Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?

Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?: . . . and Other Questions from the Astronomers' In-box at the Vatican Observatory by Guy Consolmagno

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a thoughtful, entertaining, and provocative book. I'd recommend it to anyone who has any interest in religion, science, or both. The title question was the final one in the book. The Vatican Observatory astronomers who wrote this book first discuss, in an engaging dialogue format, the apparent contradiction between the Biblical account of creation and the scientific Big Bang Theory, the status of Pluto, the true story of Galileo's heresy trial, the Star of Bethlehem, and the end of the universe. (The last of these requires some fictional assistance from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.) Along the way, they address both Christian fundamentalists who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible and scientific fundamentalists who think science eliminates the need for a God at all. The result is a balanced, well-reasoned book of nonfiction from two highly educated, highly scientific, highly theological authors - one a priest, the other an ordained brother - that should be eminently readable to most any lay person.

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Blogging for Books