Science and the Mind of the Maker: What the Conversation Between Faith and Science Reveals About God

by Melissa Cain Travis

Are We an Accident...or Not? The question of cosmic origins and our place in the grand scheme of things has been debated for millennia. Why do we exist? Why does anything exist at all? Today's popular narrative, based on advancements in science, is that it all happened by natural, random processes. Melissa Cain Travis points to powerful evidence that the opposite is true—that cosmology, astronomy, biochemistry, and other disciplines strongly support what she calls "The Maker Thesis," which explains the origin, rationality, and intricacy of nature and the human mind's capacity to comprehend it. Our universe is made up of numerous complex systems of order that both interact and coexist with each other as if in a carefully choreographed dance. Follow along on a fascinating journey about how the structure of nature and the mind of man resonate in ways that point to a Maker who fully intended the astounding discoveries being made in the natural sciences today.

Genres: Science, Theology, Religion, Christianity, Faith, Intelligent Design

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 3, 2018

Reviews

[DT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I expected it to have cliche Christian arguments in favour of creationism. Instead, this book tackled topics like physics, mathematics, and philosophy. I learned so much from reading this book even as someone who majored in science in undergrad. I like how the author explained concepts clearly without insulting our intelligence. LOL. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to see the connection between Christian belief and science.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I selected this book because I have children who are starting to encounter evolution theory in school and I wanted to give them another resource that could help them better understand the arguments that support Biblical Creation and the Maker Thesis. This book is a great resource, though I should note it is written at a very high level, perhaps best suited to upper high school or college levels.

Honestly, for my own level of education (four year degree, English major), I found this book difficult to understand in many places. It frustrated me a bit, but for those with the background that I lack, this could be an invaluable tool for how to interpret both historical and current beginning of life theories from a Christian worldview.

The book is well-cited and has many quotes from scientists and mathematicians of all backgrounds and belief systems (including “none”), contemporary as well as historical. While the author comes at the topic from a believing viewpoint, she is careful to include ideas from many areas of scientific expertise, pointing out how a materialistic view leaves many holes and how the maker thesis works with each one.

For me, the most useful part of each chapter was the “key points” wrap-up; it reiterated the main themes of the chapter and condensed some of the arguments into more understandable chunks. The conclusion also operated in the same way but would likely not make much sense without the further explanations given throughout the rest of the work.

Overall this is an excellent resource, though it might frustrate those without a strong math and science background. I recommend it for those who are interested in the topic and who either have said background or are willing to put in the extra time and effort that it may take to engage with the material.

I received a review copy of this book through NetGalley but was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed are both honest and my own.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thesis of this book, Travis writes, is “...Christian theism, unlike atheism, offers a sufficient explanation of the observable features of the natural world as well as mankind's impressive scientific achievements.” (Loc 54/2845) The foundational rationality of nature and that humans are fit to investigate nature are amazing. There is a Mind behind the universe, making it possible for rational inquiry to exist.

Her Maker Thesis suggests certain discoveries of the natural sciences support the inference of a Mind behind the universe, and that this Mind intended man to be successful in studying the natural sciences. She suggests the Mind structured the universe in such a way man could investigate it and become aware of Him.

She argues in three areas. First, from modern scientific evidence supporting the philosophical argument for the existence of the Maker. Second, explaining the features of the universe that need to exist to make scientific investigation possible. Third, the philosophical argument that a rational Mind and humans with souls are necessary to the effective practice of the natural sciences.

Some of her philosophical arguments were beyond my attention span. Her evidence from science did make sense to me. There was a beginning to the universe. The universe is fine tuned for life. The sophisticated design of DNA. There is an amazing interconnection between mathematics and nature. I really appreciated her explanation of the Higg's field and Higg's boson. It's the best I've seen for the non-scientist. I am glad she chose not to enter into the creation/evolution debate too. The Maker Thesis works either way.

In her conclusion, Travis believes the Maker Thesis best explains the scientific evidence and philosophical arguments she has presented. I think she has done a good job of it. Some of the material might be puzzling for non-scientific readers but she provides a list of key points at the end of each chapter.

I recommend this book to Christians who are dismayed by the recent claims of atheists that science is disproving the existence of God. Travis shows it is not the case. Granted, there is no hard scientific evidence available to prove that God exists and designed the universe. But Travis's work shows that the Maker Thesis provides a good account of nature and our ability to comprehend and investigate it.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Sara Groti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book !! Science and Faith, are not in contradiction with each other. In fact they are beautifully interwoven. "Science and the Mind of the Maker" makes that point so well.
"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."
Romans 1:20

12/10 recommend !!

[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac)]

well, i'm very sceptical about this because i have no idea if the author is even a scientist, but damn, it was read now on netgalley and i'm a curious guy ok....

[Blake Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written book that I will read again in the future. While I don't totally agree with the author, it was nice reading a book that presented the Christian POV in such a rational way. Modernity leads us to believe that the answer to all our questions can be found through Science, but this book puts forward many areas in which it can't. Religious and Atheists alike should give this book a try.

[Robert V. Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading "Science and the Mind of the Maker." I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author did a great job of integrating many of the issues from Scientific Apologetics with current and past literature. There are parts of the book that get a bit technical but overall it should be accessible to most people.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dense and what feels, thorough, argument of how our discoveries of the scientific world point to a supernatural maker, a being that most would call God. The author delves into the beliefs of many key scientists throughout history, especially those involved in physics. Even those who were not believers in an Abrahamic faith had a hard time arguing with the data that suggests a beginning to the existence of the cosmos (now called the Big Bang Theory), but she presents the arguments of those who tried. She discusses Einstein and even Darwin and his contemporaries. She points to the failure of the "Junk DNA" argument when it was discovered that there are many functions of this DNA which is not coding for protein, but it is in our genomes with a purpose. It was interesting that she also discusses human's ability to discover science and mathematics as part of the argument, as natural selection would not be expected to chose for such skills. As a scientist, I enjoyed her arguments, although I think many might find it too academic. But if you are really struggling with these questions and want a bit more of a rigorous discussion, this book is good for you.

[Tom Burkholder · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Science and the Mind of the Maker, professor and author Melissa Cain Travis, writes a very insightful and academic defense for a Creator or what she calls “The Maker Thesis.” Travis writes: “Granted, we are not able to prove (or disprove) God’s existence scientifically, so instead of asking whether or not science proves God, the correct question to ask is whether or not his existence makes better sense of the available evidence.” And her conclusion is it does make more sense.
Why is this important? Travis writes: “…no one is going to be persuaded of John 1:14 (the Word was made flesh) if they are not first persuaded of John 1:3 (there is a creating Word).”
This is a good book, but it reads more like a college text book. It is full of incredible research. I would recommend this book. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jupiter (God’s Version ✝️) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. it was a great topic, on if my favorite things to talk abt of all times cuz it merges two of my passions, but the writing……. was SO BAD. ik that it is t a novel, its an argument, but i couldn’t pay attention to this at all. the introduction was painful. once i got to the first chapter the writing picked up and i was like “oh okay maybe that was just the intro cuz this is actually good” OnLy To FiGurE oUt ThAt ThE bEgGiNnInG oF tHe FiRsT cHaPtEr wAs a QuOtE. after that it went right back to the painful writing. i might pick it up again in the future but rn…………..

[Laura Aldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazingly intense book. The science is spot on and while it's very intelligent I didn't find that it was too far for the normal person to understand - sure you may have to read it over or slowly, but the points that were being made were clear and concise.

There's so many tie ins between God as creator of the universe and the science of the universe that I've never even considered and to have them all broken out and explained was absolutely magnificent.

Highly recommend.

[Raechelle Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

recommend

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, but VERY high-level academic read. A bit of a chore to get through, but packed with solid evidence for God's role in creation.

[Michelle Castaneda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science and the Mind of the Maker by Melissa Cain Travis is a great scholarly resource for defending your faith. This book is well thought out and researched. I highly recommend it to anyone who want to further research this topic. This book was not what I expected. It read more like a high school or college textbook than mainstream nonfiction. That being said, it was well written and I would recommend it as such. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.