Nature's Witness: How Evolution Can Inspire Faith - eBook

"Daniel Harrell has interesting friends. To argue for Darwinism among evangelicals and for God among empirical scientists takes courage. And unlike many science-and-religion books, which range from dull to daunting, Harrell's gracious opening up of those conversations to the rest of us is not only informative but entertaining. Where's this book been?!" -Jason Byassee, Assistant Editor, Christian Century, and affiliate professor of theology, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

"Harrell argues that for the thinking Christian, science matters. His personable style invites us to journey along with him as he learns some of modern science's recent revelations and then asks what these revelations reveal about the nature of God. At times a friendly stroll through genomes and quarks, at others a wrestling match to reconcile science and theology as two valid and valuable sources of knowledge, this book shows how one can be a firm believer in both." -Anne E. Carpenter, Ph.D., Director, Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT

"With his peerless ability to turn the familiar inside out and upside down, and to make even the most unfamiliar ideas from both science and theology accessible, Daniel Harrell has given us a gift of a book. It will make you laugh, think, and pray---and it is very possible that when you finish it you will believe more deeply in both evolution and creation than ever before." -Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making, and editorial director, The Christian Vision Project

"For those who fear that either theology or science might become the ventriloquist controlling the voice of the other, this is a most welcome book. Affirming that both Scripture and scientific discovery must be heard, Harrell playfully and profoundly engages our most serious questions about life’s beginnings and life's future. You’ll want to pull up a chair and join him, his friend Dave, and Aunt Bernice, in this important conversation." -Joel B. Green, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary

"If you’re a Christian who believes that evolutionary science provides an accurate account of the history and development of life on earth, you probably have some hard questions about what this means for Christian faith. I have these questions, too. How do we talk of a loving Creator while referring to random mutations? What does orthodox Christian faith say about the hundreds of millions of years of death and failure that preceded humanity’s arrival on earth? How do extant hominids, descended from bacteria and fish, partake in the image of God and talk of everlasting life? We need a friend who understands these questions and who has the ability to address them knowledgeably while affirming our faith: someone smart and knowledgeable, but humble and faithful, maybe even funny. We need someone who knows what’s at stake, but who also knows that our faith has nothing to fear in the face of the facts of God’s world. And now, happily, we have Daniel Harrell’s book. Full of wisdom, humility, patience and good humor, it’s a book I never dared to hope for. Enjoy it, and give thanks." -Stephen Matheson, associate professor of biology, Calvin College

"Some Christians are fighting the wrong battle. Evolution is not the enemy, as Daniel Harrell argues persuasively in Nature’s Witness. With wry, self-deprecating humor, he introduces the basics of evolution and asks big questions about God and God's creation. Harrell is not trying to develop an apologetic for the Christian faith in a scientific world. What he has done is much more demanding. He has written an honest, thoughtful, doubt-filled, faith-filled, searching exploration of foundational reality. This is an important book." -Richard Peace, Robert Boyd Munger Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation, Fuller Theological Seminary