The Adam Quest, by Tim Stafford (Thomas Nelson, 2013)

Science and faith should be allies, not opponents, in the search for truth. (from the publisher’s website)

In The Adam Quest, Tim Stafford profiles eleven scientists whose work qualifies them to speak on the mystery of human origins. These eleven are Bible-believing Christians, and their respective stances range from Young Earth Creationism to Intelligent Design Creationism to Evolutionary Creationism. Mr. Stafford says they “live at the centre of the rift, trying to hold faith and science together under God.” (p. 9)

Each scientist is articulate and persuasive—and easier to understand than I expected scientists to be. This is, in large part, due to Tim Stafford’s conversational writing style. Each profile presents an individual and his/her accomplishments and personality, without commentary or judgment and without an overt agenda to convince readers of a particular view.

This is not the book to read to find “the right answer” to questions of creation, nor to prove or disprove your own opinion. Rather, it’s an overview of how people of the same faith may differ on their interpretation of Scripture and perhaps of scientific findings.

It’s a look at how faith and science can work together to find truth, and it reveals how difficult it is for Christians who are scientists to find people who accept them. Secular scientists think the Christians are a little weird, and the average church person doesn’t understand (and may be threatened by) the scientific mindset focusing on facts and proof.

It’s also a call to unity within the body of Christ, where instead of fighting over how and when the earth was created we can engage in respectful discussion, in ongoing exploration, and in the interim, agree to disagree. In the words of one of the scientists, “If your salvation doesn’t hinge on it, don’t make a big deal out of it.” (p. 108)

Author Tim Stafford writes both fiction and non-fiction, serves as Senior Writer for Christianity Today, and maintains an active blog.

[A review copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.]