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The Origins of Life:
Evolution as Creation
By Hoimar von Ditfurth
Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1981. 279 pp. $14.95.

The author speaks out against the separation of science and theology as he observes it in Europe. He attempts to dispel ignorance and misconceptions as they exist on both sides of the dividing line. It is also clear that the nature of the separation and conflict is significantly different in Europe than it is in the United States. Much of the thrust of the book goes beyond international differences, making it of interest to Christians and scientists on both sides of the Atlantic. The book begins with a focus on evolution as a biological means for the creation of life in its present form. The author goes on to expand his treatment of evolution to explain the creation of the cosmos and to speculate beyond our present knowledge of the universe.

The author is a scientist with a talent for presenting complicated scientific concepts accurately, clearly, and simply without patronizing his non-scientist readers. His training in psychiatry and neurology has allowed him to appreciate the science of evolution as well as to understand the way in which the human mind deals with evolution. Although Ditfurth treats the biological aspects of evolution with more detail and authority than the non-biological, his chapters on "Cosmic

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Fossils" and "In Search of a Molecular Fossil" are well worth reading for the science they contain.

The book pulls together many scientific lines of support for the theory of evolution. It is a convenience to the reader to have them set down in one place and arranged in an appropriate chronological and logical order. However, the true power of the book lies beyond the scientific expositions. Ditfurth opens new areas of speculation and research with regard to reality, our daily lives, and life after death. Doors are opened to the possibility of a "beyond" which may be acceptable to scientists and theologians, alike. To quote the author:

The fact of evolution-supposedly so hostile to religion-has shown us that reality doesn't end where our experience stops. Not philosophy, not classical epistemology, but evolution compels us to recognize an "immanent transcendence" that immeasurably surpasses our present cognitive horizon.
Let me repeat, this transcendence cannot be immediately equated with thetheological Beyond. But its discovery creates something like an open door in a world that had seemed until then to be ruthlessly closed to any such possibility.

Unfortunately, the book is not without flaws and weaknesses. Some of these may be attributed to the inevitable inaccuracies which arise when translating a complex work from one language to another. For example, the word "chance" is used appropriately in some places, but in other places the word "luck" would have been better. Another weakness, for the American audience, relates to the differences between the European environment, to which the author directed his book, and the American environment, which has many controversies not touched by the book. An example:

There is no open warfare at present between the two camps…. There is peace, but only because of a compromise: weary of the long conflict, science and theology have simply agreed to proclaim the divisibility of truth.

The author clearly did not have "Creation Science" in mind, nor the recent and current court actions in Arkansas and Louisiana, when he wrote these words. Ditfurth has nothing helpful to say about the belief of some creationists that whatever evidence there is in support of evolution was put on earth by the Devil to confuse us. The author's tactic seems to be to hit creationists over the head with facts which the creationists find irrelevant.

The most serious problem with the book has to do with a combination of the style of writing in Part I and the author's stated objectives. The two are occasionally incompatible. Part I is written with an arrogance that is more than a difficulty with translation. The frequent use of words like "no rational grounds for doubt," "incontestable evidence," and "unquestionable" when presenting hypotheses and theories concerning evolution is neither scientifically appropriate nor likely to- lead to much reconciliation between science and those members of Christendom with whom he is at odds. Lapses into defense by ridicule are less than worthy

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of the rest of the book. For example, "In England, the home of cranks and non-conformists would be just as well left out of the book. At times the author seems to be saying "I'm reasonable, I must be right, so only the insane won't agree with me." Fortunately this style is abandoned in Parts II and III, where the excellence of the author's abilities truly shine through. The book will be of interest and value to those who already believe in the acceptability of the concept of evolution. It will help confirm the acceptance and broaden an understanding of the nature of God's creation. It also will help the non-scientist respond to the criticisms which are leveled at evolution by creationists. Those who are uncertain about the validity of asserted equality between evolution science and creationism may be convinced of the fallacy of such apparent equality if the style of Part I does not alienate them first.

Those who give serious attention to the ideas presented in the volume will be challenged to view science and religion in a new and creative way. The book is well worth reading, despite the uneven style of writing.

Richard W. Berry
San Diego, State University
San Diego, California