Perhaps one of the truest and most insightful comments in the book is a gentle rebuttal to young earth creationists: "We have to distinguish between challenges to our imaginations, which have trouble conceptualizing slow processes that take millions of years, and challenges to nature, which have no such limitations" (46). Like J.B. Phillips, we all need to realize "our God is too small." We cannot imagine a God whose divine activity extends from the minute unpredictability of electrons (118) to the possibilities of a vast multiverse (189) without also thinking of God as a great engineer who manages and manipulates and maneuvers the world at every level. Giberson and Collins paint a different picture, describing a God whose presence and purposes never fail, but who works in and through the laws of nature, laws that find their ultimate meaning, but not their modus operandi, in scripture. The authors invite readers to share in the wonder and worship of a God whose creative power extends deeper and higher than we have imagined. This is the work of faith, which cannot be subjected—either by verification or falsification—to the scientific laboratory.
The Language of Science and Faith will persuade neither the "new atheists" (or old ones) nor the followers of Ken Ham and other creationists. Its most fruitful audience will be those who follow the debate, find neither extreme compelling, and are looking for spiritually-attuned, biblically grounded, and scientifically accurate input. They might conclude that the theory of evolution is incontrovertible, but they might also be able to take a deep breath and believe that it's not only okay to accept it, but to embrace its vision of a deeper, broader grandeur to God's activity in the world than they had previously thought possible.
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