Dinosaurs, Volcanoes, and Holy Writ
A Boy-Turned-Scientist Journeys from Fundamentalism to Faith
- Science & Faith
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2020
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Publisher's Description
An earnest young boy who loves nature grows up the son of a fundamentalist pastor. He goes to college, trains as a biologist, and becomes a successful university professor. In the process he finds some of the religious beliefs that carried him through childhood and adolescence indefensible in the face of evidence from biology and geology--and even from Scripture itself. What's he to do? This is the journey of a boy-turned-scientist who finds a path away from "the idols of fundamentalism" and toward a universe rich with process, intrigue, and mystery. Along the way, he discovers a faith consistent with physical reality, one open to beauty, kindness, and hope.
Endorsements (6)
“In this thoughtful memoir, ecologist Jim Hayward traces his personal path of discovery as he came to realize that he was observing scientific truths that conflicted with what he had been taught to believe as a young Seventh-day Adventist. In the end, he emerges both as a credible scientist and a man of faith. This is an important book for readers who have difficulty resolving their own conflicts between science and religion.”
“Beautifully and empathically written, this memoir by zoologist James L. Hayward tells the story of the author's evolution from young-age creationism to a scientifically informed, spiritually sensitive worldview.”
“How refreshing to find an accomplished biologist who writes with equal authority and passion about nature and spirituality. And that's what Jim Hayward does as he takes us on his fascinating journey from fundamentalist creationism to the wonders of evolution, reminding us along the way that there need be no inherent conflict between science and religion.”
“Compellingly and reassuringly explores the crises of faith that await research-trained Christians who choose to pursue scientific questions to their furthermost extent.”
“Beginning with his experience studying ring-billed gulls on a tiny island in an eastern Washington lake--the day Mt. St. Helens erupted--James Hayward takes us back over his life from adolescent collector of natural specimens to mature scientist and university professor. His clear, compelling engagement with the scientific evidence and Scripture shows how he progressively abandoned a narrow, literalist reading of the biblical creation accounts for an honest, mature perspective embracing both evolution and personal faith.”
“The author provides a clear, engaging narrative of the transformative intellectual path he travelled from the worldview of childhood to that of a mature, distinguished scientist. In the process he introduces numerous examples from the explosive expansion of scientific advances in the last one hundred years that revolutionized our understanding of physical reality. He demonstrates how his innate curiosity and intellectual honesty forced him, sometimes painfully, to embrace the compelling and powerful paradigms of modern science.”
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