The Bottom Line
Only someone with a clear foundation in physics will be able to navigate the tangle of speculation and facts to determine which is which. Tipler himself at times does a very poor job of making that distinction, if not outright misleading the reader about the proof of his claims.
Pros
- Intriguing analysis of how modern physics applies to Christianity.
- Author presents specific detail about both basic physics and Christian doctrine.
- Fascinating scientific exploration of a controversial topic
Cons
- Does not clearly distinguish theoretical proposal from scientific fact
- Represents both Christianity & physics in uncommon ways, which adherents would not recognize
- Tipler extends beyond merely the presentation of scientific fact into agenda-driven propaganda
- Tipler is not considered reputable by most mainstream physicists due to previous writings
Description
- Hardback, Random House Books, 291 pages
- 12 chapters + Appendices: Christian Creeds, Notes, Bibliography, & Index
- Recommended only for those with a strong foundation in physics, so they can separate the speculation from the facts.
- Many of the concepts in this book are similar to those presented in Tipler's previous book, The Physics of Immortality
Guide Review - The Physics of Christianity
This is honestly the hardest book that I've ever had to review, because there are so many conflicting aspects to it. In some respects, the book is well worth recommending. In others, it is misleading, dogmatic, and agenda-driven.It would be easy, though unfair, to dismiss this book out of hand, but it has much to its merit. Some aspecs covered include:
- Richard P. Feynman's multiverse interpretation of quantum physics
- God as the Initial, Final, and All-Presents Singularity: Holy Ghost, Father, and Son
- Heaven will come when all people are fully replicated in a computer-like world (as explained in his previous The Physics of Immortality)
- Believing in a distinct non-physical spiritual world is the Gnostic heresy
- Miracles obey physical laws
- Evil is a genetic trait in humans (except Jesus & Mary)
- Various ways the Virgin Birth could take place
- Proposals of potential experiments to test his proposals
This reaches my strongest problem with his argument - his definition of "consistent" is flawed. If life has to intervene in order to maintain the physical consistency of the universe, then the laws of physics are not inherently consistent. He utterly ignores this logical contradiction.
Part of me genuinely wants to recommend this book, but as the Physics Guide I cannot recommend it, because it presents a skewed viewpoint of modern physics and the author frequently confuses fact and speculation.
