Book Review: The Selfless Gene by Charles Foster

• Why are there two apparently conflicting accounts of creation in the book of Genesis?
• Do evolutionists really believe that man came from ooze?
• Did the fall of man or natural selection cause all the suffering we see in the natural world?
• Where do dinosaurs and cavemen fit into the story?
• Is there a middle ground between the neo-Darwinists and the young earth creationists?

I don’t know about you, but these are things that cross my mind. Charles Foster's book, The Selfless Gene, seeks to answer these questions and explores the idea that evolutionary theory and Christianity are not mutually exclusive worldviews. Foster respectively analyzes this often dicey subject through the lens of both science and religion and convincingly asserts that the two can in fact be reconciled.

I have to tell you that I really enjoyed this book although, I was a little weary at the onsite. In a review of the book, respected scientist, Simon Conway Morris, stated "If you are a creationist it is most unlikely you'll be one by the time you finish reading this thought-provoking book. But anyone who is, like myself, a Darwinian is equally at risk." I, like perhaps some of you, tend to get a little uncomfortable when someone starts challenging things I believe in. But, I would encourage anyone to read Foster's thorough review of the subject.

Admittedly, the first few chapters are heavy on the science side. The reading got a little tedious at times, even for a molecular biologist that is at least somewhat familiar with evolutionary theory. However, this comprehensive analysis is completely necessary for the comparisons and contrasts presented in the rest of the book. I liken it to having to eat your brussels sprouts before getting to enjoy the dessert of the last half of the book. And let me tell you, that last half was well worth the wait. There, Foster took an in-depth analysis of the creation stories presented in Genesis. I've read those accounts many times before, but his take on them was like a breath of fresh air. Additionally, I enjoyed how Foster peppered the entire book with other aspects of Christianity (like Hebrew culture, prophesy, and environmentalism) that I wasn't expecting to encounter. All in all, I found this book very well written and somewhat reassuring to this Christ-following scientist.