Monday, January 14, 2008
Groothuis review of "The God Delusion"
My review of Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion (from The Christian Research Journal) is posted here. It looks like the person scanned it in from the hard copy without checking for errors, of which there are many. So, please read it in the original source for the better version.
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9 comments:
Even with the errors, it is still an excellent read! I have passed the journal version along to a friend who thinks THE GOD DELUSION showed fine thinking.
This was an excellent review, scholarly, very pointed, and yet as respectful as the material would allow. I applaud your service to the body of Christ and the academy. Please keep up the good work.
Will this review be in any wide-ranging publication, like the Denver Post or another medium with a larger audience?
Great review!
You say Dawkins "asserts that even if an appeal to a designer were warranted, this would explain nothing, since the designer (being vastly complex) itself would have to be designed, thus triggering an infinite regress in which nothing gets explained."
This creates a complex solution where none is required. It is contrary to the rule of simplicity (viz., do not multiply causes beyond what are necessary to provide an adequate explanation). The properties of water, for example, can be explained by the properties of hydrogen and oxygen. One need not explain the atomic properties of the latter to understand the former. Moreover, an explanation is not intended to be comprehensive, only plausible. It is plausible to believe in an uncaused cause of the universe, as Aristotle has shown, and therefore an infinite regress of causes is unnecessary.
Dr. Groothuis,
Have you heard of Ben Stein's new movie, "Expelled," coming out in May I think?
It's a documentary style movie on Ben Stein's interviews with academic elite about ID and I think Dawkins is in it. Stein is pro-ID.
Excellent review.
David Strunk:
Are you the same Dave Strunk from Evergreen who grew up friends with Steve Smith, Eliot, myself, etc.?
apologies to all, I'm correcting and removed pending proper permission. I'm dealing with the local Piedmont Freethought Association on issues in the book. I posted my comments as an unbalanced perspective in contrast to the well written and thorough review by Professor Groothuis, a good cop/bad cop contrast.
Sterling
Fletcher,
I am, sadly, not your man. I grew up in Tennessee and now attend Denver Seminary.
It's nice to know, however, that there are 2 such a great name around these parts.
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