One Mormon's View of the Science -- Religion Debate

Review

Allen W. Leigh’s collection of essays entitled “One Mormon’s View of the Science -- Religion Debate” is a ray of hope coming at a time when religion is becoming increasingly hostile to science and reason. Leigh, a computer software engineer, active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and an avid science reader has attempted to personally reconcile the science versus religion debate by focusing on parallels found in Mormonism’s unique theology and many of science’s emerging discoveries. Quite opposite from the evangelical Christian’s creationist tradition of superficial science bashing, misrepresentation, and selective reason, Leigh openly admits that religious ‘dogmas’, like science, are incomplete and evolving, and his hope is that one day the two shall merge as a single truth. This book tackles thorny issues such as abortion, the search for extraterrestrial intelligences, the Big Bang, organic evolution, genetic engineering and stem cell research, as well as an interesting primer on digital organisms. Although a few readers may take issue with some of Leigh’s hypotheses, conclusions or interpretations, his intellectual exercise illustrated by this collection of essays should serve as a paradigm for all religious people who are unsatisfied with ignoring modern scientific discoveries and their implications on religious beliefs.
Jonathon C. Marshall, PhD.
Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Yale University