Faith vs. Science: The Unnecessary Dichotomy

This book will help clarify the debate on science and religion and (hopefully) provide a safe middle ground for discussion of this issue in various educational curricula. 

The author, Dr. Jerome Goddard, is a world recognized scientist and a leading authority on entomology for the Mississippi Department of Health in Jackson, MS. He lectures and consults on numerous issues world-wide and is the author of a best selling book on medical entomology.

I doubt many people will be pleased with this book. My scientist friends will think I’m crazy (or crazier than previously thought), and my Christian friends will think I’ve compromised my beliefs. However, I wrote it because I’ve struggled to understand the world around me and this is my story of that journey to understanding matters of faith and science, which—for the most part—simply cannot be resolved.  Along this path, I’ve become convinced that there is a spiritual dimension to the world.  Naturalism fails to explain the universe adequately.  To me, the religious impulse, so pervasive in humans, indicates that we have a spiritual nature and a hunger for that realm. God has somehow put within us a knowing of this dimension.  Believing is much more natural than not believing.

This is not a book on theology, nor is it a highly technical scientific analysis. It’s really just a conversation—between me and a hypothetical, non-hostile unbeliever. My purpose is to help scientific people see that religion is not just for kooks and to help religious people see that science is not just for atheists.  Persons skilled in debate will quickly notice that I have utilized a variety of methods to advance my arguments such as logic, rhetoric, presentation of scientific/experimental data, and even narrative. I realize this mixture of methods is in itself a fault and sometimes appears self-contradictory.  However, keep in mind that this book is written in a conversational tone.  In real life conversations, people utilize a variety of methods to make their points. That’s what I’m doing here—opening up a reasonable, educated conversation about God, science, and life itself in ways that work best for me.

Also, the book is not meant to be read cover to cover.  It consists of essays on diverse scientific or religious topics, each of which could stand alone. Some of them are short (a few paragraphs) containing main thoughts on the subject at hand.  I might suggest the reader just bounce around and read whatever interests him or her. I ask for mercy from theologians and scientists as they read these essays and ask that they not read this book as if they were grading an assignment or reviewing a paper for publication. Instead, I hope they will read it like a diary detailing one man’s search to understand reality.

Jerome Goddard, Ph.D.
wwwjeromegoddard.com

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