For those who know Carl W. Wilson, you know him as a committed Christian, a scholar, a practitioner, and one who has developed a keen interest in the modern hard sciences since the 1500.  This first of a two volume set should be on the reading list of every Christian, especially living at a time when modern science, while having accomplished good things, operates from a humanistic philosophy that has taken it away from the truth of God in many many instances. In a brief amount of space, knowing how to give you a good picture of this book and its value to Christian scholarship is not an easy task.  It is Wilson’s Magnus Opus.  If you have read his other books, whether it be on discipleship, doctrine of man, Christian education, or cultural apologetics, you know of his great burden and desire to glorify God in all of his writings and ministry. Written well, and very readable, it covers a great amount of material that will serve as an invaluable resource.  I would say that it would be worth having this book if you only read the introduction and chapter 32 which summarizes much of what he has documented throughout the book.

One sample of what you will find in the book, “The conflict is between true disciples of God in the church and the false religions conceived by natural sinful men to solve man’s problems by one world political government lead by one humanist.  Democracy that once worked under a faith in a common biblical God in America and the West is now subject to humanism based on pride, greed, and lust.  It seems postmodern anti-church leaders are ready to sacrifice America and the West for a chance at a man-made U. N. world government.”  That is a hard-hitting statement, but Wilson backs it up throughout the book. 

While modern science has attempted to leave God out of the picture, as  Christians  we know it was our faith and belief in God that actually gave rise to modern science; yet over the years man has followed the usual pattern of taking the things of God and attributing them to sinful man.  For example:  we know the claim that modern science only deals with facts and observations, not theology and philosophy.  We also know as Wilson makes clear, the fallacy of making that into a total truth without admitting that modern science operates on a faith based philosophy.  It was that very tension that sparked Michael Polanyi to move from science to philosophy.

Wilson has taken the time in this book to help us move beyond modern science to consider the history of science and the changes in science’s philosophy.  He points out with references how even those associated with modern science did not have a true sense or grasp of the history of science, consequently leading them further away from a God foundation for all truth.

Wilson further writes, “A primary purpose of this two-volume history of science is to inform Christians, since the perversions were developed and maintained as a result of the natural sin bias of men who think they can be ‘wise as God.’  This book seeks to develop through history the work of the enemy in leading men astray, even well known men in the field of science.  He makes clear that the book is not “anti-science,” but rather it is an attempt to highlight throughout the pages and unbiased science that honors the Creator God as the source of all that is truly scientific.  He contends that the churches today have weakened because they have not stood for and clearly proclaimed Christ as the the Creator and Re-Creator which tends to cause a blindness to the truth.  Wilson, while painting a discouraging picture for America and the West, holds out hope that if the churches and other institutions of learning will return to the truth of Christ as Creator and Re-Creator and seek to carry out the great commission, we could expect a revival of biblical truth throughout.

I encourage you to invest in this book and make it your aim to read it, mark it, and use it with your children, in the discipleship in the churches, and other educational institutions.