I grew up thinking evolution was a dirty word. The product of a conservative Christian home, I received a Christian education from kindergarten through college. Evolution, Darwin, and any associated words or theories remained relegated to the closet full of taboo topics. I’ve always held a strict, literal view of Creation. Some might say I’ve ignored scientific evidence. And maybe I have—mostly because I’ve always felt evolution required a bigger leap of faith than believing in God.

However, as I’ve grown older and continued to learn, I’ve come to realize that I need to study multiple perspectives on various topics. Thus, I chose to read Beyond Evolution. I feel out of my element reading a book written by a scientist with a doctorate. Fortunately, Dr. Garte does an admirable job of explaining things in terms a layman can understand. I’ve learned new terms, such as teleology, abiogenesis, and agency of cells. The book may appeal more to scientists, but it is also crucial for laypeople to familiarize themselves with current scientific knowledge. Otherwise, we end up clinging to what we learned in school instead of recognizing that knowledge is a progressive process.

Dr. Garte, a biochemist and former atheist, proposes that Christians and Evolutionists need to look beyond long-held beliefs about evolution and ask different questions. Garte explains how “Science and faith are not in conflict but are two different and harmonious ways to find the same beautiful truth.”

I don’t have the credentials to evaluate this book as a peer, but I’ve gleaned essential takeaways.
Biology (the study of life) is the youngest branch of science (and here I thought it was the oldest), and in the scientific world still struggles as the new kid. The narrative I heard as a child and young adult about the incompatibility of faith and science was a construct of two authors (one of whom wasn’t a scientist and the other who wasn’t a theologian), not a result of biological or scientific study.

I also came to understand that the word ‘evolution’ means many things to many people. When conservative Christians see the word, they immediately think, ‘man-descended-from-apes’ and ‘big-bang-theory’ (seemingly simplistic, anti-faith, anti-Christian concepts). When scientists see the word, they often refer to how species have adapted to survive in different environments. When atheists see the word, they view the same connotations Christians do, but because they don’t believe in God, they think that science backs up their construct.
Garte argues, “We can exclude any scientific reason for the existence of life based on all the science we know. We can see there is no reason for anything to be alive.”

I grew up believing in a literal six-day creation and a young earth, so I assumed all evolutionists were atheists. This perspective causes me to struggle with reconciling the idea of a Christian scientist who believes that things evolved over millions of years. However, my primary purpose in selecting this book is to broaden my understanding and expand my knowledge, not to pass judgment.
Garte claims, “We don’t use science to prove our faith, and we don’t use faith to answer scientific questions.”

If you’re a reader who wants to educate yourself about current scientific findings and how they relate to Christianity, I highly recommend this book. You may struggle to understand some of the scientific concepts if you’ve been out of the classroom for a few decades, but the read is worth the struggle.

If you’re a scientist wondering how a belief in God can co-exist with what you know about how things evolve, you’ll probably feel more at home with the terminology and current scientific knowledge.
Whatever the case, take the time to read the book! You’ll come away with more questions, food for thought, and an enhanced perspective, whether you believe in God or not.

Is it possible that one of the biggest obstacles to harmonizing science and faith can finally be overcome? Respected biologist and former atheist Sy Garte says the answer is yes. This need to be read to all students from elementary school.

While I had some problems with this book, I would recommend it as a modern look to the problem of science meeting the creation of the Bible. Its biggest strength is the authors ability to update the state of modern biology in laymen’s terms in order to argue against the idea that evolution is a proof that man is a product of evolution and not creator designed.

I think the problems of this book come at ambition. I wish we would have gotten the summary of what the author was trying to argue theologically before what he was updating scientifically. Genesis and the creation story among the imago dei is central. It is not like gravity or other scientific theories being adjacent to biblical ideas, it is why we are made and how we were designed. I don’t think the author took this as seriously as he should have. This book is strong showing the modern ideas of why biology could be theist supported but it comes short pairing that with scripture and theological ideas.

The central message of this book is that modern evolutionary theory is perfectly compatible with Christian theology, and all but the most literalist fundamentalists should have no problem accepting evolutionary science. No one thinks that the parables that Jesus told actually happened, and if we read the first few chapters of Genesis in the same spirit (as theological, not scientific or historical texts) then there is no reason to doubt evolution. Apparently, in the US, there are many people who do not see this.

He also presents the case that recent ideas in evolutionary theory provide reasons to believe in God. I must admit, I found that unconvincing. They all seemed to me to fall very firmly under the 'God of the gaps' idea, which he later mentions. That is the idea that is something is too mysterious or unexplainable, then it must be caused by God. For instance, we have little idea how evolution proceeded from a few biochemicals to something looking like a cell, seeing you actually need something like a cell membrane for that to be able to occur. Garte's answer is that that is where we see God. I have two problems with that. Firstly, that if and when we do find a convincing mechanism for those steps, God is then removed. Secondly, it seemed to have the idea that God is like the watchmaker who winds up the clock he has designed, and steps back and observes it. That does not rhyme well with Christian theology based on the incarnation. That points to a weakness of the book that it is much stronger on science, especially biochemistry, than on theology. Decades ago, I was lucky enough to hear a series of lectures by Jürgen Moltmann (who unfortunately died last year). He wrote many books, including God in Creation which tackle the theological aspects of Garte's book in some depth. The issues discussed by Garte are actually as much theological as biological and some heavier theology, for instance Moltmann's ideas would have been welcome in that respect. For instance, Garte posits that 'consciousness is transmission of God's thoughts', but how on earth does that work with evil thoughts?

I did have a few issues with the biology side, though. Since when is "biology the youngest of the traditional natural sciences"? What about Pliny? Crick and Watson are mentioned a couple of times. Nowadays, we know that Franklin should be included. The role of symbiosis (e.g. mitochondria being derived from bacteria) is a part of modern evolutionary theory that is an important addition to traditional Darwinism. The claim that there are no 'laws' about fitness is a bit odd. For example, population dynamics (which is essentially about fitness) is very mathematical - mostly expressed in models because it is too complex for simple equations. Likewise, the claim that biology is notoriously short on theory is not one that I recognise. I worked for ten years in ecological research, and much of that was about developing and applying theories. My work was not unusual in that respect. The statement that bees have no brains is just wrong. The assumption that human consciousness is fundamentally different from the consciousness of other species is rather out of date. See the work of the late great Frans de Waal, for instance.

In conclusion. If this book succeeds in opening the eyes to some of the more fundamentalist
American Christians that there is really no conflict between evolutionary science and taking the Bible seriously, then it will have served its purpose. It is easy to read and explains complex ideas clearly. However, its theology is a bit light and when the biology strays outside the author's own area of biochemistry it is sometimes a little inaccurate.

Thanks to the publishers for providing an advance review copy (via NetGalley) in return for an honest review.

The book provided a solid reading experience, with concepts that were truly eye-opening for me. I believe that any reader will find it easy to understand and appreciate the insights presented throughout its pages. Even if you are unfamiliar with the science and professional concepts, you can still embrace the journey ahead and enjoy the book. As a Christian, I feel a deep sense of excitement and happiness when I can seamlessly join two topics that I love. It's especially fulfilling because I don't feel any dogma standing in the way of their connection. This blending of interests allows me to explore my passions in a way that feels both authentic and enriching.