Right after realizing I needed a book to hand out to my church kids, I asked around on Creation Conversations (if you want to be “in the know” about the creation community, sign up!) for recommendations. Dr. Carolyn Reeves contacted me right away and insisted on sending me two copies of her book Understanding Science While Believing the Bible.
It was quickly obvious Dr. Reeves book and mine won’t be in competition (a big relief for me), Her book is more focused on parents helping their kids. In fact, her book is so clear and compact I plan to use it with my kids when they get to about 10 or 11.
Here are some of the areas she covers:
- What is science? The answers are sure to expand your brain without blowing a fuse
- A brief, drawing-filled introduction to the branches of the “science family”
- How Evolutionary thinking is majorly different from the other sciences, including…
- All the guesswork required to put together any Evolutionary picture.
- Several sections for teens and adults to think through on what should be taught in our schools and the reasons why some topics are or aren’t allowed
- Why believing in a Creator matters
- What to say and how to treat your teacher when Evolution is an issue
That’s a lot of information to stuff into 80 large-print pages, but Dr. Reeves does it beautifully.
Her main focus is on the big picture of scientific thinking. It’s common to find texts focusing on a particular area of science, going into detail about how things work and what you are learning about. On many topics, a creationist teacher is going to cover practically the same information as an Evolutionary one. This book adds an overview, helping young people plug each area into a logical framework.
Which reminds me, the other day I was listening to a scientist sharing about his workplace. He is a strong believer in Christ Jesus, but noticed how many of his coworkers never think about these things. It is easy for anybody to become focused on just the here and now and scientists are constantly working with physical, testable things. After all, if you can’t use an instrument to study it, it’s not regular science. So, having a reminder of the higher thoughts behind our thinking is a healthy thing!
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he only section I wish she had expanded was the science family; after briefly introducing each character, you don’t read about them again. As is, it makes a good way for parents to check comprehension and be sure they know the different areas under the name of “science.” Plus, knowing the right titles will make it easy to find out more about each branch.
Also, as a writer, I’m convinced there’s a better way to introduce her big analogy of reassembling a genealogy from crumbled fragments. But, her point is clear: no one can truthfully say they scientifically know how living things got the way they are. We all must use faith in something not scientifically provable.
This book makes an excellent supplement to a general science education. Especially if your kids are in public schools, reading this together will arm your kids with the big picture they need to process information accurately. It’s a small price to pay for wisdom!
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Proverbs 23:23
Dr. Carolyn Reeves spent 30 years as a public school teacher and holds a Ed.D. degree from the University of Mississippi. She’s also co-written the Investigate the Possibilities science books with Tom DeRosa.
