The God Delusion

The God Delusion
by Richard Dawkins
Dawkins states the core of his book in chapter two. God is a delusion, he says, because “any creative intelligence, of sufficient complexity to design anything comes into existence only as the end product of an extended process of gradual evolution. Creative intelligences, being evolved, necessarily arrive late in the universe, and therefore cannot be responsible for designing it.”

This is a faulty fundamental assertion, coming though a couple unfounded assumptions. A simple review is far insufficient to hit the particulars, but here are my initial afterthoughts on the book as a whole:

Dawkins is an intelligent man. I respect his value of science, his passion for knowledge, and his search for answers.

Still, Dawkins (and atheist scientists) are not the only thinking people. Some have a faith simply through parental upbringing; others approach God with deep intelligence. Many intelligent people have looked at much of the same facts Dawkins presents and reached the opposite conclusion, faith in God.

I'd hoped Dawkins' book would face more of the “greats” of faith (C.S. Lewis, A.W. Tozer, Ravi Zacharias, e.g.) and ignore the religious extremists like Ann Coulter and Fred Phelps. Dawkins would be equally upset if I used the opinions of the wilder atheists (see YouTuber TheAmazingAtheist, for a public example) to represent him.

Admittedly I had a few misconceptions about Dawkins and aspects of Darwinism (though I still think it incorrect, having examined further). Dawkins, however, also has his own misconceptions about Christianity--and Judaism, Islam, and others.

Throughout the book, I get the feel that Dawkins believes not only that humans are evolved, but also that smarter humans are evolved further still. (This, by the way, explains the pomposity that often creeps up through the pages.) If Dawkins views himself as among the most supreme beings, does that make him, in his own eyes... godlike?

This book seems more trendy than anything. He makes a few valid points, but I think it’s mostly popular because it’s an edgy topic.


GRADE:
_ _ C- _ _
If you can read past the arrogance, Dawkins is thoughtful and occasionally correct.

Jesus Wants to Save Christians

Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile
by Rob Bell
Rob Bell writes with a silver pen, both a blessing and a curse. He has a smooth, compelling writing style, which is easy to follow but often blurs the line between truth and opinion.

Things that concerned me: Bell dangerously flirts with the notion that all humanity will be saved, he grows more human-centered than Christ-centered (i.e. We become the Eucharist), and he stretches Biblical analogies far beyond their intended (or logical) limits.

Things that challenged me: Bell presents a startling picture of the Western church that is self-consumed and generally true. It was a good reality check. (This is Chapter 5: the only chapter, in my opinion, without significant theological holes.)

Overall, a smooth read (but not as seamless as his previous two). Above all, it should be read with an especially discerning eye. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. There are other books on a similar topic that have a more solid base.


GRADE:
_ _ C- _ _

But if you count the cover art, C+ (because it's just cool).