God and the Astronomers

by Robert Jastrow

In this volume, Jastrow seeks to show that the scientific evidence—particularly that of astronomy—points to the universe having a point of beginning. That Jastrow is an agnostic makes his theology suspect, but his analysis of the scientific data more credible. Not lining up with either side, he has a clearer view of the scientific study.

By tracing the history of astronomical discoveries, including things written by Einstein and Hubble, Jastrow shows that the inescapable conclusion is that there was a beginning point in the universe. He writes: ""For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."

A few caveats: Although Jastrow argues for a Divine Cause, his argument isn't really for God as the Christian knows him—just a higher power that created everything. Jastrow is not a Christian, and doesn't claim to be one. Further, this book definitely takes an old earth view of the universe—billions of years, in fact. He even supposes that the earth came long after the initial creative moment. For those who cannot bear to read things like that, I'd advise you to stay away.

God and the Astronomers is a really quick read. Wide margins and lots of illustrations make the 100+ pages go quickly. Much of the writing is more historical than technical, which would make the fan of history happy, but those looking for simple apologetics frustrated. If you just want the point of his message and how it applies to the existence of God, you'd do better to read Strobel's chapter on this matter in The Case for a Creator. Strobel covers all the pertinent information without getting into the amount of history that Jastrow discusses. But for those who aren't repelled by old earth writings and are interested in the history of astronomy's discoveries, check this book out and give it a read-through. You'll probably enjoy it.

Note: The copy I read is one of the earlier editions. A newer one has been released. I don’t know what is in it, other than whatever recent discoveries have been made.

The Editors do not advocate everything taught by the authors of the books we review. Like us, these authors are fallible humans and those who choose to read these books should measure them by the bible, the one true standard.