About the BookIf you suspect that religion is just outdated superstition, left over from a less sophisticated age, you may well wonder how it is that many well-educated scientists can also have an active religious faith. On the other hand, if you have a genuine religious faith, but are not particularly well informed about science, then you might view the world of science and technology as a threatening place in which to try to justify (or even admit to) your faith.
A Working Faith in an Age of Science is intended for any interested reader, from late teenage onwards. The author has been both a professional scientist and an active Christian for about 40 years, and his book equally defends good science and faith in God.
Specialist terminology from both science and theology is avoided where possible, and explained where it cannot be avoided. The contents list can be viewed using the Look Inside feature, as can a list of some difficult questions addressed in the book, which appears in the early pages of the Introduction. Some of these questions have arisen in the question-and-answer sessions following talks given by the author.
The science in the book is written in a ‘popular science’ style, and there is sufficient of it to indicate how science goes about its work, how much it has achieved, and how reliable its results might be. One reason for that is to encourage religious people to realize that good science cannot simply be dismissed without good reason. Another reason is to highlight some of science’s limitations.
The religious aspects of the book include an indication of what religious people really believe (as opposed to the stereotypes propagated by some atheistic writers), and how such beliefs can actually assist scientists in understanding more aspects of the way the universe seems to be.
Some of the areas visited are:
- Achievements and limitations of science
- Creation
- Evidence for God’s existence
- Evolution
- Free will
- How God might act in the world
- Miracles
- Prayer
- Suffering
About the AuthorDr. Ken Dutton is an applied scientist. He is a very highly qualified chartered engineer, and the down-to-earth approach of the professional engineer is evident throughout his book. He spent ten years in process control research and development in the steel industry, followed by 30 years as a university lecturer in a branch of engineering that students can find quite challenging.
His science has always had to work in the real world (in industry, but also in applied research and consultancy during his university career), and he has spent decades explaining difficult concepts to students. He has previously co-authored a well-regarded university textbook, for undergraduates and postgraduates, in the area of control system analysis and design: Dutton, K., Thompson, S. and Barraclough, B., The Art of Control Engineering, Addison Wesley Longman, 1997.
