Dinosaurs: Marvels of God's Design - The Science of the Biblical Account

by Tim Clarey

A thoroughly researched, definitive guide to dinosaurs for Christian readers!
This book fills a critical need for sound science about dinosaurs from a biblical viewpoint, focusing on the five major dinosaur groups. Dinosaurs are in the news every day, as well as viewed in museums and on science channels. Unfortunately, these portrayals always push an evolutionary agenda. This book counters those arguments with solid, accurate, and biblically-based science:

Explains the latest findings in dinosaur biology, behavior, extinction, and more
Covers the complete spectrum of dinosaur-related topics, from the earliest dinosaur discoveries to debate over why they went extinct
Provides a visually stunning, dynamic exploration into the history of dinosaurs through the most current discoveries few have seen before!
Because of secular books and television shows, many Christians struggle to explain how dinosaurs fit in the biblical timeline. The word “dinosaur” is not found in the Bible, causing some well-meaning Christians to turn to secular science for an explanation, including more speculation than actual fact. Unfortunately, this misdirection has caused many people to lose faith in the Bible, especially the young generation. This book will restore faith in the Word of God as it connects the Bible with science. Read and discover how dinosaurs are part of God’s creative glory!

Genres: Dinosaurs, Science, Christian, Nonfiction, Creation Science

189 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Dr. Timothy Clarey received a B.S. in geology, a master of science in geology, a master of science in hydrogeology, and a Ph.D. in geology. From 1984 to 1992, Dr. Clarey was employed as a geologist with a major oil company, and from 1995 to 2013, he was a full professor and geosciences chair at a public college in Michigan before joining the staff at the Institute for Creation Research.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about reading this book until I saw that Ken Ham had endorsed it and then I knew that it would be what I wanted: a book that is biased towards the literal account that God's Word gives of creation. The author of this book believes in a literal six-day Creation and in a literal global flood, and thus studies the dinosaurs with that viewpoint. I was especially intrigued upon opening the first pages of the book to see 1 Timothy 6:20-21 and 2 Peter 3:5-6, two verses warning about those who turn away from what God's Word says.

Dinosaurs Marvels of God's Design by Dr. Tim Clarey is a very fascinating book on Dinosaurs. Filled with many photographs of dinosaur fossils, and many artist renditions of dinosaurs, it is interesting even to little kids as I found when my little brothers all gathered around me while I was reading this book this past week, asking about the dinosaurs and being intrigued with the pictures. Where the Bible is silent on Dinosaurs, the author is very speculative and admits that it he is speculative. That probably seems odd, but what I mean by that is that, where the Bible does not expound upon certain things about Dinosaurs, Clarey is careful not to be dogmatic on certain things, like whether or not the dinosaurs were warm or cold blooded, whether or not Dinosaurs carefully looked after their young…etc. He speculates, but makes sure that you know that he is merely speculating as he has not observed the live dinosaurs in action himself. For instance, in one spot he is giving some speculative reasons as to why a certain dinosaur had a very thick skull, concluding with, "God designed these dinosaurs with an unusual thickened skull for possibly all these reasons, and/or just to glorify Him by demonstrating tremendous diversity." But his speculation was very interesting, and I must add that it is informed by certain observations that can be made by observing fossils and things. But on all topics, like how far back in time Dinosaurs existed he holds very firmly to interpreting what science discovers of Dinosaurs by means of what God has said about His creation in His Word.

I loved it when giving the modern estimates of how old certain dinosaurs fossils are sometimes he says things like "Secular Dated: such and such millions of years ago" (I'm paraphrasing of course). Clarey uses a lot of repetition mainly when he is refuting the views of unbiblical scientists, he'll repeat statements about scientists have trouble with Marine fossils being mixed up with Dinosaurs but that Creationists don't have a problem with it because they believe in a global flood which is an excellent explanation as to how those creatures could have gotten mixed together. The repetitions like that are fine as they hammers these possible explanations into one's head, biasing one still more towards bias towards the Bibles account of the age of the earth, which I think is a good thing, and it is also good if you are using the book as a reference book rather than just reading it straight through.

All in all, I loved the book because it was biased, and the author had presuppositions, Biblical presuppositions.
The author is unapologetically biased towards the account of Creation given by the Ultimate Witness of Creation : God, the Creator Himself.

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I state that Master Books has provided me with a free review copy of this book through Cross Focused Reviews (My review did not have to be favorable). Lots of thanks to the publisher and Cross Focused Reviews!

[Mark E. Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful resource for apologetics.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I could remember I have had a fascination with Dinosaurs; and really, who hasn't??!! These mysterious creatures are shrouded in mystery. They haven't been around for a while now and yet have left clues all over the world for us to discover their story. While we don't know much about their story we have enough clues to piece together the data. The problem is that the data is often filtered through the presuppositional grid of the scientist; whether theist or non-theist. This is to be expected, but the important thing is to realize that the lens through which we interpret data is not itself data. It is an interpretive filter.

In this book, Dr. Clarey has done everyone a favor by taking the same data used by non-theists and offering an alternate explanation of the data viewed through a different lens- the lens of scripture. There will no doubt be many who object to this. However, the fact is nobody can escape their presuppositions and when we look at data we cannot look at it on a purely objective level. One way or another, our observations are both colored by what we presuppose and limited by what we do not know. The job of the scientist then is to offer the most plausible explanation of the data given their interpretive grid. While there is much in this book for the non-theist (or theistic evolutionist) to object to, it would be foolish of anyone to discount Clarey's ideas. They are perfectly rational and logical given the starting place and this is difficult to argue with.

Dr. Clarey not only offers a sound alternative to modern paleontology, but he also deals judiciously with the weaknesses of non-theistic views. He does so in a respectful and learned manner. I found his approach to be very encouraging in a discipline which has seen its fair share of ad hominem attacks and straw-man arguments.

Children will certainly enjoy this book. Its pages are not only full of fascinating facts about these ancient creatures, but also full color photographs and illustrations. The content of the book is part apologetic and part science; two skills which young readers will benefit from studying.

Who should read this?

I'd recommend this book as a part of a homeschool science curriculum or just as a general interest book for younger readers. Adults will also enjoy this book. There is plenty to explore and the distinctively Christian perspective on paleontology is one which should be given a fair chance in the marketplace of ideas.

Who should not read this book?

The views in this book are going to be controversial because so many people presuppose that Christianity and science are incompatible.I think there is a certain type of person who may not benefit at all from this book. This is the type who has already determined in his heart that there is no God and would continue to hold that view regardless of the evidence. As a result, this type is not very teachable if the topic involves anything supernatural. While I would like to think that most people would give this book a fair shot, reality is that there will be some who will not judge Clarey's argument on its own merit, but will instead try to refute it through a non-theistic grid. For that person, I would say don't bother.

For those who approach science from a non-theistic foundation but are willing to follow the facts wherever they lead, I think this would be a great book. You may not agree with everything, but you will undoubtedly gain a great deal of respect for the theistic models of science. Who knows, you may even start to become convinced.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from New Leaf Publishing Group in exchange for an online review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:
A thoroughly researched, definitive guide to dinosaurs for Christian readers!
This book fills a critical need for sound science about dinosaurs from a biblical viewpoint, focusing on the five major dinosaur groups. Dinosaurs are in the news every day, as well as viewed in museums and on science channels. Unfortunately, these portrayals always push an evolutionary agenda. This book counters those arguments with solid, accurate, and biblically-based science:

Explains the latest findings in dinosaur biology, behavior, extinction, and more
Covers the complete spectrum of dinosaur-related topics, from the earliest dinosaur discoveries to debate over why they went extinct
Provides a visually stunning, dynamic exploration into the history of dinosaurs through the most current discoveries few have seen before!
Because of secular books and television shows, many Christians struggle to explain how dinosaurs fit in the biblical timeline. The word “dinosaur” is not found in the Bible, causing some well-meaning Christians to turn to secular science for an explanation, including more speculation than actual fact. Unfortunately, this misdirection has caused many people to lose faith in the Bible, especially the young generation. This book will restore faith in the Word of God as it connects the Bible with science. Read and discover how dinosaurs are part of God’s creative glory!

My Review:
I don't know many children that don't fall in love with dinosaurs right on the spot. Except for maybe this child, I wasn't and still aren't a fan. But my babies love them! I youngest, yes he is 5 just recently ordered an online dinosaur movie all by himself. Needless to say now there is a pin number he doesn't know to purchase anything. That is how much he loves these creatures. They terrify me but he is in love with them and always has been. He tells us their names and what they eat, because we don't have a clue.

If you have a child like I do that is just fascinated with anything dinosaur, Masterbooks can hook you up. They have all different types of products to enhance your child's learning on the subject. Dinosaurs: Marvels of God's Design is their latest release and as always it has full color photographs. Which I love as a mom because I want my children to see something real and tangible not animated.

First of all, this book is based on scripture and you will find that throughout the book. The author goes on to explain how these creatures come to be as well as a host of other facts about them. The author goes on to explain a lot about them and he gives you a lot of research to back it up to further your knowledge on them, as well. An amazing book to add to your dinosaur library that I am sure your children will love. It is literally packed with lots of helpful information, with almost 200 pages to send them over the edge. It is especially geared towards upper elementary aged children.

If you are interested in learning more, you can at this link.

**Disclosure** This book was sent to me for my honest review from the author.

[Keira-- OLD ACCOUNT]

This was such a good book!
Never have I read a creationist dinosaur book that was so filled with information. It took me weeks to get through it. I learned so much from it, and I definitely hope to be adding this to my collection soon. This book was just so great. I recommend everybody even remotely interested in dinosaurs to check this one out, because you're in for a real treat!

[Cliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dinosaurs have been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. As a boy, I memorized and cataloged the different species. I would watch with rapt attention any program that talked about these gigantic beasts. My grandmother would take me to the library where I would check out vinyl records that were educational in nature about these marvelous creatures. I also grew up with a biblical worldview that rejected the evolutionary theories that were so prevalent and assumed in this area of study. Fast forward more than 30 years. My own children have become fascinated with Dinosaurs. I am raising them with the same worldview that I learned as a child. But now there are books that address the issues discussed by the evolutionists from a biblical perspective. This book is one of those that is outstanding in its presentation.

Beautifully illustrated and written by a scientist, this book captures the attention of the reader from the very first page. The author addresses issues such as: speciation, growth patterns, distribution, behavior, extinction, anatomy, and the history of paleontology. And he does it from a firmly biblical framework. Dr. Clarey demonstrates that science and scripture are not at odds with one another. This book is well researched and well designed. As I read this book, I found that old familiar spark of imaginative thought that I knew as a child. Only this time, it was informed by a creationist philosophy of the life and death of such curious critters.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a biblical perspective of these truly magnificent animals. My family loves this book and it will be a reference tool for us for many years to come. Thank you Master Books and Dr. Clarey for publishing this excellent book.

I received this book from the publisher via Cross Focused Reviews in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay first off, I need share my bias about this topic before hand: I have in the last ten years moved toward either an Old Earth view (with a literal Adam and Eve) or an Historic Creationism (John Sailhammer's view) view, so I was really excited to have a book that differed from the view that I was leaning towards and that was up to date with current science and all that.

I have always felt that the case for an old earth was decent and one of the reasons was because of dinosaurs and star light and stuff like that. This book tackled one of my two issues with the young earth position so I was super excited to read it.

And this book did not let me down! One part of this book is explaining how the young earth view (which it really never explains but assumes that you know what it is, its the traditional Biblical view) fits with the idea of dinosaurs. Which was refreshing and fun to read. I especially liked the discussion about whether the dinosaurs are warm or cold blooded. The other part of the book was a summary of how dinosaur families are broken down into different groups. This part was amazing and fun to get up to date info about dinosaurs, since the last time I read a science book about dinosaurs I think I was in the sixth grade. So that was awesome!!!

Overall I was extremely pleased with this book. I learned a ton and was intrigued by the inconsistencies in the fossil record, the soft tissue found in bones of dinosaurs, bird evolution issues and things like that. I knew there were issues but these issues seem to me to be huge. I never thought evolution was the answer but I never knew how strong the case was in relationship to dinosaurs. I am really excited to give this book to my son and let him read it.

Highly recommended!!!!!

[David M. Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

What follows is abridged from the original review available on the reviewer’s blog, the Pious Eye site.

Bible believers, who accept Scripture’s ultimate authority in all matters on which it speaks, are appropriately inclined to take all that Scripture says in its natural, straightforward sense (that is, in the sense that would be most natural and straightforward to its original recipients), and to let that sense, and all that it implies, guide their thinking on all topics. When the implications of Scripture’s natural sense, such as that the earth is “young” (thousands, not billions or even millions, of years old) and that a great flood once wiped out all land-based life not aboard a divinely-designed ship, radically contradict a narrative taken for granted by the broader culture, such as the anti-biblical “scientific” narrative about molecules-to-humanity evolution and billions-of-years deep time that is tiresomely repeated in everything from school textbooks to science documentaries to popular films, Bible believers, who must always be training themselves to think more biblically, urgently need a Scripture-consistent counter-narrative to draw upon. Sadly, the norm among Christian scholars today is not to provide such a counter-narrative, but to attempt to integrate the Bible’s words with the anti-biblical narrative.

Dr. Tim Clarey’s Dinosaurs: Marvels of God’s Design is a welcome exception to that norm. Though “the text is as accurate, up-to-date, and scientifically sound as any secular book on the market” and “covers the complete spectrum of dinosaur-related topics, from the earliest dinosaurs to debate over why they went extinct,” it does so without compromising the straightforward sense of Scripture. Rather than following the scholarly norm of explaining Scripture in terms of a narrative that currently passes for “scientific,” it offers scientific explanations of extant evidence that comport with the biblical narrative: it “explains dinosaurs in a biblical context” (8). The glossy Time-Life-Books-series style won’t appeal to everyone: the color pictures are great, and the graphic design is appealing, but roughly half the writing is white text on a black background—easy enough to read, but highly annoying to annotators and underliners. The book also has some minor flaws, which I’ll note below, but overall it merits a top rating and high recommendation.

The book comprises a table of contents, preface, fourteen chapters, one appendix, a brief “About the Author” page, endnotes, photo credits, and a brief index. The first four chapters, the scope of which is clear from their titles, cover the more general and foundational topics: Chapter 1, “Biblical Beginnings and the Ark”; Chapter 2, “Dinosaur Basics”; Chapter 3, “The True Age of Dinosaurs”; Chapter 4, “Dinosaur Discoveries.” The book’s final chapter, Chapter 14, “The Real Story of the Dinosaurs,” also deals with general and foundational topics, serving as a concise overview of the Scripture-consistent scientific narrative informing the whole book. This last chapter deserves to be read first. Clarey’s use there of his own research into the thickness of megasequences in various areas of North America to explain why dinosaur fossils and footprints are found where they are (and not found where they’re not) is especially interesting. (Megasequences are spans of geologic strata larger than the greater-name-recognition systems. For instance, the Zuni megasequence spans much of the Jurassic, all the Cretaceous, and just a bit of the Tertiary systems. Clarey, in common with other creation geologists, interprets these megasequences, of which there are six, “as catastrophic deposits left behind by six major advances of the Flood waters onto the continents” [175].)

The book’s fifth through thirteenth chapters, as well as the appendix, deal more with details about dinosaurs and, in the cases of Chapter 13, “Digging Dinosaurs,” and the appendix, “Determining the Weight of a Dinosaur Using Scale Models,” how one might go about doing some amateur dinosaur science oneself. I confess to zero interest in the do-it-yourself chapter and appendix, but the more empirically inclined might enjoy them. As in the case of the more general and foundational chapters, the scope of these more detail-oriented chapters can be well discerned from the chapters’ titles. Chapter 5 through 9 focus upon specific types of dinosaurs: Chapter 5, “The Many Varieties of Theropod Design”; Chapter 6, “The Sauropodomorpha: The Large and Lumbering”; Chapter 7, “Suborder Ornithopoda: The Duck-bills”; Chapter 8, “Suborder Marginocephalia: The Domed, Horned, and Frilled”; Chapter 9, “Suborder Thyreophora: Armored and Plated.” People who often exclaim “I love dinosaurs!” at inappropriate times and in public places will probably like these chapters best. Chapters 10 through 12 are somewhat more general than Chapters 5 through 9, though still more focused on scientific details than the first four chapters. Again, scope is evident from titles: Chapter 10, “Dinosaur Biology / Anatomy”; Chapter 11, “Dinosaur Behavior”; Chapter 12, “Dinosaur Endings and Extinction.” Those who, like myself, can’t recall ever exclaiming “I love dinosaurs!” will probably like these chapters, along with Chapters 1 through 4, more than Chapters 5 through 9.

While different readers will like certain chapters more than others, every chapter is well worth reading; and, given the prevalence of the anti-biblical narrative throughout our culture, even Bible believers with no interest at all in dinosaurs should consider acquiring a copy (or, as suggested on the publication data page [2], requesting their local library purchase one). A couple particularly useful matters covered (beyond what has already been noted) are created “kinds” and how they might relate to current scientific taxonomy (14, 21, 22, 92, 110, etc.) and the discoveries of intact dinosaur soft tissue (48-9), which the anti-biblical narrative cannot reasonably explain, and of carbon-14 where the anti-biblical narrative says there shouldn’t be any (50-1).

One of Dinosaurs’ minor flaws is that Clarey occasionally resorts to ad hoc and speculative suggestions to “solve” problems raised by the Scripture-consistent narrative he’s presenting. Since advocates of the anti-biblical narrative also employ ad hoc and speculative suggestions freely (with considerably more freedom, it could be argued), I am tempted to consider this a feature rather than a bug, at least where no unstated or undefended assumptions are involved. Such an unstated assumption does seem to be involved in at least one case, however. In the “Biblical Beginnings and the Ark” chapter, Clarey writes the following: “In order to fulfill this command [God’s command to repopulate the earth], the so-called meat-eating dinosaurs (theropods) probably ate only plants after the Flood, at least for a time, before returning to their meat-eating ways” (14). In compliance with the natural sense of Scripture, Clarey affirms that all animal kinds, even the kind that includes the vicious T. rex, were vegetarian prior to humanity’s Fall and the resultant Curse (145). This is clever and, when first read, sounds plausible. Upon reflection, however, one perceives an unstated assumption. In proposing that theropods reverted to vegetarianism for a time after the Flood, Clarey clearly assumes that the basic anatomy and physiology that allowed the various meat-eater kinds to survive and thrive as vegetarians before the Fall remained sufficiently unchanged by the Curse to allow their post-Flood reversion to vegetarianism. This assumption is unstated in the context of this speculation, so I’ve tagged it as a flaw. I’ve tagged it as only a minor flaw because, though Clarey leaves the assumption unstated and so undefended here, he does come very close to stating and defending it later. In “The Many Varieties of Theropod Design” chapter, he writes this: “Exactly what type of vegetation T. rex [better, the created kind of which T. rex is a representative] ate with those massive teeth remains a mystery, but animals with similarly sharp teeth have remained exclusively vegetarian, like the fruit bat and panda. A recent study of modern crocodilians,” he adds, “has shown that nearly three-fourths of them consume plants, including fruits, nuts, and grains to supplement their diet, leaving secular science baffled for an explanation” (79). Would Clarey go so far as to maintain that all created kinds, including humans, today retain the ability to survive and thrive on entirely vegetarian diets? Clarey’s failure to answer this question is not a flaw, but I am curious.

The last passage quoted from in the preceding paragraph (and the bracketed modification I’ve made in the portion quoted) points to another minor flaw. Clarey, oddly enough, fails to employ his own thoughts on created “kinds” in some of his discussion. For instance, just before the words quoted near the end of the preceding paragraph, Clarey writes, “In God’s original creation, even the mighty T. rex was a vegetarian, as were all animals. It wasn’t until after the sin of man and the resulting Curse that T. rex became a meat-eater” (79). T. rex, however, is a species (genus Tyrannosaurus, species rex), and Clarey is quite consistent in pointing out his belief that a created kind is probably close to a taxonomic family, the next level up from genus. Though the presence of T. rexes in Flood sediments means that the species had been produced by the created kind’s build-in potential for variation by the time of the Flood, it doesn’t follow from this that God necessarily created any actual T. rexes when he created their parent kind. Since created kinds are not species, we can’t assume that any specific species were among what God originally created. The same rapid speciation proposed to have repopulated the earth (from as few as one species per created kind) with a vast array of species after the Flood, might be expected to have produced (from an original creation that included only some species of every kind), at least some of the species extant at the time of the Flood. This, at least, is something one might easily think. If Clarey has biblical or scientific grounds for maintaining that every species existing at the time of the Flood had been created as a separate species when God first created each kind, he should set forth those grounds in the book.

Another of the book’s minor flaws is the lack of rigor and detail in its use of concepts drawn from presuppositionalism. Like many capable advocates of biblical creationism, Clarey is an empirical scientist by training, so detailed and wholly consistent treatment of foundational philosophical matters can hardly be expected. Still, Clarey’s use of such presuppositionalist concepts as “worldview” merits comment.

Opening Chapter 1, “Biblical Beginnings and the Ark,” Clarey notes that, in addition to being “a science book about dinosaurs,” this text is “a story of discovery,” then adds the following: “However, each discovery is judged on presuppositions, or a particular starting worldview....How factual data, like dinosaur fossils and rocks[,] are interpreted, depends on which presuppositions you start with.” One such set of presuppositions is “the uniformitarian worldview,” adherents of which “believe the earth has had the same processes, unchanged for eons of time” and “believe life somehow began from nonlife without help of a Creator”—“the dominant worldview in science today.” The other set of presuppositions is “the worldview that God’s Word is true,” which “holds that God made everything in six days and that there was a Flood that destroyed the original world just thousands of years ago. This,” he adds, “is the presupposition used throughout this book.” He adds further that “this worldview completely fits with the factual evidence” (11).

In saying this, what does Clarey mean exactly? The most natural reading seems to be that, in Clarey’s opinion, worldviews are subject to testing by how they fit (or fail to fit) with uninterpreted, worldview-independent (“brute”) facts. This understanding, however, is inconsistent with the presuppositionalism from which such terms as “presupposition” and “worldview” are drawn. (The terms exist in the broader language, but the apologetic use of them should be credited to presuppositionalism.) The idea that worldviews are subject to worldview-neutral empirical testing is, at least, inconsistent with the most rigorous and self-consistent form of presuppositionalism, that advocated by such thinkers and Cornelius Van Til and Greg Bahnsen, what adherents call “true presuppositionalism.” Even use of such terms as “factual evidence,” “facts,” “evidence,” and “data” without qualification, as though adherents of all presuppositional frameworks necessarily understand the terms the same way, is open to criticism in terms of “true presuppositionalism.” Such presuppositionalism recognizes that worldviews don’t just guide how one interprets evidence, but guide what one identifies as evidence. In place of Clarey’s “this worldview completely fits with the factual evidence,” such presuppositionalism might suggest such phrasing as “this worldview permits one to explain, in a self-consistent manner, all that it identifies as data or evidence needing explanation, and to explain, when necessary, why what advocates of other worldviews identify as data needing explanation is not such in terms of this worldview.” Because secular science in the West has borrowed its understanding of the natural world, and so its understanding of data or evidence, from the West’s Christian heritage, it is easy and natural to assume that evidence is held in common by adherents of both biblical and anti-biblical worldviews, but increasing numbers of persons on the anti-biblical side of things are recognizing that a consistent (“postmodern”) outworking of their worldview allows very different views of evidence, perhaps even rejection of the concept of “evidence” altogether. A presuppositional purist would likely not speak of a “uniformitarian worldview” either, since uniformitarian scientism is merely one outworking of the anti-biblical worldview (which, like all outworkings of that worldview, proves inconsistent and self-refuting when analyzed closely enough).

To be fair, Carey’s usage is only a flaw to those of us trying to perfect our presuppositionalism, to make it as self-consistent and rigorous as possible, to ensure that nothing “neutral” sneaks in. No higher authority has declared that “presuppositions,” “presuppositional frameworks,” “worldviews,” and related terms must be used only in the “true presuppositionalist” manner purists prefer. Whatever its potential flaws, Carey’s usage does not prevent valid insights. For example, in Chapter 10, “Dinosaur Biology/Anatomy,” when discussing the debate over whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded or cold-blooded (Clarey believes they were cold-blooded), Clarey says of this “metabolism debate” that “It is actually a war of worldviews. Mainstream, secular science is trying to make dinosaurs into warm-blooded animals because they [adherents of mainstream, secular science] are trying to make them [dinosaurs] the evolutionary ancestors of birds” and “Birds are warm-blooded, or most are nearly so” (124). Later in the same chapter, Clarey observes that, “Because of the nagging lack of transitional fossils, Stephen J. Gould and Niles Eldredge proposed a modification of Darwin’s...theory that tried to explain away missing links, called punctuated equilibrium. Their hypothesis didn’t...provide...rock and fossil evidence; rather, it was merely an acknowledgement that the fossil record shows repetitive episodes of no change (stasis) followed by periods of sudden change. This,” he adds, “is precisely what creationists have pointed to as conclusive evidence of a catastrophic Flood, with sudden fossil changes occurring in rapid succession as sediments accumulated. It all depends on your starting assumptions, your worldview, to explain the same results” (129). The facts (“results”) themselves are not at issue in these “worldview” conflicts, only interpretation of the facts. While this usage of terms, like that in Chapter 1, doesn’t mesh with “true presuppositionalism,” it does, like discussion in Chapter 1, offer a valid and helpful observation: commitment to a biblical or uniformitarian viewpoint determines how one interprets evidence more than evidence determines whether one commits to a biblical or uniformitarian viewpoint.

This “valid and helpful observation” is stated in terms I think Clarey could accept. Introducing Chapter 11, “Dinosaur Behavior,” which suggests what “can be gleaned about behavior from the study of footprints, egg nests, and even computer models,” Clarey writes, “Once again, all conclusions are a consequence of worldview. If you think dinosaurs are millions of years old, you will most likely interpret this data much differently from those of us that hold a biblical worldview. The data set is the same, however, and scientists are always making new discoveries” (141). Here, Clarey interestingly suggests that someone whose presuppositional framework includes the evolution-and-deep-time narrative will only “most likely” interpret the data in a manner consistent with that framework. The presuppositional purist must wonder whether Clarey really believes that “all conclusions are a consequence of worldview,” since surely one draws a conclusion whenever one decides that something one observes is or is not part of the set of relevant information (“data set”). Non-purists, on the other hand, may join Clarey in hoping that, as the data set expands to include new discoveries, those with the uniformitarian worldview might, faced with offering ever more complicated interpretations of the data to make it fit with their worldview, grow more willing to consider the biblical perspective.

In summary, Dinosaurs’ strong points are numerous and significant, and its weak points are few and minor, making it easy to recommend and rate highly.

[Noah · Rating 1 out of 5]

As someone who identifies as Agnostic, I went into this book with real questions. I would say that dinosaurs were one of the topics that started my questioning of my childhood Christianity. I picked this book up in a genuine attempt to see the other perspective and see how dinosaurs could fit into the clear scientific history science has uncovered. Unfortunately, the Bible is interpreted very literally by Dr. Clarey. I read most of the book, but I couldn’t move past the author’s insistence that evolution does not exist and the world is only 6-10 thousand years old. Scientific evidence refuted this and this book fails to even provide a sliver of doubt in my mind. Most of the conclusions are easily refuted and not insightful. The author can only explain away so many things by saying “it was the flood” before the argument loses any weight even the most gullible could have regarded it with. I would have loved to see this book use the reality of science and explaining how the tales in the Bible fit in with the reality of Dinosaurs. The few quotes from the Bible, where it acknowledges strange creatures or noises, and then Dr. Clarey explains what it might have been were honestly more compelling than anything else in this book. Cannot recommend. At the very least, I can say that this is well researched, if for the footnote that the research is very bias and easily refuted.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 yo was interested in learning more about dinosaurs so we read through this together. This has great pictures, charts, etc. (the author has done his own dinosaur digs!) and is probably intended for a younger audience but it would be tough reading without some help. It gets very technical in places. We both learned a lot, though, and just tried getting to big picture for the parts we didn't understand as well.

[Justin Wheaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really Makes You Think

Regardless of where you stand on the age of dinosaurs, this book needs to be read. Both sides of the argument need to be understood. This is definitely a must-read.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned how the flood happened in North America by simply knowing where most dinosaurs are located. Thought that was the most interesting part. It was also cool to learn about the different kinds of dinosaurs and how they lived.

[A H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Full of helpful and beautiful illustrations as all nonfiction books should be ;)

I learned so much about dinosaurs and was able to understand the vast majority of it.

[Michael Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody seems to love dinosaurs. The recent success of the movie Jurassic World seems proof enough of that fact. Unfortunately, the typical approach when it comes to dinosaurs is the presentation of the evolutionary dogma that dinosaurs existed long before man and we part of the “from goo to you by way of the zoo” movement of history promoted by such a theory. Christians often fall into the evolutionary trap, failing to realize dinosaurs were created by God and were part of His original creation. They are also often unaware that Scripture does speak about these amazing creatures.

In his book Dinosaurs: Marvels of God’s Design, Dr. Tim Clarey walks the reader through the issue of the dinosaurs, using the framework and lens of the Bible as well as providing sound science throughout. Yes that is correct…science actually can and does support the biblical account. More on that later.

For starters, this book is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t often use that as a description for a book; however, the full color pages found throughout are very impressive. The maps, pictures of various dinosaurs, scriptural quotes, historical figures of note, and tables provide the reader with much to look at. I would submit this book would be of great use not just for children, but also for adults. I found the information to be highly readable and even when matters of science are discussed (and here is much scientific fact provided in this book), it was not overwhelming to the point where a child or someone not well versed in such matters could not enjoy the information.

Now as noted earlier, this book is written from a creation science perspective and Clarey does not hide that fact. As one who affirms the creation science approach to origins and dinosaurs for that matter, I appreciated that Clarey does not shy away from noting how science does support the Bible when it comes to this subject. God’s Word is not devoid of addressing the dinosaurs. Unfortunately, translators have tended to treat Leviathan and Behemoth as nothing more than a crocodile or hippo. The reality is Job encountered and lived alongside dinosaurs. This means the oldest book in the Bible attests to man living with these creatures.

Clarey addresses all the necessary questions such as the actual age of dinosaurs, matters related to soft tissue found in dinosaur fossils, how carbon-14 dating reveals a young age for dinosaurs fossils, and most importantly, how dinosaurs are not evidence of random chance, but rather clear and beautiful evidence of God’s design. He provides the reader with a plethora of facts by which we can combat the evolutionary dogma of millions of years.

I found this book to be excellent and I highly recommend it. As a homeschooling parent, it will certainly find its way into science and bible related discussions over the coming years.

I received this book for free from Master Books via Cross Focused Reviews and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic overview of dinosaurs from a creationist perspective (and written for adults, too!). Just about everything about dinosaurs is covered: biology/anatomy, behavior, metabolism, if they were feathers, etc. Four chapters give brief overviews of the various suborders and infraorders.