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The Story of the Cosmos: How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God
Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe
What do you see when you gaze at the night sky? Do you contemplate the stars as the random result of an evolutionary process? Or do you marvel over them as a testament of the Creator’s glory?
Modern science has popularized a view of the cosmos that suggests there is no need for God and denies any evidence of His existence. But The Story of the Cosmos provides a different—and fascinating—perspective. It points to a God who makes Himself known in the wonder and beauty of His creation.
This compilation from respected scholars and experts spans topics from “The Mathematical Creation and the Image of God” to “The Glorious Dance of Binary Stars” and “God’s Invisible Attributes—Black Holes.” Contributors include Dr. William Lane Craig, Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez, Dr. Melissa Cain Travis, and Dr. Michael Ward.
Come, take a deeper look at the universe…and explore the traces of God’s glory in the latest discoveries of astronomy, science, literature, and art.
What do you see when you gaze at the night sky? Do you contemplate the stars as the random result of an evolutionary process? Or do you marvel over them as a testament of the Creator’s glory?
Modern science has popularized a view of the cosmos that suggests there is no need for God and denies any evidence of His existence. But The Story of the Cosmos provides a different—and fascinating—perspective. It points to a God who makes Himself known in the wonder and beauty of His creation.
This compilation from respected scholars and experts spans topics from “The Mathematical Creation and the Image of God” to “The Glorious Dance of Binary Stars” and “God’s Invisible Attributes—Black Holes.” Contributors include Dr. William Lane Craig, Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez, Dr. Melissa Cain Travis, and Dr. Michael Ward.
Come, take a deeper look at the universe…and explore the traces of God’s glory in the latest discoveries of astronomy, science, literature, and art.
272 pages, Paperback
Published July 16, 2019
32 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 16, 2021
a collection of essays (boring to start with). 30% were quite interesting, others felt like a sermon, others felt forced.
September 30, 2019
Fascinating and inspiring book. I love how the authors approached the subject from different viewpoints, whether scientific, literary, or historical. Some chapters are more accessible than others for those without a lot of science background (I read a few of the more technical chapters twice). But every chapter increased my awe and understanding of the cosmos and the God who created it. Highly recommend!
November 15, 2021
I could have read this book very quickly but I found that my desire was to bathe in the beauty and intelligence of its story. Every chapter was wonderfully written by different contributors bringing me that beauty and intelligence.
The subtitle, “How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God” gives us a picture of the essence of the book. What is striking to me is the detail in which the individual authors of each chapter, give a wonderful crafted reconciliation of science and biblical theology. This is best expressed, in my opinion, by Sarah Salviander in chapter 6, “God, Black Holes, and the End of the Universe”, and by Wayne R. Spencer in chapter 7, “Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler: The Gloriously Odd Couple of Astronomy”; particularly the quotes of Kepler.
And this quote taken from Holly Ordway in chapter 10, “Recovering the Vision of the Cosmos” reminds me to look deeper at what I commonly observe:
“Faced with a beautiful sunset, our first response is often to take a picture and post it on social media (how many of you Facebook friends have seen my often-posted sunsets taken from my driveway?)—and having done that, to move on. The photograph then becomes an object of interest not for what it displays, but for how many ‘likes’ or ‘shares’ or comments it generates. It is not wrong to take pictures or share them; the problem is that the secondary aspect of the experience (capturing and sharing it) now usually precedes and often excludes the primary experience—that is, our own immediate engagement with it.”
One of the editors of the book, Daniel Ray gives a wonderful summation in the Afterword:
“What is necessary for all of us, as we’ve said in this book, is to recapture a vision of God’s glory in the heavens. The skies above us are nightly telling if his glory, and yet like worms burrowing through the dirt, we seem to have completely lost interest in whatever diadems of glory and wisdom we can glean from them. So, what can be done?
Like the magi mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel, we have to begin with a single star. It is really that simple. That star led them to Jesus. And I believe that is ultimately what the stars should do. Jesus is described in both the Old and New Testaments as a kind of ‘star’ himself, at least in a poetic and metaphorical sense. He is the ‘sun of righteousness’ in Malachi 4:2, ‘the bright and Morning Star’ of Revelation 22:16, ‘the light of the world’ in John 8:12, and the ‘star of Jacob’ prophesied in Numbers 24:17. Not that one can look at the stars and immediately apprehend the wonders of Christ’s love and mercy toward us, by any means. The point is not the star of Bethlehem or the stars in general, but to whom all the stars point. The stars are heavenly messengers who never tire of declaring the glory of God.”
After having read this book when I gaze at the evening sky, especially away from the cities lights I actually do see God’s glory…
The subtitle, “How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God” gives us a picture of the essence of the book. What is striking to me is the detail in which the individual authors of each chapter, give a wonderful crafted reconciliation of science and biblical theology. This is best expressed, in my opinion, by Sarah Salviander in chapter 6, “God, Black Holes, and the End of the Universe”, and by Wayne R. Spencer in chapter 7, “Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler: The Gloriously Odd Couple of Astronomy”; particularly the quotes of Kepler.
And this quote taken from Holly Ordway in chapter 10, “Recovering the Vision of the Cosmos” reminds me to look deeper at what I commonly observe:
“Faced with a beautiful sunset, our first response is often to take a picture and post it on social media (how many of you Facebook friends have seen my often-posted sunsets taken from my driveway?)—and having done that, to move on. The photograph then becomes an object of interest not for what it displays, but for how many ‘likes’ or ‘shares’ or comments it generates. It is not wrong to take pictures or share them; the problem is that the secondary aspect of the experience (capturing and sharing it) now usually precedes and often excludes the primary experience—that is, our own immediate engagement with it.”
One of the editors of the book, Daniel Ray gives a wonderful summation in the Afterword:
“What is necessary for all of us, as we’ve said in this book, is to recapture a vision of God’s glory in the heavens. The skies above us are nightly telling if his glory, and yet like worms burrowing through the dirt, we seem to have completely lost interest in whatever diadems of glory and wisdom we can glean from them. So, what can be done?
Like the magi mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel, we have to begin with a single star. It is really that simple. That star led them to Jesus. And I believe that is ultimately what the stars should do. Jesus is described in both the Old and New Testaments as a kind of ‘star’ himself, at least in a poetic and metaphorical sense. He is the ‘sun of righteousness’ in Malachi 4:2, ‘the bright and Morning Star’ of Revelation 22:16, ‘the light of the world’ in John 8:12, and the ‘star of Jacob’ prophesied in Numbers 24:17. Not that one can look at the stars and immediately apprehend the wonders of Christ’s love and mercy toward us, by any means. The point is not the star of Bethlehem or the stars in general, but to whom all the stars point. The stars are heavenly messengers who never tire of declaring the glory of God.”
After having read this book when I gaze at the evening sky, especially away from the cities lights I actually do see God’s glory…
January 11, 2021
First of all, I loved the overall format of this book. It is a great looking book--the photos, the cover, the design, the type, etc. More importantly, the content was well-curated and well-organized. I enjoyed the unique perspectives of each contributor's section. Distilling high-level concepts (like those covered in this book) into a format that is digestible for mass consumption is a herculean task. There's a whole lot of brilliance packed into every paragraph, but the authors do a fantastic job of keeping the information readable for us non-mental-giants. (Great job, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, and Doctor.) If I had to pick a favorite section, that would be Dr. Salviander's: God, Black Holes, and the End of the Universe. Her essay alone is worth the price of the book. I mean, who isn't fascinated by the science of black holes, right?
Anyhow, I would recommend this to anyone. Grab a copy for yourself as a great vacation read, or grab a copy for an astronomy-loving friend of yours. You may disagree with parts of it. You may find yourself saying, "Amen!" to all of it. Agreement or disagreement is not the point. The point is for you look higher in awe and wonder and curiosity. I think this book will compel you to do just that. And, you'll be glad you did.
Anyhow, I would recommend this to anyone. Grab a copy for yourself as a great vacation read, or grab a copy for an astronomy-loving friend of yours. You may disagree with parts of it. You may find yourself saying, "Amen!" to all of it. Agreement or disagreement is not the point. The point is for you look higher in awe and wonder and curiosity. I think this book will compel you to do just that. And, you'll be glad you did.
August 2, 2019
This a good book that looks at the relationship between science and Faith from a variety of different angles. This book shows how science can provide evidence for premises in arguments for God's existence such as The Big Bang and The Fine-Tuning of the laws of physics, that scientists' ability to even do science in the first place is best explained by the fact that the universe was created by a rational Mind to behave in consistent and predictable ways and also created us with feasible reasoning faculties, and it also deals with the history of scientific developments by famous scientists who has a deep Christian commitment.
The book was written by several well respected scholars such as William Lane Craig, Melissa Cain Travis, Luke Barnes, Michael Ward and several others. The authors consist of physicists, geologists, philosophers, and astronomers.
This was an enjoyable read.
The book was written by several well respected scholars such as William Lane Craig, Melissa Cain Travis, Luke Barnes, Michael Ward and several others. The authors consist of physicists, geologists, philosophers, and astronomers.
This was an enjoyable read.
April 22, 2020
This collection of essays is a fantastic addition to the shelf and mind of any Christian who cares about what God has done in the universe He created. It provides three sections (what I like to shorten to: science, art, and apologetics) that when combined provide a grand picture of how God can be seen by what we know and continue to learn about the cosmos. While not all the chapters are easily understood, due to the nature of the subject matter, the authors do a great job in 'dumbing down' the content enough for those of us not scientifically inclined.
I highly recommend this book as an introduction to how God and science should never have been separated.
I highly recommend this book as an introduction to how God and science should never have been separated.
February 10, 2020
It was different than I expected it to be. It has science, apologetics, and even art and literature. I particularly enjoyed the chapters highlighting C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. This compilation does a good job of arguing for the existence of God due to the finely tuned universe. You get to learn facts and arguments for it while also learning how to appreciate the beauty in it all.
February 11, 2020
Stars, galaxies, black holes, art, literature, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, apologetics. Wow! This book is a beautiful read. The first half was 70% over my head, but still enjoyable. The second half was wonderful and the compilation of writers was broad. Excellent writing and great pictures of our world throughout.
July 22, 2021
Binary Stars, Black Holes, and Tolkien, oh my! This is a fun book, encompassing history, art, literature, and scientific study as the authors examine the depth and beauty of God’s universe. Some chapters are harder to read than others (Looking at you, Binary Stars!), but overall a really cool resource to awaken the mind through the imagination.
January 27, 2022
The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers , the moon and the stars that you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him? Or the son of man that you care for him?
Great read.
When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers , the moon and the stars that you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him? Or the son of man that you care for him?
Great read.
November 28, 2019
Fantastic compilation of essays!
April 7, 2020
Collection of essays, some of which went way over my head. But I thoroughly enjoyed most of the contributions.
September 24, 2021
Fascinating look at the hand of God in creation, and the science to understand it.
January 18, 2022
Mostly good essays on a Christian view of the study of the heavens. Ward's essay on Lewis' view was excellent.
March 23, 2022
Great book by Christian astronomers
September 6, 2019
So far, so excellent. I'm updating this review as I go along since I'm enjoying the book so much. A quote from the second chapter (written by Melissa Cain Travis):
"“One of the oddities of human intelligence is that its level of advancement seems like a case of overkill. While a modicum of intelligence does have a good survival value, it is far from clear how such qualities as the ability to do advanced mathematics...ever evolved by natural selection.” Paul Davies.
How can one explain advanced mathematics by natural selection? As Paul Davies points out, one cannot. Of what use in survival of the fittest would a knowledge of advanced mathematics be?
In his chapter "Eschatology of Habitable Zones," Guillermo Gonzalez writes succinctly: "The best science today does not support a natural origin for life on earth." He spends the rest of the chapter explaining just why that is. Perhaps the best summation of his chapter is this passage:
"Evidence of design is ubiquitous, from fundamental particles to living things to the solar system to the cosmos as a whole. The most obvious purpose of this design is for the existence of life. Another purpose is for some of that life to discover the truths about the cosmos through science. And, I am arguing here, for the first time, that interplanetary and even interstellar travel were also purposed from the beginning. We can see stars so that we can learn about the cosmos and so we can visit them."
One of the interesting things about this chapter that I hadn't understood before was that the earth was created in such a way that, not only would it support life, but it would support the exploration of the cosmos, including allowing man-made machines to be launched into the solar system and beyond.
I read the chapter "The Glorious Dance of the Binary Stars" and at first I was like, "why is this guy telling us how we can know the relative size and brightness of binary stars?" However, after I finished the chapter, it really stuck with me and I kept thinking through the implications of binary stars and how we know what we know about them, and I have to say, this became one of my favorite chapters. It really is incredible what we can ascertain about binary stars by noting their relative brightness as they orbit each other. David Bradstreet writes: "The many varieties of stars exist both to bring him [God] glory and also to instruct us toward understanding some of the mysteries of his creation."
Indeed, they do.
Sarah Silviander's chapter on black holes was interesting because she points out that, before about 1950, hardly anyone believed in black holes because they didn't make sense and the physics contained within them upended our understanding of the cosmos, but of course now, we have not only great evidence for them, but virtually everyone in the scientific community agrees that they exist. Dr. Silviander uses this fact to connect us to God's existence: "We can't see or touch God, but as with black holes, we have reason to believe something or someone immensely powerful is there." And then, "We can't rationally ignore the scientific evidence for God any more than we can ignore the evidence for black holes."
Just so.
Another favorite chapter was Paul M. Gould's chapter entitled, "Rediscovering the Discarded Image," where he makes this argument:
1. "The fact that the universe is finely-tuned for the existence and flourishing of humans is not surprising given theism."
2. The fact that the universe is finely-tuned for the existence and flourishing of humans is surprising given naturalism.
3. Therefore, it is probable that theism is true.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It is beautifully crafted with gorgeous photographs from the Hubble Space telescope and will hopefully stir you up to praise the God who created it all.
"“One of the oddities of human intelligence is that its level of advancement seems like a case of overkill. While a modicum of intelligence does have a good survival value, it is far from clear how such qualities as the ability to do advanced mathematics...ever evolved by natural selection.” Paul Davies.
How can one explain advanced mathematics by natural selection? As Paul Davies points out, one cannot. Of what use in survival of the fittest would a knowledge of advanced mathematics be?
In his chapter "Eschatology of Habitable Zones," Guillermo Gonzalez writes succinctly: "The best science today does not support a natural origin for life on earth." He spends the rest of the chapter explaining just why that is. Perhaps the best summation of his chapter is this passage:
"Evidence of design is ubiquitous, from fundamental particles to living things to the solar system to the cosmos as a whole. The most obvious purpose of this design is for the existence of life. Another purpose is for some of that life to discover the truths about the cosmos through science. And, I am arguing here, for the first time, that interplanetary and even interstellar travel were also purposed from the beginning. We can see stars so that we can learn about the cosmos and so we can visit them."
One of the interesting things about this chapter that I hadn't understood before was that the earth was created in such a way that, not only would it support life, but it would support the exploration of the cosmos, including allowing man-made machines to be launched into the solar system and beyond.
I read the chapter "The Glorious Dance of the Binary Stars" and at first I was like, "why is this guy telling us how we can know the relative size and brightness of binary stars?" However, after I finished the chapter, it really stuck with me and I kept thinking through the implications of binary stars and how we know what we know about them, and I have to say, this became one of my favorite chapters. It really is incredible what we can ascertain about binary stars by noting their relative brightness as they orbit each other. David Bradstreet writes: "The many varieties of stars exist both to bring him [God] glory and also to instruct us toward understanding some of the mysteries of his creation."
Indeed, they do.
Sarah Silviander's chapter on black holes was interesting because she points out that, before about 1950, hardly anyone believed in black holes because they didn't make sense and the physics contained within them upended our understanding of the cosmos, but of course now, we have not only great evidence for them, but virtually everyone in the scientific community agrees that they exist. Dr. Silviander uses this fact to connect us to God's existence: "We can't see or touch God, but as with black holes, we have reason to believe something or someone immensely powerful is there." And then, "We can't rationally ignore the scientific evidence for God any more than we can ignore the evidence for black holes."
Just so.
Another favorite chapter was Paul M. Gould's chapter entitled, "Rediscovering the Discarded Image," where he makes this argument:
1. "The fact that the universe is finely-tuned for the existence and flourishing of humans is not surprising given theism."
2. The fact that the universe is finely-tuned for the existence and flourishing of humans is surprising given naturalism.
3. Therefore, it is probable that theism is true.
I greatly enjoyed this book. It is beautifully crafted with gorgeous photographs from the Hubble Space telescope and will hopefully stir you up to praise the God who created it all.
September 23, 2019
“For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, the cosmos does indeed declare the glory of God," Daniel Ray writes in the first chapter of the book Paul M. Gould and he edited, The Story of the Cosmos: How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God.
~ What ~
This two-hundred-and-seventy-two-page paperback targets those who want to learn more about the universe that was notably created by the Almighty God. Using mainly the New International Version, other versions referenced are the NASB, RSV, ESV, and NRSV. After an introductory chapter, there are three parts, ending with an afterword, contributors' biographies, subject and Scripture indexes, and notes. About a dozen full-color photographs and illustrations/diagrams are included.
In this science and faith apologetics read that is a compilation of fourteen authors, the book focuses on how our universe promotes God. The first part is an exploration of the cosmos with six chapters that cover topics such as nature's intelligibility, meteorites, habitable zones, binary stars, black holes, and the lives of two astronomers, Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. The middle section covers the cosmos through art and literature expressions in three chapters involving well-known painters, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkein. With three chapters in the final section, its concentration is on the evidence of creation involving theology and science, cosmic coincidences, and discarded image rediscovery.
~ Why ~
Anyone who views the heavens on a clear dark night can witness the mystery of God's creation. I appreciated the many writers' views on how and when they realized that our universe was not haphazardly put together by chance but engineered beautifully by our Creator. The chapters explain some of cosmology's history, meteorite studies, living in "the age of astronomical surveys," that sixty percent of stars are binary, black holes are crucial to the development of the universe, and sometimes cosmic discoveries are unexpected.
~ Why Not ~
Those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may not be interested in this read, but it could change their stance on God creating the Heavens and the Earth. Some may find it too technical and dry if they do not know enough about the topic. Others may not like the ending where the writer challenges the reader to see the glory of God through His wonderful displays in space.
~ Wish ~
While I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter by Wayne R. Spencer on Brahe and Kepler and how they were true Christians who searched for cosmic answers, I did not care for Brother Guy Consolmango JS's writing on meteorites as it often discussed his personal life and unrelated material. I wish the book contained more photographs showing the beauty and magnificence of God's incredible work. It would be thoughtful to capitalize all pronouns of God for reverence.
~ Want ~
If you are interested in connecting the dots between man's quest to learn about space and how God finely tunes it for the existence and flourishment of humans, this may be of interest to you.
Thanks to Harvest House Publishers, Inc. and the editors for this book that I am under no obligation to review.
~ What ~
This two-hundred-and-seventy-two-page paperback targets those who want to learn more about the universe that was notably created by the Almighty God. Using mainly the New International Version, other versions referenced are the NASB, RSV, ESV, and NRSV. After an introductory chapter, there are three parts, ending with an afterword, contributors' biographies, subject and Scripture indexes, and notes. About a dozen full-color photographs and illustrations/diagrams are included.
In this science and faith apologetics read that is a compilation of fourteen authors, the book focuses on how our universe promotes God. The first part is an exploration of the cosmos with six chapters that cover topics such as nature's intelligibility, meteorites, habitable zones, binary stars, black holes, and the lives of two astronomers, Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. The middle section covers the cosmos through art and literature expressions in three chapters involving well-known painters, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkein. With three chapters in the final section, its concentration is on the evidence of creation involving theology and science, cosmic coincidences, and discarded image rediscovery.
~ Why ~
Anyone who views the heavens on a clear dark night can witness the mystery of God's creation. I appreciated the many writers' views on how and when they realized that our universe was not haphazardly put together by chance but engineered beautifully by our Creator. The chapters explain some of cosmology's history, meteorite studies, living in "the age of astronomical surveys," that sixty percent of stars are binary, black holes are crucial to the development of the universe, and sometimes cosmic discoveries are unexpected.
~ Why Not ~
Those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may not be interested in this read, but it could change their stance on God creating the Heavens and the Earth. Some may find it too technical and dry if they do not know enough about the topic. Others may not like the ending where the writer challenges the reader to see the glory of God through His wonderful displays in space.
~ Wish ~
While I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter by Wayne R. Spencer on Brahe and Kepler and how they were true Christians who searched for cosmic answers, I did not care for Brother Guy Consolmango JS's writing on meteorites as it often discussed his personal life and unrelated material. I wish the book contained more photographs showing the beauty and magnificence of God's incredible work. It would be thoughtful to capitalize all pronouns of God for reverence.
~ Want ~
If you are interested in connecting the dots between man's quest to learn about space and how God finely tunes it for the existence and flourishment of humans, this may be of interest to you.
Thanks to Harvest House Publishers, Inc. and the editors for this book that I am under no obligation to review.
August 8, 2019
Great book! Very thought-provoking with insightful looks at astronomy from a variety of Christian scientists. Doesn't just get into theology but contains fascinating scientific examinations of the cosmos. Great for any astronomy enthusiast or general Christian looking to know more about God's creation!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews