Few authors are able to write successfully for both the fiction and nonfiction markets, and perhaps I am foolish to think I might turn out to be the exception. To the untrained observer, science fiction, fantasy, and Christian philosophy might seem like totally different markets, but C.S. Lewis and I would disagree. Creative imagination and intellectual curiosity often go hand-in-hand, and it’s not particularly uncommon for religious skepticism to be a part of that mix. Some of us have stayed with the church while we’ve worked through our faith-and-doubt issues and others have chosen to leave religion behind. The reasons we choose to leave or stay are seldom entirely intellectual nor are they completely emotional/experiential, and I’m not about to assume I have the wisdom to address all of them at once. For those readers who think no one listens or understands, however, I can assure you that you’re not alone in your questions, and I don’t think you’re weird for asking them. Not in our community, at least.
This will, hopefully, be the first of a series of projects dedicated to life struggles my readers, and I have in common. We’ll see how it goes.
GENESIS AND THE THOUGHTFUL CHRISTIAN
Author: Timothy D. Wise
Some Christians dismiss all of mainstream science as a diabolical conspiracy, and some mainstream scientists dismiss the Bible as a collection of outdated stories and superstitions left over from a more primitive age. There is, however, a third group that, in spite of the challenges, finds it more satisfying to live in that tension-filled zone between the timeless truths of the Bible and the constantly-shifting landscape of scientific discovery and has the audacity to believe they can find God in both.
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Author’s Comments: I sometimes feel spread between worlds. When I was writing this book, I was teaching at a state university during the week, teaching a college Sunday school class at a Baptist church on Sundays, and taking classes at a Baptist seminary during my spare time (such as it was). Those worlds didn’t always stay separate, however. The students in my college Sunday school class were a bright group. I appreciated the fact that they trusted me enough to ask honest questions about our doctrines and beliefs, but sometimes they stumped me. I wrote this book to address the questions they asked, but they had graduated and moved on by the time I finished it. I fondly remember the time some of them formed an impromptu musical group and performed a set of Harry Potter-based songs at Books-A-Million when one of the books went on sale. That’s why I dedicated the book to “They Who Shall Not Be Named” which was the name of their group. Maybe one day they’ll get around to reading it and remember our discussions.