The Creator and the Cosmos

Hugh Ross

This book was the first of Ross's books that I read. I enjoyed his personal story of discovery and the clear presentation of the evidence in nature that points to a Creator. This is, in my opinion, a good first book for a seeking skeptic. It is an excellent treatment of the fine-tuning evidences.

Preface

The 3rd edition contains 3 new chapters and 70 pages increase, including the Appendix.

Ch 1: The Awe-Inspiring Night Sky

p 13 Hugh Ross started saving for a telescope at 8yrs old. Several years later, his unveiling of it in his front yard drew a crowd and he was launched in his fascination with astronomy.

p 13 Roche "It really does matter, and matter very much, how we think about the cosmos." Ross uses this to kick off a very nice discussion of purpose. "our view of the universe shapes our worldview, our philosophy of life, and thus our daily decisions and actions."

p 14 "For example, if the universe is not created or is in some manner accidental, then it has no objective meaning, and consequently, life, including human life, has no meaning. A mechanical chain of events determines everything. Morality and religion may be temporarily useful but are ultimately irrelevant. The Universe (capital U) is ultimate reality."

p "Thus, to study the origin and development of the universe is, in a sense, to investigate the basis for any meaning and purpose to life. Cosmology has deep theological and philosophical ramifications."

p 14 Interesting section on "Cosmological Chauvinism" in which he notes that scientists, philosophers and theologians all argue that theirs is the primary and essential discipline from which the others are derivative.

Ch 2: My Skeptical Inquiry

p Hugh was a voracious reader of astronomy and became observation director for the Vancouver branch of the Astronomical Society. Understanding the Big Bang led him to a belief in God as "Beginner" and he began to study the "Holy books". He was amazed when he found the first chapter of Genesis. He read from a little Gideon's Bible that he had received at school, and I have seen that Bible - he still uses it to point to that early experience.

p20 Took 18 months to investigate the consistency of the Bible and scientific evidence.

Ch 3: Big Bang- The Bible Taught It First!

Ch 4: The Discovery of the Twentieth Century

Ch 5: Twenty-First Century Discoveries

Ch 6: Einstein's Challenge

Ch 7: Closing Loopholes: Round One

Ch 8: Closing Loopholes: Round Two

Ch 9: Science Discovers Time Before Time

Ch 10: A God Outside of Time, But Knowable

Ch 11: A Brief Look at A Brief History of Time

Ch 12: A Modern-Day Goliath

Ch 13: The Divine Watchmaker