Wonder and mystery in retelling of biblical creation story.BOOK REVIEW Let There Be Life by Robert Fripp Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England) is a guitarist, record producer and a composer, perhaps best known for being the guitarist for, and only constant member of King Crimson. His work, spanning four decades, encompasses a variety of musical styles. HiddenSpring, 2001 ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 1-58768-004-1 196 pp., $29.95 THIS HIS BOOK IS A poetic retelling re·tell·ing n. A new account or an adaptation of a story: a retelling of a Roman myth. of the Biblical creation story, using not only the first Genesis account, but also insights from other religious traditions and the latest scientific information. It does not, however, pretend to be a theological apologetic for the Biblical creation story. The author, a film producer and magazine editor with a degree in earth sciences, lists in an ascending order the essential ingredients leading up to human life, using a wealth of scientific data gleaned in the last decade. (Interesting tidbit--the first stirrings of life perhaps needed only shallow pools of water in titanium-rich sand; today sand or silicon dioxide silicon dioxide: see silica. (SiO2) A hard, glassy mineral found in such materials as rock, quartz, sand and opal. In MOS chip fabrication, it is used to create the insulation layer between the metal gates of the top layer and the silicon elements below. is the stuff out of which computer chips are made--nature has come full circle.) Time and again the author notes that the development of complex compounds necessary for life depends upon the linking together of the appropriate elements. Organization and suitability seem to be built into the fabric of the universe. Evolution should not be seen simply as a random process of change but rather as the process by which life as a whole seeks continuity and stability through the myriad of changes. Yet author Robert Fripp does not use the creation narrative to prove or disprove disprove, v to refute or to prove false by affirmative evidence to the contrary. the existence of God, which may disappoint some readers. Rather, he wants to arouse a sense of wonder and mystery at the remarkable development of the universe leading up to human life. Human life is no less amazing for having taken billions of years and is linked with a wonderful story that began with the Big Bang big bang Model of the origin of the universe, which holds that it emerged from a state of extremely high temperature and density in an explosive expansion 10 billion–15 billion years ago. . There is wonder in a host of details that happened along the way. Science and religion do not offer competing explanations and there should be no warfare between them. Rather, they complement each other, religion giving the overview and science the small print. There is no lack of things for the author to marvel at in this universe of ours, but as stated he does not promote a theistic the·ism n. Belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in a personal God as creator and ruler of the world. the view. He prefers to let the record speak for itself and let readers draw their own conclusions. As he concludes, "If that lends all of us some measure of divinity, so be it. And if not, so be that too." Religious believers who see the Genesis account as working in the realm of poetry and symbol should enjoy this book. Certainly there is a wealth of fascinating chemical and biological tidbits TidBITS is an award-winning electronic newsletter and web site dealing primarily with Apple Computer and Macintosh-related topics. Internet publication TidBITS has been published weekly since April 16, 1990, which makes it one of the longest running Internet publications. that are guaranteed to break the ice at a cocktail party. Canon Mark McDermott is rector of Grace Church, Milton, Ont. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion