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A Theory of Everything (That Matters): A Brief Guide to Einstein, Relativity, and His Surprising Thoughts on God
In Light of Today’s Scientific Achievements, Do We Need God Anymore?
Einstein’s revolutionary scientific ideas have transformed our world, ushering in the nuclear age. The current pace of scientific and technological progress is simply astounding. So is there any place for faith in such a world?
Einstein himself gave careful thought to the deepest questions of life. His towering intellectual status means he is someone worth listening to when we think through the big questions of
Einstein’s revolutionary scientific ideas have transformed our world, ushering in the nuclear age. The current pace of scientific and technological progress is simply astounding. So is there any place for faith in such a world?
Einstein himself gave careful thought to the deepest questions of life. His towering intellectual status means he is someone worth listening to when we think through the big questions of
240 pages, Hardcover
Published October 8, 2019
23 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Alister E. McGrath
452 books493 followersAlister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, until 2005. He is an Anglican priest and is ordained within the Church of England.
Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.
McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.
Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.
McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 27, 2019
I am not a physicist. But like many physicists, I barely understand Einstein and his theories if Special Relativity and General Relativity. And like most physicists, I know/knew even less about Einstein’s ideas about God. Alister McGrath has written a great introduction to Einstein’s contributions to science and his concepts of God. He also explores how Einstein’s thinking about God can help the Christian believer (Einstein was a non-observant Jew) understand the relationship of science and faith.
The first half of the book is a textual summary of Einstein’s contributions to the world of physics. The next 25% of the book introduces the reader to Einstein’s understanding of God. The book ends by asking how Einstein’s methodology - both in science and in his understanding of God - can provide a framework for the believer to understand the relationship between science and religion. The author makes clear that the reader does not need to reach Einstein’s conclusions in order to appreciate and make use of his methodology as he or she seeks to weave together the two seemingly disparate worlds of knowledge.
Well-referenced, using Einstein’s own words and those of his contemporaries, citations are frequent and helpful as they refer the reader to the author’s source material. The author uses no mathematics other than a half-dozen references to Einstein’s most famous equation, E=mc2. The Advanced Readers Copy I received contained no pictures, but throughout the book are notations that “ILLUSTRATIONS TO BE PROVIDED IN THE FINAL BOOK”. The illustrations may help with understanding the author’s points, but the text itself is easily read and understood by the non-scientist.
For the scientist, philosopher, Christian, or seeker, attempting to better understand Einstein or the interconnectedness of science and religion, this book provides essential reading. College libraries and church libraries wanting to meet the needs of a diverse set of patrons will want to add this book to their collections. My geekish and nerdish friends will want to devour this book as well.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.
The first half of the book is a textual summary of Einstein’s contributions to the world of physics. The next 25% of the book introduces the reader to Einstein’s understanding of God. The book ends by asking how Einstein’s methodology - both in science and in his understanding of God - can provide a framework for the believer to understand the relationship between science and religion. The author makes clear that the reader does not need to reach Einstein’s conclusions in order to appreciate and make use of his methodology as he or she seeks to weave together the two seemingly disparate worlds of knowledge.
Well-referenced, using Einstein’s own words and those of his contemporaries, citations are frequent and helpful as they refer the reader to the author’s source material. The author uses no mathematics other than a half-dozen references to Einstein’s most famous equation, E=mc2. The Advanced Readers Copy I received contained no pictures, but throughout the book are notations that “ILLUSTRATIONS TO BE PROVIDED IN THE FINAL BOOK”. The illustrations may help with understanding the author’s points, but the text itself is easily read and understood by the non-scientist.
For the scientist, philosopher, Christian, or seeker, attempting to better understand Einstein or the interconnectedness of science and religion, this book provides essential reading. College libraries and church libraries wanting to meet the needs of a diverse set of patrons will want to add this book to their collections. My geekish and nerdish friends will want to devour this book as well.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.
August 4, 2020
I love books that deal with the intersection of science, philosophy, and religion. In the first part of this book, Alister McGrath does a great job of summarizing Einstein's life and explaining his contributions to the fields of physics and cosmology. In the second part, McGrath explores Einstein's thoughts on ethics and religion. I found this the most fascinating part of the book. Finally, in the last part of the book, McGrath attempts to set up a dialogue between Einstein's scientific contributions, his his religious thought, and the Christian worldview. This part was a bit disappointing. I'd love to see an entire book focused on the subject, but it seems rushed here.
May 27, 2020
Fascinating. Approachable.
January 8, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book that explains the life, work and beliefs of Albert Einstein. It’s a good introduction to his scientific theories and how those were influenced by his beliefs in an Intelligent Designer. We owe much of what we know of the cosmos to Einstein.
He was not just a mere scientist, though he contributed more to our knowledge of physics than any other, but in some way a philosopher. His work “wove together science, ethics and religious faith to yield a richer account of reality.” He believed in a “big picture” approach to reality and that science and religion are more linked than scientists generally want to accept. They are not mutually exclusive, but enhance each other.
He had a great appreciation for the vastness of the universe. His attempt to make sense of it leaves not just himself, but all of us, to question beyond the physical, and into the transcendental. Science explains the “what” of reality, but not the “why,” which is where religion comes in, and there has to be a why.
As much as scientists would like to ignore the non-physical human aspiration to know meaning and purpose, it dominates our way of thinking and life. It is what differs us from the rest of creation and is undeniable in its influence on how we live everyday. The Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset puts his finger on the issue neatly: “Scientific truth is exact, but it is incomplete.”
Our most human experiences of awe, love, sorrow, joy, etc cannot be explained by science, but need to be framed by something beyond the physical world. This transcendent reality is the framework of all of scientific knowledge. The scientist’s real task then is “uncovering the rationality of God; which is expressed in the universe.” The Christian religion is what keeps all these explanations into focus, that makes the most sense of the scientific reality as it pertains to our most human experiences.
This book covers more than what I mentioned above. It is a book on history, philosophy and even apologetics as Christians continually face accusations of being anti-science and opposition from the scientific community. And for that reason, I highly recommend it.
*I received a free advanced copy of this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
He was not just a mere scientist, though he contributed more to our knowledge of physics than any other, but in some way a philosopher. His work “wove together science, ethics and religious faith to yield a richer account of reality.” He believed in a “big picture” approach to reality and that science and religion are more linked than scientists generally want to accept. They are not mutually exclusive, but enhance each other.
He had a great appreciation for the vastness of the universe. His attempt to make sense of it leaves not just himself, but all of us, to question beyond the physical, and into the transcendental. Science explains the “what” of reality, but not the “why,” which is where religion comes in, and there has to be a why.
As much as scientists would like to ignore the non-physical human aspiration to know meaning and purpose, it dominates our way of thinking and life. It is what differs us from the rest of creation and is undeniable in its influence on how we live everyday. The Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset puts his finger on the issue neatly: “Scientific truth is exact, but it is incomplete.”
Our most human experiences of awe, love, sorrow, joy, etc cannot be explained by science, but need to be framed by something beyond the physical world. This transcendent reality is the framework of all of scientific knowledge. The scientist’s real task then is “uncovering the rationality of God; which is expressed in the universe.” The Christian religion is what keeps all these explanations into focus, that makes the most sense of the scientific reality as it pertains to our most human experiences.
This book covers more than what I mentioned above. It is a book on history, philosophy and even apologetics as Christians continually face accusations of being anti-science and opposition from the scientific community. And for that reason, I highly recommend it.
*I received a free advanced copy of this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2021
I am not gonna lie, there are some parts in this book that are difficult for a non-scientist such as myself but taken as a whole I really appreciate what Alister McGrath tried to do here. I have read other works that attempt to pigeonhole Einstein into either the atheist or the believer camp and his beliefs are far too complex for such labels. McGrath recognizes this and asks the believers, his target audience, to keep an open mind and recognize that there is much to learn from Einstein and science in general once we let go of the idea that he must be a believer if we are to give him any attention. This is true of so many things and I am grateful for McGrath's careful and balanced approach. I am also grateful for the care he took to make certain that he only used authentic and reliable quotations that he could prove with proper citation. There were a lot of quotes I want to remember from this one...
"Science can only ascertain what is, but not what should be." -Einstein
"How small a part of nature can thus be comprehended and expressed in exact formulation, while all that is subtle and complex has to be excluded." -Einstein
"My God created laws...His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking but by immutable laws." -Einstein
"Francis Bacon compared 'natural philosophers' to bees. (The word scientist did not come into use until the 1830s.) Why bees? Because bees do more than just gather pollen; they 'transform and digest' what they collect and convert it into something new - honey. In the same way, the scientist both gathers observations and then transforms these by weaving them together into a theory - a way of understanding our world."
"The great German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld declared that the essence of Einstein's theory was 'not the relativity of space and time but rather the independence of the laws of nature from the viewpoint of the observer.' Sommerfeld, however, felt that the phrase 'theory of relativity; was an 'unfortunate choice' on Einstein's part, given the way in which it was being misunderstood as somehow endorsing a 'relativity of ethical conceptions.'"
"Richard Feynman, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, was scathing about lazy and careless writers who were more interested in being trendy than in giving accurate accounts of Einstein's ideas. Feynman ridiculed 'cocktail-party philosophers' who reduced Einstein's ideas to cultural slogans such as 'all is relative' or 'there are no absolutes.'"
"As the (serious) philosopher Bertrand Russell remarked back in the 1920s, philosophers tended to interpret Einstein in the light of their own ideas and concluded that Einstein showed that they were right all along."
"General relativity asks us to think of the sun and the planets warping space-time. The planets orbiting the sun are not really being pulled by the sun; they are actually following the curved space-time deformation caused by the sun. The astrophysicist John Archibald Wheeler summed up this view rather nicely when he remarked that 'matter tells space-time how to curve, and space-time tells matter how to move.' Einstein thus converted gravitational physics into the geometry of space-time."
"Nature only shows us the tail of the lion. But I do not doubt that the lion belongs to it even though he cannot at once reveal himself because of his enormous size." -Einstein
"Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible concatenation, there remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable." -Einstein
"In every naturalist there must be a kind of religious feeling; for he cannot imagine that the connections into which he sees have been thought of by him for the first time." -Einstein
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." -Einstein
"Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of nature and therefore part of the mystery that we are trying to solve." -Max Planck
"Einstein thought that these scientific descriptions cannot possibly satisfy our human needs; that there is something essential about the 'Now' that is simply beyond the reach of science." -Rudolf Carnap
"A genius, as I see it, isn't someone who is right about everything but someone who is able to open up a new way of seeing things that gives a better quality of vision and a deeper reach than those who went before. And that's what Einstein did."
"Let me be clear that I have no intention of forcing Einstein into a Christian (or any other) mold. Einstein clearly wasn't a Christian. He clearly wasn't an atheist, either. He was just Einstein."
"I am against intellectual arrogance, and especially against the misconceived claim that scientists have the truth in our pockets, or that we can approach certainty. Such arrogance or overconfidence is often know as 'scientism'." -Karl Popper
"Think of Einstein's many references to a 'mind' behind the universe - as, for example, we see in his expression of a 'firm belief...in a superior mind that reveals itself in the world of experience.' For Einstein, this notion of a 'superior mind' was the essence of his 'conception of God'."
"The physical universe seems shot through with signs of mind. That is indeed so, says the theist, for it is God's Mind that lies behind its rational beauty. I do not offer this as a knockdown argument for theism - there are no such arguments, either for or against - but as a satisfying insight which finds a consistent place in a theistic view of the world."-John Polkinghorne
"Science can only ascertain what is, but not what should be." -Einstein
"How small a part of nature can thus be comprehended and expressed in exact formulation, while all that is subtle and complex has to be excluded." -Einstein
"My God created laws...His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking but by immutable laws." -Einstein
"Francis Bacon compared 'natural philosophers' to bees. (The word scientist did not come into use until the 1830s.) Why bees? Because bees do more than just gather pollen; they 'transform and digest' what they collect and convert it into something new - honey. In the same way, the scientist both gathers observations and then transforms these by weaving them together into a theory - a way of understanding our world."
"The great German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld declared that the essence of Einstein's theory was 'not the relativity of space and time but rather the independence of the laws of nature from the viewpoint of the observer.' Sommerfeld, however, felt that the phrase 'theory of relativity; was an 'unfortunate choice' on Einstein's part, given the way in which it was being misunderstood as somehow endorsing a 'relativity of ethical conceptions.'"
"Richard Feynman, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, was scathing about lazy and careless writers who were more interested in being trendy than in giving accurate accounts of Einstein's ideas. Feynman ridiculed 'cocktail-party philosophers' who reduced Einstein's ideas to cultural slogans such as 'all is relative' or 'there are no absolutes.'"
"As the (serious) philosopher Bertrand Russell remarked back in the 1920s, philosophers tended to interpret Einstein in the light of their own ideas and concluded that Einstein showed that they were right all along."
"General relativity asks us to think of the sun and the planets warping space-time. The planets orbiting the sun are not really being pulled by the sun; they are actually following the curved space-time deformation caused by the sun. The astrophysicist John Archibald Wheeler summed up this view rather nicely when he remarked that 'matter tells space-time how to curve, and space-time tells matter how to move.' Einstein thus converted gravitational physics into the geometry of space-time."
"Nature only shows us the tail of the lion. But I do not doubt that the lion belongs to it even though he cannot at once reveal himself because of his enormous size." -Einstein
"Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible concatenation, there remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable." -Einstein
"In every naturalist there must be a kind of religious feeling; for he cannot imagine that the connections into which he sees have been thought of by him for the first time." -Einstein
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." -Einstein
"Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of nature and therefore part of the mystery that we are trying to solve." -Max Planck
"Einstein thought that these scientific descriptions cannot possibly satisfy our human needs; that there is something essential about the 'Now' that is simply beyond the reach of science." -Rudolf Carnap
"A genius, as I see it, isn't someone who is right about everything but someone who is able to open up a new way of seeing things that gives a better quality of vision and a deeper reach than those who went before. And that's what Einstein did."
"Let me be clear that I have no intention of forcing Einstein into a Christian (or any other) mold. Einstein clearly wasn't a Christian. He clearly wasn't an atheist, either. He was just Einstein."
"I am against intellectual arrogance, and especially against the misconceived claim that scientists have the truth in our pockets, or that we can approach certainty. Such arrogance or overconfidence is often know as 'scientism'." -Karl Popper
"Think of Einstein's many references to a 'mind' behind the universe - as, for example, we see in his expression of a 'firm belief...in a superior mind that reveals itself in the world of experience.' For Einstein, this notion of a 'superior mind' was the essence of his 'conception of God'."
"The physical universe seems shot through with signs of mind. That is indeed so, says the theist, for it is God's Mind that lies behind its rational beauty. I do not offer this as a knockdown argument for theism - there are no such arguments, either for or against - but as a satisfying insight which finds a consistent place in a theistic view of the world."-John Polkinghorne
January 9, 2021
This book briefly discusses Einstein’s theories and their importance, and then explores his ideas about God and metaphysics.
Although Einstein did not believe in a personal God, he was not an atheist. He believed that there was something that had to be responsible for the underlying order of the universe. To him, the very fact that its physical laws are somehow comprehensible is evidence of a governing “mind” of sorts. He also understood that science cannot give answers to the “ultimate questions.” For these answers we must look elsewhere. There is some valuable material here, but I felt that there should be an additional 100 pages or so of elaboration.
To me, it’s disappointing that Einstein, who was so clearly a genius, was able to intuit the “mind” behind the impersonal forces that govern the material universe, but was unable to see that this “mind” is actually personal and also gives the answers to these “ultimate questions.” These questions, like all the issues that matter most to us are indeed personal. And it makes sense that our personal creator would make us in His image, and with a longing that can only find its rest in Him.
Although Einstein did not believe in a personal God, he was not an atheist. He believed that there was something that had to be responsible for the underlying order of the universe. To him, the very fact that its physical laws are somehow comprehensible is evidence of a governing “mind” of sorts. He also understood that science cannot give answers to the “ultimate questions.” For these answers we must look elsewhere. There is some valuable material here, but I felt that there should be an additional 100 pages or so of elaboration.
To me, it’s disappointing that Einstein, who was so clearly a genius, was able to intuit the “mind” behind the impersonal forces that govern the material universe, but was unable to see that this “mind” is actually personal and also gives the answers to these “ultimate questions.” These questions, like all the issues that matter most to us are indeed personal. And it makes sense that our personal creator would make us in His image, and with a longing that can only find its rest in Him.
July 23, 2022
This is a small book, but it says a lot. A bit of a slow read, but it kept me interested the whole time. It’s not a biography, but more of an examination of Einstein that leads into a larger discussion. It explores many existential questions and I would recommend if that’s something you’re interested in.
August 6, 2020
Definitely worthwhile. The latter third of the book overlaps quite a bit (conceptually) with McGrath's previous book, Enriching Our Vision of Reality.
November 7, 2025
this book is unfortunate because just as soon as the author starts making an interezting point, the book ends. i wish it spent more time on theory and less on summarizing einstein’s works
February 28, 2020
Short book but interesting- and the bibliography is excellent.
February 18, 2020
I really enjoyed this relatively short book from Alister McGrath. He gives a brief synopsis of Einstein's scientific achievements and beliefs, puts Einstein in conversation with other scientists and philosophers, and then wraps it up with the concluding chapter "God and a Scientific Universe: Towards a Christian Reading of Einstein."
Very accessibly written.
Very accessibly written.
February 22, 2020
Via Audible.
Einstein the ground breaking physicist argued that science alone gave no guarantee of ethics or objective values . He warned that scientific relativity was no grounds for moral relativity. Though he did not believe in a personal God, he did believe in a transcendent force. He felt that science and religion were separate, but that one informed the other. Religion without science was blind, science without religion was lame.
It’s with mixed success that McGrath tries to take this to show us that we can go from here to Christian theism. The book is too short to cover all aspects of every argument , but the morality argument raises the question that Dawkins poses : can evolution breed species wide altruism for the good of the species over the individual ? Nonetheless , the journey through Einstein’s science is interesting and the rescue of him from the atheism claimed by Dawkins a good one. The points raised here are not expanded or defended enough, but they are still worthwhile.
I liked the aspect that a sense of the transcendent puts our selfhood in perspective and we should operate from a position of wonder ; this is valuable and can validly point us to the creator despite the stardust arguments of some writers that the fact our atoms come from dying stars supplants this. It’s also true that rationality does not equal meaning, and Einstein’s linkup of rational plus aesthetic plus spiritual is valuable for the same reason.
McGrath is one of my favourite Christian thinkers, though he does repeat his own bio and mission statement ( and the point about relativism) a lot, he’s worthwhile here as always.
Einstein the ground breaking physicist argued that science alone gave no guarantee of ethics or objective values . He warned that scientific relativity was no grounds for moral relativity. Though he did not believe in a personal God, he did believe in a transcendent force. He felt that science and religion were separate, but that one informed the other. Religion without science was blind, science without religion was lame.
It’s with mixed success that McGrath tries to take this to show us that we can go from here to Christian theism. The book is too short to cover all aspects of every argument , but the morality argument raises the question that Dawkins poses : can evolution breed species wide altruism for the good of the species over the individual ? Nonetheless , the journey through Einstein’s science is interesting and the rescue of him from the atheism claimed by Dawkins a good one. The points raised here are not expanded or defended enough, but they are still worthwhile.
I liked the aspect that a sense of the transcendent puts our selfhood in perspective and we should operate from a position of wonder ; this is valuable and can validly point us to the creator despite the stardust arguments of some writers that the fact our atoms come from dying stars supplants this. It’s also true that rationality does not equal meaning, and Einstein’s linkup of rational plus aesthetic plus spiritual is valuable for the same reason.
McGrath is one of my favourite Christian thinkers, though he does repeat his own bio and mission statement ( and the point about relativism) a lot, he’s worthwhile here as always.
June 11, 2024
This is now the third book I’ve read on Einstein. His theories of general and special relativity are just so exciting to me, and Alister McGrath explains these concepts in such a clear and accessible manner in this book, as well as the four papers that made Einstein a sensation. It is to see someone as brilliant and as accomplished as Einstein struggle for so long to land an academic job and take so long to receive the Nobel Prize.
While McGrath spends the majority of the book explaining Einstein’s key ideas and the Newtonian context out of which Einstein did his science (McGrath explains that Einstein viewed his work as the development and evolution of Newton’s ideas, not as an overthrowing or overturning), McGrath also discusses the significance of Einstein’s ideas for the Christian worldview. Specifically, the last few chapters of the book is a case study of integrating Einstein’s work into McGrath’s “two books” approach to the science-faith relationship—an approach that I am privy to. McGrath also makes helpful points about this relationship such as the Bible not being a scientific textbook, and the limits of science for answering questions about meaning. I would highly recommend this well-written book to anyone interested in faith and science. This is McGrath at his best!
While McGrath spends the majority of the book explaining Einstein’s key ideas and the Newtonian context out of which Einstein did his science (McGrath explains that Einstein viewed his work as the development and evolution of Newton’s ideas, not as an overthrowing or overturning), McGrath also discusses the significance of Einstein’s ideas for the Christian worldview. Specifically, the last few chapters of the book is a case study of integrating Einstein’s work into McGrath’s “two books” approach to the science-faith relationship—an approach that I am privy to. McGrath also makes helpful points about this relationship such as the Bible not being a scientific textbook, and the limits of science for answering questions about meaning. I would highly recommend this well-written book to anyone interested in faith and science. This is McGrath at his best!
June 16, 2021
This was an enjoyable little book to read. I've not read much on Einstein, so this was a helpful introduction. Alister McGrath, who has three Oxford doctorates (one in science, one in theology, and another on their relationship), is well-placed to explain the thought of one of history's greatest physicists. McGrath is enviable in the way that he can take very complex subjects, like Einstein's theory of relativity, and make it explicable to the common reader like me. I came away from this book feeling like I actually learned something.
What I also appreciated about this book was its balance. Though McGrath wants to put Einstein in a dialogue with Christianity, he does so in a way that does not make Einstein into some sort of Christian, nor does he make the discussion seem forced or facile. He respects Einstein's thoughts on God (that there is basically some mind behind the universe), and yet shows ways that Einstein's desire for a unified theory of everything (that matters) can engage in dialogue with the Christian faith.
For anyone who is interested in the interface between science and theology, or anyone who is interested in Einstein and religion, this very easy-to-read book is something you should consider picking up.
What I also appreciated about this book was its balance. Though McGrath wants to put Einstein in a dialogue with Christianity, he does so in a way that does not make Einstein into some sort of Christian, nor does he make the discussion seem forced or facile. He respects Einstein's thoughts on God (that there is basically some mind behind the universe), and yet shows ways that Einstein's desire for a unified theory of everything (that matters) can engage in dialogue with the Christian faith.
For anyone who is interested in the interface between science and theology, or anyone who is interested in Einstein and religion, this very easy-to-read book is something you should consider picking up.
June 26, 2022
This was quite an interesting overview of Einstein's life, his social milieu, worldview, and theories or relativity. I really enjoyed learning more about the history behind the man and the ins and outs of his theories, and how they built on Newtonian physics, now intersect with Quantum mechanics, etc.
Whilst, his contributions to theoretical physics and other areas of science are important, I was not impressed with Einstein's philosophy, notions about politics, or religion. McGrath tried to portray him as favourably as possible, but I was not drawn to the man and find 'great' figures like this frustrating. Thomas Sowell writes about these kinds of intellectuals who are brilliant in one area, but woeful outside their domain. He also touched upon his condescension to other ethnic groups, etc. Which is worth considering, and it should prevent gratuitous hero worship, but just not to the extent that the 'woke' push such things.
Alister McGrath is a nice, clear writer who structures his thoughts carefully. This book came across almost like a PowerPoint presentation. For me, that's a good thing but maybe I'm odd on this one.
Whilst, his contributions to theoretical physics and other areas of science are important, I was not impressed with Einstein's philosophy, notions about politics, or religion. McGrath tried to portray him as favourably as possible, but I was not drawn to the man and find 'great' figures like this frustrating. Thomas Sowell writes about these kinds of intellectuals who are brilliant in one area, but woeful outside their domain. He also touched upon his condescension to other ethnic groups, etc. Which is worth considering, and it should prevent gratuitous hero worship, but just not to the extent that the 'woke' push such things.
Alister McGrath is a nice, clear writer who structures his thoughts carefully. This book came across almost like a PowerPoint presentation. For me, that's a good thing but maybe I'm odd on this one.
August 3, 2024
I recommend this book to anyone regardless of beliefs. I think everyone can find something new to learn and reflect on. Keep in mind I have previous knowledge on the science discussed lol but I do think the writing is easily digestible for most people.
My only negative was that the conclusions drawn felt repetitive. I wish the introduction/sciencey half was more condensed and the last chapter was expanded on more. I wanted to hear more of the author’s thoughts on the connection between Christianity and Einstein’s findings.
If anyone cares here are some lines that resonated with me most from this book:
“As a teenager, I assumed that my love for science required me to be an atheist. After all, science and religion were meant to be at war with each other—at least, according to the popular atheist tracts I has read … I discovered that ‘the idea of God’ is both a ‘repository for our awestruck wonderment at life and an answer to the great questions of existence.’”
“Science… cannot create ends and, even less, instill them in human beings; science, at most, can supply the means by which to attain certain ends.” - Albert Einstein
My only negative was that the conclusions drawn felt repetitive. I wish the introduction/sciencey half was more condensed and the last chapter was expanded on more. I wanted to hear more of the author’s thoughts on the connection between Christianity and Einstein’s findings.
If anyone cares here are some lines that resonated with me most from this book:
“As a teenager, I assumed that my love for science required me to be an atheist. After all, science and religion were meant to be at war with each other—at least, according to the popular atheist tracts I has read … I discovered that ‘the idea of God’ is both a ‘repository for our awestruck wonderment at life and an answer to the great questions of existence.’”
“Science… cannot create ends and, even less, instill them in human beings; science, at most, can supply the means by which to attain certain ends.” - Albert Einstein
August 17, 2021
This is a good book whose sub-title is more accurate than the title. The book is divided into two parts, where the first part is a sweeping history of Einstein, while the second is a reflection on his broader views (that is, beyond science). As a result, there is little discussion on any theory of everything (that matters), but rather this seems to be a background reflecting the aspirations of Einstein. The first part of the book is excellent, while the second does not quite fulfil what was hoped.
August 2, 2020
Spectacular writing about one of if not the most impressive geniuses in recorded history and how we might think of religion and the things that really matter in life in light of Einstein’s writings/views. Not too technical that the average-level science educated person can’t understand the writing (that is, he brings the high-level physics down to regular speech). I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in reconciling faith and science.
February 6, 2025
McGrath brings together the views and opinions of Albert Einstein as reflected in his own writings (and not in secondary sources) to come to a conclusion about his thoughts on God and the universe. McGrath concludes that while Einstein did not believe in a personal God, his view on a "mind" or "intelligence" or "force" that lies behind or beyond the universe resonates with the Christian view that the book of nature highlights God's mystery, elegance, order, and power.
July 16, 2020
What a book! I am amazed it gives an insight into the world of Albert Einstein. I did not realise his work was so path breaking , till this point. And I am only glad that I read this book. Einstein, thought that there was a THEORY OF EVERYTHING, unfortunately he could not complete the theory. I wish he could have.
February 20, 2021
Nothing new in the first seven chapters on the search for a unified field theory. Portion on religion and science seems a little overhyped by McGrath when compared with Einstein‘s autobiography. One must take into account, however, that McGrath use resources which can change material not present in the Einstein autobiography.
April 4, 2021
I enjoyed this, and came away with a better understanding of Einstein's theories. I appreciated the way in which McGrath presented Einstein's actual spiritual thoughts and showed the ways in which the Spiritual and Scientific can work together in a unifying theory of...everything (that matters) :)
May 26, 2020
A good introduction to Einstein’s contribution to science. A few short chapters also use Einstein’s writings on religion and science to focus on how they can inform each other.
November 28, 2021
Good book on Einstein's views on religion and phisloophy. While written by a Christian theologian, I felt it was approached objectively and is accessible to all (Christian or not).
March 15, 2024
The first half of this book was very detailed physics theories. The second half was much more interesting but still a bit tedious.
May 4, 2025
It’s a great book! But definitely more of a biography than a beginners guide yk? Just not what I was looking for.
February 25, 2020
Overall a terrific book. I recently stumbled upon McGrath’s work and this was the first of his I read. I’m a huge fan, and am looking forward to reading more of his works. He has the credentials (three Oxford PhDs) to write about science, theology, and intellectual history along with the writing skills to convey them. I really like his style- intellectually honest, engaging, compelling, linear (in that he makes arguments), situationally award (in that he knows where his ideas fit in the broader landscape).
As far as content itself, this book is primarily a primer on Einstein (his life, his theoretical physics, and his ideology) with a brief introduction to the intersection between science and religion. McGrath is transparent about where he’s coming from (as a Christian theologian with a robust biophysics background, finding harmony between the two) and draws some great connections between the two. He also helps clarify Einstein’s theological beliefs (he was neither a Christian nor an atheist, but more of a deist) and considers them thoughtfully.
If you’re looking for a robust introduction to special and general relativity, this isn’t your book. It touches on the ideas, but only briefly. It might, however, whet your appetite (as it did mine) to go read more about the theories. I suspect this book will be most compelling for those with some hard science background.
As far as content itself, this book is primarily a primer on Einstein (his life, his theoretical physics, and his ideology) with a brief introduction to the intersection between science and religion. McGrath is transparent about where he’s coming from (as a Christian theologian with a robust biophysics background, finding harmony between the two) and draws some great connections between the two. He also helps clarify Einstein’s theological beliefs (he was neither a Christian nor an atheist, but more of a deist) and considers them thoughtfully.
If you’re looking for a robust introduction to special and general relativity, this isn’t your book. It touches on the ideas, but only briefly. It might, however, whet your appetite (as it did mine) to go read more about the theories. I suspect this book will be most compelling for those with some hard science background.
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