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View Book Reviews Section S & CB (2002), 14, 183–192 Book Reviews K. Helmut Reich, Fritz K. Oser stage 5 God appears in every human and W. George Scarlett commitment, yet transcends it. Tran- Psychological Studies on Spiritual and scendence and immanence interact com- Religious Development pletely, making possible universal soli- Being Human: The Case of Religion, darity with all human beings. Vol.2 Smoliak studied developing thoughts Lengerich, Germany: Pabst Science of God in 114 children aged 6 to 16 from Publishers, 1999, pb. 183 pp. a Christian school. Each child was asked ISBN 3-933151-96-1 to tell a story about God and then to answer questions about the story of Understanding spiritual and religious Jesus calming the sea. Most of the development is clearly extremely impor- responses were at stages 1 and 2, far tant. The editors, active researchers in fewer were at stage 3. Beile interviewed the area, maintain that spiritual phe- nomena are as open to scientific study as 43 German adolescents in a study of how any.They adopt a broad view of spiritual- feelings are related to religious judge- ity as having a natural root in human- ment. Transitions from stage 2 to stage 3 ness and as developing differently in were primarily cognitive, while those interaction with various religious tradi- from stage 3 to stage 4 were emotion tions. Socha, for example, regards spiri- based. Eleven participants reported spe- tuality as a way of coping with the cific religious feelings of closeness to God. uniquely human experience of knowing In a pilot study concerned with post- that we are mortal and will never be per- modern religiousness, Rollett and Kager fect. had 38 religiously oriented persons Nye discusses her extensive research respond to a battery of tests including a into the spirituality of children in the ‘Religious Dilemma’, a ‘Community light of theory of mind,a concept now pop- Dilemma’, a scale of Religious Self-Effi- ular in mainstream psychology. Theory of cacy, the Freiburg Personality Inventory, mind is concerned with how children and ‘Pictures representing four types of develop awareness that they, and other emotional interaction’. The authors’ main people, have minds, and what exactly conclusion indicated that fulfilment of these can do. This distinctively human spiritual needs results from a person kind of consciousness takes us beyond striving towards an emotional relation the immediacy of the physical world, and with the Absolute modelled on a co-oper- beyond understanding based on observ- ative partnership and a personal, respon- able behaviour. sible interpretation of obligation towards one’s own religious community. Thus In two of the studies reported Oser’s affective dimensions are not a preroga- five-stage description of the development tive of the so-called new religions, but are of religious judgement was used. At stage rather a fundamental aspect of religious 1, an Ultimate Being is all influential; at involvement per se. stage 2 God can be influenced by prayers; stage 3 the individual assumes responsi- The papers also include a life-span bility for his/her own life, the Ultimate study of the spiritual development of Being is apart. At stage 4 the individual Abraham Lincoln; a study which sought comes to recognise that freedom and life to probe the inconsistencies of the human stem from an Ultimate Being and at mind which enable miracles to be Science & Christian Belief, Vol 14, No. 2 • 183 Book Reviews believed; and one on wise acts (those did not arise in response to scientific which require a prior change of perspec- advance, as some would maintain. tive). Rather, it is the emergence of the literal interpretation of Genesis in the last cen- These papers provide a taste of some tury that is the anomaly. With this has studies in this very important area. come the baggage of ‘Creationist Science’ Interviewing is a time-consuming which the authors spend a considerable method of collecting data; the results time demolishing as both bad science and reported need to be verified and their bad theology. They present us with a scope extended. Hopefully some readers wealth of evidence to illustrate the incon- may feel inspired to undertake such sistencies, inaccuracies and confusion research. displayed by the anti-evolutionary Rosamund Bourke was formerly young-earth creationist thinking of Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Christian literalists like H. M. Morris. University of Hertfordshire. She is The authors recognize that Christians now active in research in the psychol- who hold such views may well be sincere ogy of religion. and well meaning, but they are actually doing the Christian Faith a disservice as illustrated by a quotation from the fifth century theological giant, Augustine of Hippo. ‘Usually even a non-Christian Roger Forster and Paul Marston knows something about the earth, the Reason, Science & Faith heavens, and the other elements of this Crowborough: Monarch Books, 1999. world… and this knowledge he holds to 479 pp., pb. £8.99. ISBN 1-85424-441-8 as being certain from reason and experi- Roger Forster and Paul Marston are no ence. Now, it is a disgraceful and danger- strangers to the ‘Science and Faith’ ous thing for an unbeliever to hear a debate and this book is a thorough Christian, presumably giving the mean- update and expansion of their previous ing of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense book Reason and Faith (1989 also pub- on these topics, and we should take all lished by Monarch). As Conservative means to prevent such an embarrassing Evangelicals they believe that the Bible situation, in which people show up vast has a unique authority, but they also are ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to convinced that its proper interpretation scorn’. Such quotations from a wide is consistent with modern science. They range of sources right back to the first hold firmly to the view expressed by Sir century are a feature of the book which Francis Bacon in the seventeenth cen- readers will find both fascinating and tury that the ‘Book of God’s Word’, the illuminating. Bible, teaches us theology whilst the It is not only creation scientists and lit- ‘Book of God’s Works’, Nature, teaches us eralists that receive a telling critique science. Properly understood there will from Forster and Marston; so too do those be no conflict between them. However, “scientific atheists” such as Peter Atkins they argue forcefully that such a proper and Richard Dawkins whose militant understanding does not require a literal atheism drives them to ridicule the Chris- interpretation. Indeed, they demonstrate tian faith and its adherents at every convincingly that the traditional under- opportunity. The authors note that much standing of the first chapters of Genesis, of what these popular science writers recognized by theologians (including have to say is more metaphysics and those of an ‘evangelical’ persuasion) from speculation than real science, and when the very birth of the Christian Church, is they comment on matters of philosophy, an allegorical, rather than a literal one. religion and the history of science they They are at pains to point out that this display a remarkable degree of ignorance. 184 • Science & Christian Belief, Vol 14, No. 2 Book Reviews Reason, Science & Faith is much more ters. Perhaps this is an inevitable conse- than just a consideration of the creation/ quence of dual authorship. Another evolution debate. It covers all the major minor irritation was that the style of issues relating to science and faith and it writing frequently became over-personal does so with intellectual rigor and exten- for a book of this nature and at times sive reference to the literature, both past seemed patronizing towards those who and present. There are chapters on how held other views. There were also an God works in the world, on the general exceptionally large number of “typos” for relationship between science and God a published book. and between reason and faith, including a major section on “the argument from Despite these minor criticisms, for design”. The philosophical and historical those who want a more in depth look at confrontations between science and reli- the major issues relating to science and gion are considered in depth as are ques- faith, this book is a must; but don’t expect tions of personal identity and freewill. it to be a quick and easy read! Before you Other chapters consider the nature of rush out and buy it, you can always take miracles and how God communicates a look at the full text by visiting the web- with us both through the historical Jesus site that is being developed around the and through the Bible. As noted above, book at www.reason-science-and- there is a particular emphasis on the faith.com. The idea is that this site will authority of Scripture and our interpre- provide additional information, updates tation of the early chapters of Genesis in and a forum for debate. But to end with, the light of current scientific views of the another useful quote from Thomas origins of the universe and life as we Aquinas that Forster and Marston bring know it. to our attention. ‘Two rules are to be observed, as Augustine teaches. The first Overall, this is a very impressive book is, to hold the truth of Scripture without that will reward the reader with a wealth wavering. The second is that since Holy of helpful quotations and historical Scripture can be explained in a multiplic- insights into how the relationship ity of senses, one should not adhere to a between science and faith has developed particular explanation, only in such down the centuries. There will be areas measure as to be ready to abandon it if it with which readers will wish to disagree, be proved with certainty to be false; lest and there may be issues that could have Holy Scripture be exposed to the ridicule been covered better.
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