The Wonder of Creation:
The Most Famous Christian Biologists in History

Recommendations

»I deeply appreciate Niels Arboel’s succinct and satisfying biographical sketches of twenty famous scientists who, while making major contributions to an objective understanding of life on Earth, have openly confessed a firm commitment to Christian faith. The twenty chapters of this readable book weave together narratives of how scientific discoveries can hold ontotheological worldviews without confusing or conflating science with their Christian faith. The great thinkers featured here are exemplary for refusing to embrace scientific ideas for theological reasons. And yet, as Arboel’s sparkling biographical portraits demonstrate, lives shaped by Christian faith may acquire a selfless integrity of character that fortifies their disciplined practice of empirical method and their pursuit of truth at any cost. Strongly recommended.«

John F. Haught, Ph.D.
Distinguished Research Professor
Georgetown University
Washington DC, USA

»I strongly recommend Niels Arboel’s fascinating and readable short biographies of twenty eminent biologists, who have each professed Christian faith. The scientists that he has chosen range from the 17th to 21st centuries and have each made highly significant scientific discoveries, some of which initially conflicted with contemporary scientific or theological dogma. Their individual theories have not all stood the test of time, but they each demonstrate that there is no necessary conflict between Christian belief and scientific research and discovery and that they could live in both worlds with integrity. They come from a variety of Christian backgrounds, but all ascribe the wonder that they see in biology to the Christian God.«

Keith R. Fox, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry, University of Southampton, UK
And Research Director, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Cambridge, United Kingdom

»In his highly readable book, Niels Arboel provides a fascinating account of the lives of twenty biologists, each of whom, from the seventeenth century to today, have made major contributions to the Biological and Medical Sciences. What they have in common is a deeply held Christian faith that both inspires and is inspired by their scientific endeavours. None perceive a conflict between their science and their religious conviction, but rather each sees their research as illuminating how God works in the world. For them, exploring the wonders of God’s creation and using that knowledge for the benefit of humankind is an expression of their faith. It is their Christian vocation. This collection of pithy biographies contains a wealth of insightful material that inspires, informs and sometimes surprises the reader. I enjoyed reading the book immensely and would recommend it highly.«

Professor Andrew P Halestrap, Ph.D., D.Sc, FMedSci
Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry
University of Bristol, United Kingdom

»This is a fascinating book. Arboel creates lucid portraits of twenty famous scientists living science and Christian faith in harmony. Yet, these are not just simple biographies, as the author weaves together the science and faith of these extraordinary individuals. Indeed, Arboel’s knowledge of, and ability to articulate the underlying science is impressive, as was his respect for and openness to each faith position. The subject’s life and faith, the historical context, and the opposing views are even-handedly described. Enough details are provided to understand the issues, but the big picture remains in sight, evolution, the genome project, and so on. The reader is afforded an opportunity to thoughtfully explore the intersection of faith and science, and their coexistence. It is a fun, interesting read.«

Mark VanBerkum, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, USA

»This timely book by Niels Arboel presents the approach of 20 famous biologists to biology, evolution, and their faith in a providential creator that left lots to be continued on Earth’s life. This book is a must-read for those interested in how belief in a Creator and work in evolution’s mechanisms are not opposed but can spur further insights into our understanding of life on earth.
Arboel weaves the research and writings of these scientists along with a clear understanding of the process of natural evolution, biological processes, and current topics in this field. His understanding of the evolutionary process is excellent and leaves windows and doors open for the rest of us to find new paths of understanding and discovery. Without getting into too arcane terms of philosophy or biology, he brings difficult concepts on either side with a language that is accessible to any reader with elemental knowledge of either field. I particularly enjoyed his chapter on Simon Conway Morris because it brings a brilliant approach to evolution, the constraints evolution faces and which many scientists avoid stating, and how it affects (constrains) evolution.«

Maria Elena de Bellard, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology, California State University, Northridge, USA

»In The Wonder of Creation, Niels Arboel promotes the idea of harmony between science and religion by highlighting the lives of twenty prominent biologists who found their scientific work and Christian faith to be compatible. Each biographical sketch, whether it covers someone with whom the reader is already familiar or someone entirely new, provides a window into the life and work of someone who saw faith and science as mutually enriching. Now, perhaps more than ever, scientists and non-scientists alike can benefit from seeing how the brightest scientific minds – individuals at the very forefronts of scientific revolutions – can be people of ardent Christian faith. This book is a valuable contribution to the dialogue between science and religion, and I look forward to sharing it with my students and colleagues.«

Ryan M. Bebej, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

»Various contributions of the last century have attempted to demonstrate possible ways of synthesis of cosmogenesis and evolutionary theory on the one hand and Christian faith on the other. Here, Niels Arboel provides readable and highly interesting short biographies of twenty important biologists, who were able to unite these two and only seemingly contradictory aspects of understanding of the universe and of ourselves. Moreover, as shown by several examples, there may even be reciprocal illumination, if both views could be synthesized. I truly enjoyed reading about fascinating scientists, their goals (and their failures) – an inspiring adventure to be strongly recommended.«

Gerhard Haszprunar
Professor em. of Systematic Zoology
Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany