Cindy Downes

Dec. 4, 2008 - Review of Taking Back Astronomy by Jason Lisle

The purpose of Taking Back Astronomy is to provide an introductory resource in the field of astronomy which interprets evidences from a biblical creation perspective. The book explores passages of Scripture which conflict with the current opinion of the majority of scientists regarding, among others, the age of the universe, the so-called "distant starlight problem," and the idea of extra-terrestrial life.

In Lisle's words, "Many people think the creation versus evolution debate is about evidence, and although the evidence is important, evidence is always interpreted through a person's world view. So the debate is really about world views. The debate is over which interpretation of the evidence is best. Think about it this way: both creationists and evolutionists have the same evidence. They have access to the same fossils and the same rocks. They study the same principles of genetics, chemistry and physics. They observe the same universe. Why then do they draw such different conclusions when it comes to matters of origins? Ultimately, it is because they have different world views, and so they interpret the same evidence differently."

Lisle has created this book to help us understand Astronomy through the biblical world view. There are five chapters: The Splendor of God's Creation, The Universe Confirms the Bible, The Age of the Universe, The Bible and Modern Astronomy, and War of the World Views.

The comprehension level is about 9th grade and up, but used as family reading in small chunks and depending upon the interest of the child, it could be used for other grade levels.

Lisle includes analogies to help make difficult concepts easier to grasp, such as showing a balloon expanding with points on the balloon getting farther away to explain the concept of the expanding universe. A glossary in the back of the book helps with definitions of unknown terms.

The book is printed on glossy paper and features full-color photos and illustrations.

Dr. Jason Lisle graduated summa cum laude from Ohio Wesleyan University where he double-majored in physics and astronomy and minored in mathematics. He received his master's degree and Ph.D. from University of Colorado in Boulder.

I highly recommend this book for students who are interested in astronomy and physics and all students headed for college.

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