Modern Physics and Ancient Faith Paperback – Download: Adobe Reader, February 28, 2003

One only need give a casual skim through Time or Newsweek or watch a few hours of cable news and invariably an editorial or two, masquerading as anything but an op ed, will be about how (rational) science is superior to (irrational) religion. And of course they will trot out the (supposedly) rational scientists, who are often not scientists, but atheists materialists. It's quite common. But it is a myth in need of a funeral, and Barr's outstanding book could easily serve as the sermon to this funeral.If you tend to think of religion as blind and irrational belief in the spaghetti monster, this book is certainly worth your consideration. If you tend to think that your religious beliefs are true, but unfounded, this book is for you. If you just want to explore the topic without irrational name-calling and false proofs, this book is also for you. Barr is no amateur. He tackles every objection that is propped up as scientific evidence against theism. He also is no jerk. He knows that it is a very good and human activity to question both tradition and religion and that anyone who follows religious dogma or "scientific" dogma blindly is not applying the gifts of either science or religion. He also knows that reason is only reasonable within a system that is not materialist. This is covered thoroughly in the section on free will and epistemology (how you know what you know).A renowned physicist, Barr is no stranger to rational thought and discourse, and he is also a devout Christian. As shacking as that may be for some to hear, it's quite possible and also quite logical. He claims, and demonstrates time and again, that contrary to so much hot air and spilled ink claiming otherwise, belief in a God who designed the universe makes much more logical sense than materialism, which is the belief that only matter exists- no God, no gods, no souls, no afterlife. Barr shows how science actually supports the Judeo-Christian understanding of reason, free will, design, the nature of nature and man's place in nature, time and what is now termed the Big Bang.I am not scientist, although I do read widely in the philosophy of science (and have played a scientist on stage). That said, I was able to follow all of Barr's discussion of quantum physics, the Big Bang, the anthropic coincidences, neurology, mind, entropy, Gödel's theorem and more. And it wasn't drudgery. I learned a great deal.Other books of interest may include: The Significance of Free Will, the masterful The Mind of the Universe: Understanding Science and Religion (which is perhaps THE book on the subject), the compact yet powerfully erudite The Restitution of Man: C. S. Lewis and the Case Against Scientism, A Meaningful World: How the Arts and Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature, God and the Philosophers: The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason (Oxford Paperbacks), The Recalcitrant Imago Dei: Human Persons and the Failure of Naturalism (Veritas), God and the New Atheism: A Critical Response to Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens, Answering the New Atheism: Dismantling Dawkins' Case Against God, and the ever-insghtful, ever-readable masterpiece against naturalism, C.S. Lewis' Miracles.Enjoy! Life is so amazing considering the atoms that make you who you are have come together just this once in just this way. Mr Rogers was right: you are special! Think about that next time you get stuck in traffic with all those other atomic amalgamations.

I heard Stephen Barr speak at the University of Iowa's Geneva Lecture Series. It was a good talk. I have a B.S. in physics and enjoyed it immensely, but even my friends with non-physics backgrounds enjoyed it too. I decided tentatively to buy his book.The book is brilliant. I may not agree with everything he says, but he definitely gives the reader much to think about. He's not trying prove the existence of God, but demonstrate that Theism is a viable option as oppose to Scientific Materialism. He's asserts that the Catholic Church supports the theory of evolution, so he's not advocating Intelligent Design in the modern sense. He's uses a broad range of physics from the Big Bang theory, cosmological constants to quantum mechanics to show areas that pure materialism has a hard time explaining such as free will, reason, and life itself. Some of the arguments are stronger than others, but the book is always entertaining and educational. It is a great refresher course for me in physics and some areas of theology.The book is somewhat difficult to read. I saw a Nova special on quantum theory and I would say it is about the same level of difficulty. Equations are kept to a minimum and he does a very good job of explaining some of the metaphysical implications of quantum mechanics. I think everybody should read it, but definitely every Christian who is a science teacher or researcher or college freshman taking some of the hard sciences would benefit from this book. My favorite point of Barr's is when he points out that in Genesis, the first thing God creates is light. He creates light before stars, the sun or even the moon. One may ask, where does the light come from? Barr points out in the Big Bang all there is in the beginning is electomagnetic radiation or different frequencies of light.

Barr is a theoretical particle physicist who does research on grand unified theories and Big Bang cosmology. MODERN PHYSICS AND ANCIENT FAITH is an incisive, balanced, and powerful critique of scientific materialism. Barr brings his impressive knowledge and scientific expertise to bear on such issues as the distinction between science and materialist philosophy, the findings of physics, the nature of the Big Bang, anthropic coincidences, divergent views on Man's place in the cosmos and an extensive consideration of what the human mind is and does.Without dumbing down the data or the insights, he expounds a vigorous intellectual assault on the myth that science somehow renders religion null and void. Modest and nuanced, this book nonetheless possesses clarity and a scope which is literally and metaphorically cosmic. Barr's book is a "must-read" for everyone interested in the complex and creative interplay between physics and faith; it is even more essential for non-scientists (like myself) who want to be informed by a professional scientist and researcher like Stephen Barr about questions pertinent to all of us in our humanity.

The book is very clear and easy to follow, and Professor Barr is very careful to stick to just what the evidence shows and no more or less. The book includes many interesting stories about scientists and the history of science. Debates about whether religion and science are at odds often produce more heat than light, but this calm book is very informative, while telling the story of science and religion in the last century, without any animosity. I recommend it to anyone, whether religious or not!The latest edition has an updated preface explaining a few slight changes he would make to his claims, based on updated science.