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Summary: Rationality vs rationalization
Review: This book presents a serious challenge to the modern naturalistic worldview that all answers to reality are to be found in empirical investigation, including the question of origins and even questions of morality. It rests on the (usually unacknowledged) *assumption* that nature is all there is.Much that is claimed as rationality by adherents of naturalism is in fact mere rationalization, but since they pull the strings behind the scientific establishment (and hold the purse strings), they usually succeed in stifling open debate. Their refusal to face up honestly to the challenge posed by the origin of life and the origin of information is an illustration of this. But their refusal to engage their critics in open debate also betrays their lack of confidence in their position. Their uneasiness sometimes degenerates into paranoia, as evidenced by the irrational knee-jerk reaction over the Kansas board of education amendment of the evolution section of the science syllabus. Their frequent resort to authoritarian bully tactics to 'protect' science is an inherent contradiction. Often, materialistic naturalists are so deeply indoctrinated in their dogma that they are quite unable to comprehend their opponents' viewpoint, as when they demand their critics to provide a better *naturalistic* explanation of origins than the one they criticise, when the whole point is that there is no satisfactory *naturalistic* explanation. Atheistic science prefers to cling to an intellectually bankrupt theoretical position rather than relinquish naturalism. But "claiming to have knowledge is not a truimph for science unless it is true knowledge, and admitting that we don't have answers is an improvement on dogmatically retaining the wrong answers." A frequent naturalist assertion is that scientific progress would be retarded by accepting a theistic position. This is false on at least two counts. Firstly, many of the founders of modern science were theists who believed that the universe was designed by an intelligent creator, and this belief *motivated* their scientific investigations. Secondly, many contemporary scientists, including many working in the medical and biological sciences, have only a rudimentary knowledge of evolutionary theory, and do their research without reference to it. The author is an old hand at taking on the bastions of naturalism, and it is a pleasure to read a book that argues its case so cogently.
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Summary: Sweeping the Field of Dogmatism
Review: This is a brilliantly clear book that exposes the pretensions of a scientific priesthood that cannot bear to be questioned much less challenged about its creation story, to wit, Darwinism and the naturalistic philosophy that undergirds it. Darwinian naturalism cannot stand the light of day, and Phillip Johnson's incisive probing is hastening that day. Let the media and the cultural elite continue to cast the creation-evolution controversy as one of fundamentalist Genesis-literalist bigots versus enlightened Darwinist defenders of truth. Read Johnson and see that such easy dismissals are just so much smoke and mirrors. Philosophers of science speak of "the pessimistic induction": Every scientific theory, given enough time, eventually bites the dust. Darwinism is shortly to bite the dust, and Johnson is making it happen.
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Summary: Poses questions the religion of science cannot answer
Review: This is a wonderful read. Phillip Johnson has done an excellent job at aiming a logical, fact based, wedge into the illogical and faith centered belief system that is naturalism. He starts the book with a familiar tale: one where a person raised with a belief in God goes off to college and starts questioning and abandons what he believes. He gives a detailed and true depiction of Philip Wentworth's account of his conversion to secularism at Harvard. What is fascinating is how he depicts with razor sharp accuracy the fact that Wentworth accepts his new beliefs without ever stopping to look at them critically, and becomes merely a flip-side version of what he was. This rationalization which never resembles reasoning was fascinating to see analyzed. I found this to be an intriguing and unusual way to start the book. The remaining chapters focus on a variety of the gaping holes in naturalistic belief. His depictions of just what lengths these supposed objective scientists will go to remove all discussions of alternative viewpoints, illuminates that their objections are based solely on politics and a religious type of close-minded thinking. Numerous examples are given to illustrate this fact. As spoken by Darwinist and naturalistic follower John Maynard Smith, as he unwittingly describes the politics of his belief system: "The evolutionary biologists whom I have discussed Gould's work with tend to see him as a man so confused as to be hardly worth bothering with, but as one who should not be publicly criticized because he is at least on our side against the creationists". (Page 139) These types of comments obviously fly in the face of what science proposes it is - an objective search for truth in which politics and subjective lobbying have no place. Read this book and you will see that view of science is a myth, and the philosophy of the modern naturalist is protected at all costs, even if the process of doing so undermines the very foundation the belief system rests on. The discussions on theology, and thinking, are masterfully done. Like others before him, Johnson is asking the right questions, and due to his background and credentials, is scoring points at every turn. The closed thinking of naturalism is starting to crack under the strain of simple questions and the reality of having a mirror held up to reflect back the badly damaged foundation of naturalistic religion. The book is written very well, and incorporates both technical substance and smooth conversational dialog. Highly recommended for anyone with an open mind who doesn't have a worldview to protect from the truth.
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Summary: JESUS AS LOGOS IS INCARNATE TRUTH WEDGE
Review: This outstanding book not only points sincere pilgrims on a Holy Quest for Truth to re-evaluate the unsatisfying foundations of naturalism in favor of what C.S.Lewis called the 'overwhelming case for Supernaturalism in our world and beyond', but takes us to the Fount, the Source, the Quintessence of Truth which is far more than a concept or impersonal idea, but a Living Being: Jesus, the Son of God, the Word of God, the LOGOS. Those readers or reviewers who feel that the author should stop at Genesis in advocating the evidence for Intelligent Design fail to realize that Jesus Himself is that Intelligent Designer. The Hebrew God of Genesis, it turns out, has a Son named Immanuel. To omit reference to the Father& Son universal design and construction team is to do injustice to what Francis Schaeffer called 'True Truth'. The Father's genius is the Son's genius; the Father's architecture is the Son's; the Father's handiwork is Jesus'. The Gospel of John, especially Chapter 1 and Revelation make that abundantly clear. Without the LOGOS, the WORD of God, Jesus Christ, there would be no Genesis, no Intelligent Design, no DNA, no mankind, those 'suspended between two infinities' (Pascal) of the microscope and telescope. Hebrews Ch.1 proclaims Jesus as the One Who holds all creation together with the Word of God's power. Christ - the Power of God and Wisdom of God! This book makes no apology for proclaiming Jesus as the Author of all existence Who rose from the dead and will return as Judge of His creation. In the meantime, acknowledging Him as LORD is the wisest and most logical, sensible, cogent course of action. Must reading for supernaturalists, naturalists and all in between! But don't just take Johnson's word for it. Check out the New Testament evidence for yourself. See Lee Strobel's compelling Case for Christ and Case for Faith to further your pilgrimage, where spiritual facts and faith and scientific facts and faith are integrated into LOGOSOPHY, the wisdom of the Word of the God Who spoke and worlds leapt into existence.
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Summary: Not for the Ungodly
Review: Ungodly scientists are infuriated by this book, not because it assaults their occupation, but because they hate the truth. Ungodly means haters of truth. Notice how the critics of this book make the most irreverent references to God. This book is for those who love the truth. It will help them see why so-called scientists insist on denying their Creator by coming up with these corrupt theories. Truth haters are false scientists because the mark of the scientist should be the quest for truth, not the suppression of it. Indeed this superb book, like every truth-based writing, is for Christ's sheep, not for His enemies who hate Him.
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Summary: ID on the offensive
Review: Where Bill Dembski's Intelligent Design focused on presenting the (falsifiable, testable) scientific evidence that complex systems are designed by an intelligent source, Phillip Johnson's Wedge of Truth focuses on the lack of scientific evidence that chance and law can account for the genetic information found in irreducibly complex biological systems. The book is well written and shows how the scientific establishment engages in doublespeak to defend their naturalism. This practice, Johnson argues, is unscientific and leads to circular reasoning. The Wedge of Truth will be seen as an important contribution to the Intelligent Design movement.
Rating: 
Summary: Thanks, but no thanks.
Review: While I appreciate the works of Drs. Johnson, Behe, Dembski, and others, and while I whole-heartedly agree with their assesment of naturalism and their critique of it, I must admit that the fact that most of these folks are christians and are more than willing to talk about their christianity when discussing ID is a turnoff and it will continue to retard the intelligent design movement. The thing that conservative christians can't seem to understand is that if I prove evolution is wrong, then by no means does that automatically mean that Jesus is Lord and Savior. It only means that there is an intelligent agent at work here. While I don't think that it is a stretch to say that that agent is the Creator, given the near impossibility that a Creator can be excluded on philosophical and logical grounds (especially when talking about cosmology); but to imply that this validates christianity would be insane. Why? Because there is not a good reason to do so. A hindu can similarly claim that this means that hinduism is true and Vishnu is alive, or a moslim can say that islam is true, etc. Sure, these famous design theorists aren't explicitly saying that this means that "Jesus is Lord," but let's be honest with ourselves and agree that they would like to see people turn to christianity in some sort of christian renniasance as a result of this anti-evolutionary crusade. The primary motive for Mr. Johnson is the desire to see more souls saved for Christ. I admit that logically it is not a sound response when evolutionists react to criticism by claiming that the criticism is ideologically (i.e. missionary) based, because there are numerous valid and, in my humble opinion, scientifically sound counterpoints to evolution that need to be seriously addressed; but deep down inside we know they have a point because those who are at the forefront of the ID movement are Biblicists bent on winning souls and starting some sort of christian revival, and they view any victories against naturalism as a victory for christianity. Everyone has a right to their beliefs and have their beliefs respected, including the authors; but people must understand that christianity is not validated or vindicated by disproving evolution. The only thing that happens when christianity is wedded to ID is that people are turned off, more amunition is provided to the defenders of darwinism, and ID will continue to be unaccepted at large (it is true that more than 90% of Americans do not accept strict naturalistic darwinism; but on the other hand not many people have yet committed to a more elaborate ID synthesis). At best, bad logic and methodology is employed. Please, to all those leaders of ID, ID MUST BE DIVORCED FROM CHRISTIANITY. Amru Albeiruti College Student
Rating:
Summary: Pick your faith
Review: You know a book is controversial when 85% of all the feedback is either 1 star or 5 stars. This book is probably Johnson's best. He clearly demonstrates that in practice, evolution theory never allows for falsification or honest outside peer review, and is therefore as faith-based as any belief system.
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