In recent times the so-called “new atheists,” most notably Richard Dawkins, have launched an aggressive attack on the existence of God in general and the God of the Bible in particular. In books such as Dawkins’ The God Delusion, the “new atheists” have taken their agenda to the masses with a popular writing style that is both winsome and distortive. Wrapping their arguments in scientific concepts outside the realm of most people’s expertise, they have been able to shake the faith of many and make their conclusions appear indisputable. It is within this context that we wholeheartedly welcome Who Made God? Edgar Andrews is himself a highly regarded scientist, often serving as an expert witness in court cases in Great Britain, USA and Canada, and even has had the opportunity of formal debate with Richard Dawkins. He is a man who understands science and is not deceived by high-sounding arguments that seem to prove far more than they can. In addition, Andrews is a strongly committed evangelical who believes that the creation account as found in Genesis is historically true. In this book he wants to show us why we do not have to be intimidated by the “new atheists.”
Who Made God? is not a dry, esoteric tome beyond the comprehension of the average person. In fact Andrews is writing this book for laypeople who are not part of the scientific community. He attempts to bring difficult scientific theories, hypotheses and debates down to the level of understanding for those who do not spend their lives studying these matters. That is, he wants to put the cookies on the lower shelf for easy consumption. I believe he does a marvelous job in accomplishing his goal. He writes with wit, humor, intelligence, knowledge and commitment both in the study of creation and to the Lord of creation.
That is not to say that Andrews will not stretch his readers as he tries to explain everything from quantum theory to DNA, from string theory to time, and from the human mind to the existence of morality. Yet he is able to explain these things, and much more, while remaining faithful both to good scientific investigation and proper biblical interpretation. At the same time he demolishes evolutionary theory’s two major pillars: natural selection and random mutations (pp. 216-246). At this point it is most helpful to realize that the author is a well recognized scientist who has spent his entire life examining these issues and yet sees no credibility in the explanations of evolution.
I was particularly impressed with the final two chapters which connected many of the dots and drew application. For example, he points out that “to the evolutionists the mind is merely a by-product of electrical activity in the brain,” and cites atheist Bertrand Russell who declared: “[all man’s] hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms” (pp. 251-252). That view of course presents mankind as little more than electrical impulses and chemical reactions, not much different from machines. How then can such creatures have purpose or ideas of morality? Additionally Andrews states, “If evolutionary biology is a soft science, the evolutionary psychology [based on evolutionary theory and invented by those who reject God] is its flabby underbelly” (p. 253). Well said, and worth much more consideration by the Christian community that gravitates toward psychology as the solution to mankind’s problems. Andrews believes that man is much more than a machine, “Man is the only species that possesses a mind. A mind rides on the physical organ we call the brain” (p. 247).
Some will take exception with Andrews’s allowance for an old universe (p. 106), and some form of the big bang (pp. 94-106), although only as the scientific version of an ex nihilo creation. He insists on an historical understanding of the Bible’s creation narrative and (I understand from personal correspondence with the author) bases his views not on any extra-biblical considerations but on an exegesis of Genesis 1 proposed by conservative Hebrew scholar E.J. Young, formerly of Westminster Theological Seminary. These are side notes in the book and do not diminish the overall contribution.
I highly recommend the study of Who Made God? to all who are interested in current debates that swirl around creation and the existence of God.