evolve within larger “kinds,” they cannot have evolved from a single organism. This goes back to “irreducible complexity,” the idea that evolution could not have evolved such complexity where a number of features in an organism must all have been present at the same time for an organism to function. Ray is able to provide a critique of the concept, showing that the organisms most commonly used by ID advocates as examples of irreducible complexity could, in fact, be reduced to simpler structures.
The book ends with a few chapters on human evolution. Interestingly, Ray is adamant that Adam and Eve—if historical—cannot be the genetic ancestors of all humanity. This is not a settled feature in theistic evolution (see William Lane Craig’s In Search of the Historical Adam or Joshua Swamidass’s The Genealogical Adam and Eve). Ray basically goes through a simple understanding of human evolution without much commentary on religious beliefs on creation.
The primary focus of Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? seems to be a refutation of young earth creationism. While old earth creationism and intelligent design are both discussed—and Ray’s criticism of irreducible complexity was the most helpful part of the book for me personally—she does not do too much in analyzing those views. Nor does she seek to defend theistic evolution against any common talking points that any other side might have, content to lay out the facts as she sees them.
What I appreciated most about this book was how it was through the lens of science but open to faith. All other books I’ve read on the subject have been the opposite. They have affirmed evolution, or struggled with evolution, but sought to show how evolutionary theory fits into a faithful reading of Scripture. This book is much more honest about how fitting science into Scripture isn’t their goal; Ray is just simply stating science facts as she interprets them and will hold her beliefs in tension. It’s an honesty that’s refreshing and needed amid an argument where too many think they have all the answers and that any deviation is either religious or scientific heresy. Ray’s writing is engaging and conversational, not at all stodgy or “scientific.” It’s a great introductory exploration into how one can faithfully follow God’s revelation in science and his revelation in Scripture. a
The book starts with the provocative chapter “The Biology Professor Who Doesn’t Believe in Science.” It sets the tone for the rest of the book and helps frame the conversation that author Janet Kellogg Ray is trying to have. She doesn’t believe in science, she writes, she simply accepts science evidence—“After all, a fact is true whether I believe it or not.” And alongside that, she makes the statement that evolution theory does not inherently say anything about religion or God. It’s a thesis that both Ken Ham and Richard Dawkins would hate.
Ray grew up in a conservative Christian church tradition, believing evolution to be synonymous with atheism and holding firmly to young earth creationism. Then middle school hit and Ray was introduced to science. And as she grew in scientific knowledge, she began to struggle fitting science into the story of Genesis. The early chapters of the book shift from memoir to a study of what science is and is not and how polarizing the debate into two extremes with no in-between is harmful to the exploration and understanding of both science and Christianity.
From there, Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark lays out the major positions and players and tackles the crucial interpretive issues one by one. Ray accomplishes this as a scientist, not a theologian, so her concern is more with scientific record than the biblical one. That is, she doesn’t spend much time talking about how the creation accounts can be interpreted, but on how the scientific accounts give evidence that an interpretation away from young earth creationism is necessary. While YEC proponents will definitely disagree—and Ray doesn’t do much in the way of countering potential rebuttals—she provides enough lines of evidence that readers should at least begin to question a YEC interpretation of creation.
A few chapters are spent on the flood, as the cataclysm of a global flood is the driving force of young earth creationism’s of the earth’s apparent ancient appearance. The flood is often used as a cure-all to explain anything that might point to the earth being older. Again, Ray does enough to cause us to question that explanation, poking holes in the theory while rebutting some of the major arguments that YEC proponents give.
Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark also devotes time to the intelligent design movement, which can exist in either young or old earth interpretations, but criticizes evolution theory on the belief that organisms can only undergo so much change. That is, while animals can evolve within larger “kinds,” they cannot have evolved from a single organism. This goes back to “irreducible complexity,” the idea that evolution could not have evolved such complexity where a number of features in an organism must all have been present at the same time for an organism to function. Ray is able to provide a critique of the concept, showing that the organisms most commonly used by ID advocates as examples of irreducible complexity could, in fact, be reduced to simpler structures.
The book ends with a few chapters on human evolution. Interestingly, Ray is adamant that Adam and Eve—if historical—cannot be the genetic ancestors of all humanity. This is not a settled feature in theistic evolution (see William Lane Craig’s In Search of the Historical Adam or Joshua Swamidass’s The Genealogical Adam and Eve). Ray basically goes through a simple understanding of human evolution without much commentary on religious beliefs on creation.
The primary focus of Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? seems to be a refutation of young earth creationism. While old earth creationism and intelligent design are both discussed—and Ray’s criticism of irreducible complexity was the most helpful part of the book for me personally—she does not do too much in analyzing those views. Nor does she seek to defend theistic evolution against any common talking points that any other side might have, content to lay out the facts as she sees them.
What I appreciated most about this book was how it was through the lens of science but open to faith. All other books I’ve read on the subject have been the opposite. They have affirmed evolution, or struggled with evolution, but sought to show how evolutionary theory fits into a faithful reading of Scripture. This book is much more honest about how fitting science into Scripture isn’t their goal; Ray is just simply stating science facts as she interprets them and will hold her beliefs in tension. It’s an honesty that’s refreshing and needed amid an argument where too many think they have all the answers and that any deviation is either religious or scientific heresy. Ray’s writing is engaging and conversational, not at all stodgy or “scientific.” It’s a great introductory exploration into how one can faithfully follow God’s revelation in science and his revelation in Scripture. a
January 1, 2024
Author Janet Kellogg Ray is an excellent communicator, and this, her first book, is an excellent introduction to science in general, and the legitimacy of evolution science as just as acceptable for Bible-believing Christians as germ theory and gravitational theory are. Announcing that she doesn't "believe in" evolution, Janet explains the difference between believing in something and accepting the evidence for it. She weaves everyday stories, and stories from the history of science, into her arguments for accepting the evidence for evolution as the only intellectually honest thing for Christians to do. The fact that she remains a theologically conservative Christian while teaching biology at the University of North Texas makes her appeal especially compelling for the theologically conservative believer who fears she must either believe in the literal historicity of Genesis 1 and 2, or must necessarily affirm the philosophical assumptions of atheistic materialism. Janet helps the believing reader understand the difference between "science" and "scientism" without the need of resorting to an alternate form of science based on unsupportable assumptions.
After introducing the above-referenced difference between belief and acceptance of evidence, Janet argues against concordism ("making science fit Genesis"), and then begins to explain in very readable terms just what science is and how it works. Next, she summarizes the various approaches to reconciling science with the Bible, describing young- and old-earth creationism, and the more recent Intelligent Design movement, which was constructed by a conservative think-tank to get a form of "God in the gaps" thinking into public schools while overstating the extent to which scientists debate Darwinian evolution.
Ray then creatively teaches us about the science that discerns the age of the universe and the earth, beginning with a story about the discovery of cosmic background radiation which helped confirm the fact of the Big Bang, and how this radiation even showed up in our old cathode-ray tube analog televisions ("There Might Be a Time Machine in Your House"). She moves on to debunking the Creation Science appeal to "flood geology" and their "catastrophic" argument about the formation of the Grand Canyon as the one-stop source for knowledge of the fossil record.
After she contrasts the facts about the age of the earth between evidence-based, peer-reviewed geology, and the assertions of creation scientists in their non-peer-reviewed journals, our instructor moves on to issues related to the notion of a "missing link," showing how there isn't "a" missing link, but many such examples of transitional forms in the fossil record. At last she takes hold of the touchy subject of human evolution, explaining that the questions about its implications for theology lie outside the realm of science, and refers the reader to several helpful resources that introduce the believer to the theology of the image of God in humans and the historicity of Adam and Eve versus the genre of the Bible's creation narratives. Janet puts a bow on her presentation with an appeal that one can "leave creation-ism" without leaving God. The Bible teaches the "who and why" of creation, and science teaches the "how and when."
If "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge" (Psalm 19:1,2), then God--who cannot lie (Titus 1:2)--does not mislead us about the age of the universe and the earth when we examine the facts of nature, and evolution becomes the only legitimate explanation for how God's creation of all living beings developed to the forms we see today.
After introducing the above-referenced difference between belief and acceptance of evidence, Janet argues against concordism ("making science fit Genesis"), and then begins to explain in very readable terms just what science is and how it works. Next, she summarizes the various approaches to reconciling science with the Bible, describing young- and old-earth creationism, and the more recent Intelligent Design movement, which was constructed by a conservative think-tank to get a form of "God in the gaps" thinking into public schools while overstating the extent to which scientists debate Darwinian evolution.
Ray then creatively teaches us about the science that discerns the age of the universe and the earth, beginning with a story about the discovery of cosmic background radiation which helped confirm the fact of the Big Bang, and how this radiation even showed up in our old cathode-ray tube analog televisions ("There Might Be a Time Machine in Your House"). She moves on to debunking the Creation Science appeal to "flood geology" and their "catastrophic" argument about the formation of the Grand Canyon as the one-stop source for knowledge of the fossil record.
After she contrasts the facts about the age of the earth between evidence-based, peer-reviewed geology, and the assertions of creation scientists in their non-peer-reviewed journals, our instructor moves on to issues related to the notion of a "missing link," showing how there isn't "a" missing link, but many such examples of transitional forms in the fossil record. At last she takes hold of the touchy subject of human evolution, explaining that the questions about its implications for theology lie outside the realm of science, and refers the reader to several helpful resources that introduce the believer to the theology of the image of God in humans and the historicity of Adam and Eve versus the genre of the Bible's creation narratives. Janet puts a bow on her presentation with an appeal that one can "leave creation-ism" without leaving God. The Bible teaches the "who and why" of creation, and science teaches the "how and when."
If "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge" (Psalm 19:1,2), then God--who cannot lie (Titus 1:2)--does not mislead us about the age of the universe and the earth when we examine the facts of nature, and evolution becomes the only legitimate explanation for how God's creation of all living beings developed to the forms we see today.
August 31, 2021
Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? was written by Janet Ray, a family friend and biology professor that I attended church with when I was a kid. As an adult, I learned about her passion for science and teaching science when we gave a teacher’s workshop at The Village of Hope in Ghana. I have since kept up with her by reading her blog about science and faith.
Many in the Christian community believe that evolution and the Bible are enemies. You cannot believe in one without disowning the other. Ray's thesis is that we can and should trust modern science, reconsider our theology in light of that science (as has been done in the past), and still consider ourselves faithful Christians.
I think this book is for those who grew up with the idea that evolution and Christianity cannot be aligned (like me) and want to seek out the truth. Ray helpfully explains what all the different viewpoints are at the beginning of the book, covering Young Earth Creationism, Old Earth Creationism, Intelligent Design, Theistic Evolution, and Naturalism. It was kind of funny reading this section because I could see myself in each of these camps at one point in my life, almost like she was describing my mental evolution (see what I did there?) about my thoughts on evolution.
I don't think she will convince any of the Creationist hardliners, but this book will help those who fall somewhere in between the denial of evolution and wholehearted acceptance of it to at least look at the scientific facts so we can come to our own conclusions on the matter.
Ray's focus here is on the science and not the theology. She points to other books and authors who have tackled how we should read the Bible in ways that don't require a complete disregard for science. Ray patiently walks us through what science actually is, how scientific theories are more than just wild guesses, and what evolution actually means. It is this last point where she does the most good because the theory of evolution has always been something that was difficult for me to fully comprehend, but now I feel like I have a better grasp of it. She does an excellent job of explaining difficult concepts with helpful analogies and humanizes the science by giving us the history of the people behind various discoveries. It's no wonder that she teaches a university course for education majors on how to teach science.
As a person who has not taken a biology class in twenty years (!), these science lessons were so helpful — and fascinating! I think I knew much of what Ray presents here, but had forgotten or moved those facts to the side of my brain, so I could fill it with other necessary information like the plots for each of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's twenty bajillion films. Having all the evidence for evolution presented in one place and in easy-to-understand terms is immensely helpful.
Much of the book is presenting science evidence for evolution, the age of the universe, and age of the earth. But she also frequently discusses how creationists explain away much of this science and then rebuts that with what evidence we would actually expect to find if their assertions were true. She ends with her assertion that theistic evolution is the best viewpoint for Christians who want to see God's story in the world and the Bible by accepting evidence for the ancient and sometimes miraculous process of evolution.
Many in the Christian community believe that evolution and the Bible are enemies. You cannot believe in one without disowning the other. Ray's thesis is that we can and should trust modern science, reconsider our theology in light of that science (as has been done in the past), and still consider ourselves faithful Christians.
I think this book is for those who grew up with the idea that evolution and Christianity cannot be aligned (like me) and want to seek out the truth. Ray helpfully explains what all the different viewpoints are at the beginning of the book, covering Young Earth Creationism, Old Earth Creationism, Intelligent Design, Theistic Evolution, and Naturalism. It was kind of funny reading this section because I could see myself in each of these camps at one point in my life, almost like she was describing my mental evolution (see what I did there?) about my thoughts on evolution.
I don't think she will convince any of the Creationist hardliners, but this book will help those who fall somewhere in between the denial of evolution and wholehearted acceptance of it to at least look at the scientific facts so we can come to our own conclusions on the matter.
Ray's focus here is on the science and not the theology. She points to other books and authors who have tackled how we should read the Bible in ways that don't require a complete disregard for science. Ray patiently walks us through what science actually is, how scientific theories are more than just wild guesses, and what evolution actually means. It is this last point where she does the most good because the theory of evolution has always been something that was difficult for me to fully comprehend, but now I feel like I have a better grasp of it. She does an excellent job of explaining difficult concepts with helpful analogies and humanizes the science by giving us the history of the people behind various discoveries. It's no wonder that she teaches a university course for education majors on how to teach science.
As a person who has not taken a biology class in twenty years (!), these science lessons were so helpful — and fascinating! I think I knew much of what Ray presents here, but had forgotten or moved those facts to the side of my brain, so I could fill it with other necessary information like the plots for each of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's twenty bajillion films. Having all the evidence for evolution presented in one place and in easy-to-understand terms is immensely helpful.
Much of the book is presenting science evidence for evolution, the age of the universe, and age of the earth. But she also frequently discusses how creationists explain away much of this science and then rebuts that with what evidence we would actually expect to find if their assertions were true. She ends with her assertion that theistic evolution is the best viewpoint for Christians who want to see God's story in the world and the Bible by accepting evidence for the ancient and sometimes miraculous process of evolution.
August 30, 2021
This is a very accessible book on science and faith written by a Christian educator. As someone with experience teaching university biology, she has seen firsthand the terribly high cost of coupling young-earth creationism, which denies multiple lines of evidence from many scientific disciplines, to the gospel. The author introduces some of the evidence from geology, physics, astronomy, paleontology, biology, and other fields and encourages the reader to leave “creationism” without leaving God.
I love the quote on p. 61 by N.T. Wright, “One of the funny things about the Christian faith, and indeed about the Bible, is that it seems to be, as it were, designed that every generation has to chew through afresh. We can none of us live on what was done before, because the culture is always changing, and that has always been so. The language is always changing. The pressure points for people are always changing. And again and again. And this is not just in our generation, every generation has found this, the way that people say things before seem to go stale on you.”
I think her comparison with Galileo’s situation was well articulated and see much relevance in today’s Christians who reject a priori the evidence for evolution. “Modern arguments against evolution sound very much like the theological arguments against a sun-centered solar system. If humans are just another branch in the evolutionary tree, we aren’t special to God. If we don’t have a real Adam, there can be no “fall,” and without the fall, there’s no need for Jesus. If we can’t believe Genesis, we can’t believe any of the Bible. All is lost.” (p 173) I hear this all of the time! Christianity survived and grew through the theological questions in Galileo’s day and can again as we face the reality of an evolutionary process at work.
I’m so glad this book offers hope that we don’t have to reject science, including evolution, to follow Jesus. “If God’s creation “reveals knowledge,” is the revealed knowledge trustworthy? Is it consistent with God’s nature to fill creation with red herrings? Is it consistent with God’s nature to create a deceptive world, a world not as it appears? Is it consistent with God’s nature to mislead us? When I first began to seriously study what it means to reconcile science and faith, I learned this Scripture: ‘God is not human, that he should lie.’ The heavens reveal knowledge, and God does not lie.” (p 183)
We can trust God’s testimony that is on display in nature. These are the works of his hands and declare God’s glory. It may take time and effort to chew on how scripture and the revealed creation fit together, but it doesn’t require denying either. “Our creation, in its material and natural form, function, and origin, is what God, in God’s wisdom, gave us.” (p 185)
I love the quote on p. 61 by N.T. Wright, “One of the funny things about the Christian faith, and indeed about the Bible, is that it seems to be, as it were, designed that every generation has to chew through afresh. We can none of us live on what was done before, because the culture is always changing, and that has always been so. The language is always changing. The pressure points for people are always changing. And again and again. And this is not just in our generation, every generation has found this, the way that people say things before seem to go stale on you.”
I think her comparison with Galileo’s situation was well articulated and see much relevance in today’s Christians who reject a priori the evidence for evolution. “Modern arguments against evolution sound very much like the theological arguments against a sun-centered solar system. If humans are just another branch in the evolutionary tree, we aren’t special to God. If we don’t have a real Adam, there can be no “fall,” and without the fall, there’s no need for Jesus. If we can’t believe Genesis, we can’t believe any of the Bible. All is lost.” (p 173) I hear this all of the time! Christianity survived and grew through the theological questions in Galileo’s day and can again as we face the reality of an evolutionary process at work.
I’m so glad this book offers hope that we don’t have to reject science, including evolution, to follow Jesus. “If God’s creation “reveals knowledge,” is the revealed knowledge trustworthy? Is it consistent with God’s nature to fill creation with red herrings? Is it consistent with God’s nature to create a deceptive world, a world not as it appears? Is it consistent with God’s nature to mislead us? When I first began to seriously study what it means to reconcile science and faith, I learned this Scripture: ‘God is not human, that he should lie.’ The heavens reveal knowledge, and God does not lie.” (p 183)
We can trust God’s testimony that is on display in nature. These are the works of his hands and declare God’s glory. It may take time and effort to chew on how scripture and the revealed creation fit together, but it doesn’t require denying either. “Our creation, in its material and natural form, function, and origin, is what God, in God’s wisdom, gave us.” (p 185)
September 15, 2025
Less theological than I expected given the synopsis and introduction. Ray barely covers how we should read the creation account and core Christian doctrines in light of the inviability of historical literalism and questionability of miracles, merely offering the conclusion that the Bible is for telling us the "who and why" of life rather than the "what and how." Though she admits the scope of her book is not exhaustive, I expected a section at the end of the book that gets into biblical genres, theological anthropology, etc with a couple chapters. That aside, her book is primarily about presenting the biggest challenges to creationism. It's a fantastic crash course for someone like me (NOT a science person!) to see how science works and is done. I admire her tone throughout the book, and how she walks through noteworthy discoveries with paleontology and geology to show why the evidence for evolution and a universe formed by "deep time" proliferates across various scientific fields. I will definitely remember this approach she takes to any hypothesis: "If [X] is true, what would we expect to see? And is that what we find?" Would love a follow-up to this book.
November 12, 2021
Christian or not, religious or not, Baby Dinosaurs is a brilliant book that lays out all the baseline knowledge one needs to understand that evolution is real and that science holds true (and has done for billions of years). Evolution and the existence of God are not mutually exclusive and Dr. Ray does a fantastic job showing how beautiful that fact is. Her genuine wonder and awe of the world we live in, the life on this planet, and the people who inhabit it is infectious. She sees the truth and beauty of a God that operates outside the Genesis box.
I am so thankful to have read this book, as it’s helped me continue deconstructing my evangelical background and move into a life where I am allowed to love, accept, and marvel at a God who is far greater and mysterious than I could have ever dreamed. I now feel honored to be part of evolution. How lucky we are that we get to be part of this billions-year-old story of life in this universe, even for just a blink of time.
I am so thankful to have read this book, as it’s helped me continue deconstructing my evangelical background and move into a life where I am allowed to love, accept, and marvel at a God who is far greater and mysterious than I could have ever dreamed. I now feel honored to be part of evolution. How lucky we are that we get to be part of this billions-year-old story of life in this universe, even for just a blink of time.
October 13, 2021
This is the book I was looking for. As a person of faith, answering tough questions about evolution was daunting. I believe in the Creator, and in science. But trying to articulate that to my kids? Tough. This book is accessible, logical, and so informative. There is no chiding or berating, only a faith-driven, honest look at how science and faith are not enemies. If you ever had questions about evolution fitting into Genesis, read it! If your kids ask you how it all fits together, read it! If you just want a really interesting, well-written read by a super-smart science educator, read it! I have known Janet for more than 20 years, and know how thoughtful she is and how much respect she shows for people who disagree with her. I am so glad she finally wrote this book, and am even more glad I read it!
March 13, 2022
I enjoyed this book. It gave a kind hearted, sincere, and accessible explanation of why she believes evolution must be accepted by believers. She did a really great job of laying out an argument in a simple, easy to understand, non-offensive way.
I was disappointed, however, that there wasn’t more about how a creationist can reconcile their faith with this approach. The twelfth chapter brushed over this with a simple, ‘what’s the problem’ type approach. I would argue there are some very difficult theological issues to discuss and it’s not so simple.
It seems to me the book is only half complete. I would give 4-5 stars for the first half but the last half is basically non existent, and made me drop my rating down significantly. Perhaps my expectations were unfair, but I was under the impression it would give me both pieces of the puzzle.
I was disappointed, however, that there wasn’t more about how a creationist can reconcile their faith with this approach. The twelfth chapter brushed over this with a simple, ‘what’s the problem’ type approach. I would argue there are some very difficult theological issues to discuss and it’s not so simple.
It seems to me the book is only half complete. I would give 4-5 stars for the first half but the last half is basically non existent, and made me drop my rating down significantly. Perhaps my expectations were unfair, but I was under the impression it would give me both pieces of the puzzle.
April 25, 2022
This book is a reader friendly versions of many books on the same topic. It explains why science is compatible with Christian faith. It is a fast read for a slow reader and does not get bogged down in the science. I recommend it as a starter on the subject.
My only complaint is the writer, like so many of today's believers, has accepted the precept of "the Bible is not a science book." To them that means the Genesis creation can never describe the natural world. Instead, I believe God's inspired writings have and always will be true to their subjects. This will take a change in how the church tells the stories. Too many myths have accumulated. These overshadow and twist the biblical texts.
My only complaint is the writer, like so many of today's believers, has accepted the precept of "the Bible is not a science book." To them that means the Genesis creation can never describe the natural world. Instead, I believe God's inspired writings have and always will be true to their subjects. This will take a change in how the church tells the stories. Too many myths have accumulated. These overshadow and twist the biblical texts.
July 9, 2024
Read this book in an afternoon and a morning. Really readable. Particularly pertinent for those familiar with the creationist arguments. Those who aren’t as familiar with the debate won’t necessarily get the import of all the chapters, but it’s certainly well written and takes the arguments seriously.
I think what I wanted from this book was a bit more examination of how to read the Bible in light of this (what does one do with the Adam/Christ dichotomy for instance?) but Kellogg Ray wanted to stay in her lane as a science educator who has thought seriously about these questions. Which she does wonderfully.
An important read for anyone wrestling with being a Christian who takes the Bible and science seriously.
I think what I wanted from this book was a bit more examination of how to read the Bible in light of this (what does one do with the Adam/Christ dichotomy for instance?) but Kellogg Ray wanted to stay in her lane as a science educator who has thought seriously about these questions. Which she does wonderfully.
An important read for anyone wrestling with being a Christian who takes the Bible and science seriously.
September 12, 2021
You may not agree with Ray's book. You should still read it. Read it for the incredibly fascinating stories at the beginning of each chapter. Read it because the science presented is interesting and accessible. Read it because it is a compelling and thoughtful book. Read it because Ray writes with humor and humility. Read it because what she presents is compelling and should be read by thoughtful people who are willing to consider the evidence. Thoughtful Christians should consider the evidence - we have a responsibility to be truth seekers in a world where truth is hard to find. Highly recommended!
July 3, 2024
This is a relatively simple introduction to the eternal 'evolution v creation' debate from a Christian perspective that says evolution is true. Like many Christians who have decided that the options of 'intelligent design' are not intelligent enough or 'creation science' has nothing to do with science, the author shows how evolution is part of God's design and is compatible with Scripture. It's a logical, compelling argument, though at times a bit lacking on how then to read Genesis in a non-literal manner. At times some of her examples feel rushed as if she has a word count, but for the most part her writing is clear and convincing.
February 10, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up
Science and faith are not incompatible - they seek to answer different questions. This book is a really good starting point on this idea. It doesn't get too in depth on any one topic but seeks to explain what the science says for lots of areas that (according to certain church traditions) "contradict Scripture." A really good resource, and I learned some new things (Google the legless mouse / snake studies for a wild ride.)
Science and faith are not incompatible - they seek to answer different questions. This book is a really good starting point on this idea. It doesn't get too in depth on any one topic but seeks to explain what the science says for lots of areas that (according to certain church traditions) "contradict Scripture." A really good resource, and I learned some new things (Google the legless mouse / snake studies for a wild ride.)
February 15, 2024
I've heard several great podcast interviews of Janet Kellogg Ray, which drew me to reading her book. With me, she is "preaching to the choir," but she did a great job of explaining complex things in simple terms, and perhaps giving some Biblical literalists permission to trust the science, and not put Christianity (or Christians) to shame for expecting the Bible to be a science textbook. A fun read.
September 9, 2021
Presented so well by Dr. Janet Ray with scientific evidence, facts and humor, yet still allows you to come to your own conclusion. It helped me stop forcing the Bible to be something it is not and recognize Genesis as a story to help us understand God versus an account of natural history. Take a look at this book…you won’t be sorry!
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August 10, 2022Very good work. Explains lots of topics in understandable forms. The tone of the book is more offensive than defensive. She discusses some views that support very different ideas than those presented in book. But it is not a running gun battle between different and contradictory viewpoints. Mostly she presents the positive case and lets that carry the load.
February 18, 2024
This is a good book for anyone who has family members who are anti-evolution for religious reasons, just so you can understand what their thought process is, and (maybe?) help them to be less combative toward science. It also could be good for biology teachers who have students that are vocally opposed to evolution.
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September 9, 2021I LOVED this book!!!! I was raised a creationist and always wrestled with my faith and science. Thankfully, this book was perfect to align my views and increase my awe and faith in God. His ways are perfect! Thank you so much for a well designed, understandable and thought provoking book!
April 18, 2022
An easy to read book on the science of evolution compared with 6 day creation. The science is easy to understand as well as her look at how we understand Genesis . Nothing new but recommended if you are trying to figure out how science fits with Christian beliefs.
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