Review of Paul Davies, God and the New Physics (1983)

for Eternitymagazine, published sometime after July 1984?

Paul Davies, God and the New Physics.  Simon and Schuster, 1983. $17.95; x +255 pp. Reviewed by Robert C. Newman, Professor of New Testament at BiblicalTheological Seminary, Hatfield, PA, and Director of the InterdisciplinaryBiblical Research Institute. Dr.Newman has a PhD in theoretical astrophysics from Cornell University as well asgraduate degrees in theology.

Davies presents an atheistic (or at least agnostic) responseto recent works finding evidence for God in nature, such as Robert Jastrow’spopular God and the Astronomers. Davies, a physics professor in England,writes in something of a popular style, but for an audience of above average sophistication.  The reader need not have collegemathematics, but he or she should be comfortable with physics articles in ScientificAmerican.

In seventeen chapters the author covers a wide range oftopics revelant to the origin and nature of the universe, matter, life andmind, making it impossible to describe or critique the book adequately in ashort review. Davies interactswith the classic theistic arguments (cosmological and teleological) and thetraditional view of God, discussing how these have been affected by discoveriesin modern physics such as quantum mechanics, relativity and particlephysics. His conclusions arelargely negative though he is refreshingly candid about what is and is notknown in modern science.

Davies is a sharp and interesting writer; his pages arefilled with thought-provoking material. Though reasonably fair to theists, he assumes far too easily that modernphysics has outmoded the Biblical idea of God; that space and time could notexist without the universe; and that quantum phenomena really allow us topostulate an uncaused universe. Davies does not discuss the possibility that our universe is embedded ina larger multi-dimensional space, a suggestion which would solve several of theproblems he raises and explain some puzzling Biblical materials as well.  Among his alternative theories fororigins, most Christians will feel his suggestions are frequently ratherfar-out. For instance, he suggeststhe extremely high level of order in our universe may be a fluke ofobservation; if there were less order, there would be no minds to observeit! A good discussion of some ofthis order from a Christian perspective can be found in Alan Hayward’s book, GodIs (Nelson, 1978).

Christians who are scientists, theologians, philosophers orapologists would do well to know what the other side is thinking thesedays. Here is a good collection ofnon-theistic alternatives under one cover.