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The Return of the God Hypothesis: Compelling Scientific Evidence for the Existence of God

The Return of the God Hypothesis: Compelling Scientific Evidence for the Existence of God

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  • Create Date：2021-07-16 04:40:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
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  • Author：Stephen C. Meyer
  • ISBN：0062071505
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Summary

The New York Times bestselling author of Darwin’s Doubt and Intelligent Design scholar presents groundbreaking scientific evidence of the existence of God， based on breakthroughs in physics， cosmology， and biology。

In 2004， Stephen C。 Meyer， one of the preeminent scientists studying the origins of life， ignited a firestorm of media and scientific controversy when a biology journal at the Smithsonian Institution published his peer-reviewed article advancing the theory of Intelligent Design。 Then， in his two bestselling books， Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt， he helped unravel a mystery that Charles Darwin did not address: how did life begin？ and offered further scientific proof to bolster his arguments on the history of life and our origins， concluding that life was designed。

In those previous books， Meyer purposely refrained from attempting to answer questions about “who” might have designed life。 Now， in The Return of the God Hypothesis， he brings his ideas full circle， providing a reasoned and evidence-based answer to the ultimate mystery of the universe， drawn from recent scientific discoveries in physics， cosmology， and biology。

Meyer uses three scientific points to refute popular arguments put forward by the “New Atheists” against the existence of God:


The evidence from cosmology showing that the material universe had a beginning。
The evidence from physics showing that， from the beginning， the universe was been “finely tuned” to allow for the possibility of life。
The evidence from biology showing that since the universe came into being， large amounts of genetic information present in DNA must have arisen to make life possible。
In analyzing the evidence from these three fields， Meyer reveals how the data support not just the existence of an intelligent designer of some kind—but the existence of a theistic creator。

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Reviews

Richard Weaver ，

I’m not an ID guy （intelligent design） but this book is great。 Science heavy and presents the otherwise fairly and in detail。 Philosophy and Science at its best

Paul Triller ，

I will admit I bit off much more than I could chew with this one。。。but。。。the chapters still provided compelling， well thought-out arguments。

Gregory Bruce ，

A Model for Expert DialogueI was so very impressed with Dr。 Meyers’ book on multiple levels。 He was gracious and complimentary of the abilities and strengths of those with whom he differs。 He exemplifies the spirit that this type of endeavor requires; determined， scholarly in the best sense of the word， collegial to the point that others will permit， and gracious。 He clearly explained the issues at hand giving enough background for the readers/listeners to be able to follow his ideas and argumen A Model for Expert DialogueI was so very impressed with Dr。 Meyers’ book on multiple levels。 He was gracious and complimentary of the abilities and strengths of those with whom he differs。 He exemplifies the spirit that this type of endeavor requires; determined， scholarly in the best sense of the word， collegial to the point that others will permit， and gracious。 He clearly explained the issues at hand giving enough background for the readers/listeners to be able to follow his ideas and argument。 His illustrations rendered very difficult concepts a little easier to understand。 I think he must have been an awesome teacher in the classroom。 His entire presentation was helpful。 I have worked with a school board in the past， asking not that they refrain from teaching evolution， but that they teach the facts of science at its inquisitive， sometimes skeptical， best with a radical commitment to following the facts wherever they lead even if the results seem confusing while we wait for science to continue its hard work。 I also pleaded for them to teach the methods of science， applied without prejudice。 I wish I had this book back then。 。。。more

Don Taylor ，

A thorough and balanced look at 'big picture' questions。 Generally written in a way that is accessible to non-specialists， this is an excellent book that makes a strong case for seriously considering （or reconsidering） your world-view。Although this can be a hard slog to get through， I would recommend it to anyone who wants to seriously consider what the scientific evidence and theories tell us about our universe。 A thorough and balanced look at 'big picture' questions。 Generally written in a way that is accessible to non-specialists， this is an excellent book that makes a strong case for seriously considering （or reconsidering） your world-view。Although this can be a hard slog to get through， I would recommend it to anyone who wants to seriously consider what the scientific evidence and theories tell us about our universe。 。。。more

Matt Hill ，

hadn't thought about Meyer for years， but then heard him talking about this book on several podcasts （Unbelievable， Michael Shermer） and was re-impressed by him 。 。 glad i read this book， as it represents sort of the newest， most complete case for intelligent design 。 。 the first part of the book was a great tour of the history of science 。 。 the last few chapters that sum it all up are also great 。。 and in between you get all the argumentation for ID 。 。 that the beginning of the universe， begi hadn't thought about Meyer for years， but then heard him talking about this book on several podcasts （Unbelievable， Michael Shermer） and was re-impressed by him 。 。 glad i read this book， as it represents sort of the newest， most complete case for intelligent design 。 。 the first part of the book was a great tour of the history of science 。 。 the last few chapters that sum it all up are also great 。。 and in between you get all the argumentation for ID 。 。 that the beginning of the universe， beginning of life， and fine tuning of both indicate ID 。 。 very solid on all those fronts 。 。At one point I thought ID just confused the issues， but this book has also led me to see the important distinction between it and evolutionary creation （theistic evolution， etc。）。 It seems to me the main thing evolutionary creationists are trying to "protect" by arguing against ID is the scientific method itself？ - the fear seems to be that allowing it would somehow stop inquiry？ Of course， Meyer's argument is that scientific inquiry will *never be able to* find mechanisms that work for certain things， because of the nature of those things （specified information， etc。） 。 。 anyway 。 。 great book 。 worth a read for sure 。。。more

LAMONT D ，

THE AUTHOR CONTINUES HIS RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH IN HIS THIRD BOOK TO DEFEND THE CASE OF THEISM AS IT RELATES TO THE ORIGIN OF LIFE AND THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE AND LIFE AS WE KNOW IT ON EARTH。 HE LEAVES NO STONE UNTURNED AS HE PRESENTS AND DEBATES THE RELEVANT ARGUMENTS AGAINST AN INTELLIGENT DESIGNER BEHIND IT ALL。 THIS BOOK SUMMARIZES WHAT HE ARGUED IN THE FIRST TWO BOOKS AND CONTINUES THE ONSLAUGHT OF DEBUNKING THE POPULAR PHILOSOPHIES AND THEORIES THAT CONTINUE TO LEAVE GOD OUT THE AUTHOR CONTINUES HIS RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH IN HIS THIRD BOOK TO DEFEND THE CASE OF THEISM AS IT RELATES TO THE ORIGIN OF LIFE AND THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE AND LIFE AS WE KNOW IT ON EARTH。 HE LEAVES NO STONE UNTURNED AS HE PRESENTS AND DEBATES THE RELEVANT ARGUMENTS AGAINST AN INTELLIGENT DESIGNER BEHIND IT ALL。 THIS BOOK SUMMARIZES WHAT HE ARGUED IN THE FIRST TWO BOOKS AND CONTINUES THE ONSLAUGHT OF DEBUNKING THE POPULAR PHILOSOPHIES AND THEORIES THAT CONTINUE TO LEAVE GOD OUT OF THE EQUATION。 AS HE SO ELOQUENTLY STATES AT THE END OF THE BOOK: "A PRIOR BELIEF IN THE EXISTENCE OF A BENEVOLENT GOD JUSTIFIES BELIEF IN THE RELIABILITY OF THE HUMAN MIND AND IN THE TRUTH OF THE ASSUMPTIONS WE MAKE ABOUT THE WORLD THAT MAKE KNOWLEDGE POSSIBLE。" MANY WANT THE LAWS OF NATURE OR MAYBE A THEORY OF EVERYTHING TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME AND HOW THE UNIVERSE OPERATES GOING FORWARD。 BUT， AT BEST THESE LAWS OR THEORIES DESCRIBE HOW THINGS OPEARTE AND INTERACT， BUT THEY DON'T EXPLAIN TO ANY DEGREE OF SATISFACTION HOW THINGS CAME INTO EXISTENCE IN THE FIRST PLACE。 A WINNER OF A BOOK FOR THE PERSON SERIOUS IN TAKING ON THE GODLESS PHILOSOPHIES AND VIEWPOINTS OF THE WORLD TODAY。 。。。more

Owlseyes ，

https://evolutionnews。org/2021/06/mey。。。 https://evolutionnews。org/2021/06/mey。。。 。。。more

Bryce Johnson ，

Probably the most thought-provoking （and dense） books I have ever read。

David Lloyd ，

Excellent bookExcellent because it addresses the fallacies and strengths of all world views， and philosophical underpinnings of Science。 As scientist， university professor and a Christian I am always dismayed by the “you just have to have faith”。 There is a very strong rationale for belief in the truth of theism。 Even though I use mathematics extensively in my mechanism research in health and physiology （biophysics） I am always reminded that we use conceptual and mathematical models to explain t Excellent bookExcellent because it addresses the fallacies and strengths of all world views， and philosophical underpinnings of Science。 As scientist， university professor and a Christian I am always dismayed by the “you just have to have faith”。 There is a very strong rationale for belief in the truth of theism。 Even though I use mathematics extensively in my mechanism research in health and physiology （biophysics） I am always reminded that we use conceptual and mathematical models to explain the observed relationships， not actually why these mechanisms exist。 That is God set it up that way。 。。。more

First Name Name ，

This is another tome by Stephen Meyer。 This book is very scholarly and well written with copious endnotes。 His basic argument is that scientific evidence from cosmology， physics and biology has more explanatory power for God creating the universe than does naturalism and evolution。 He argues his points very well and consistently points out that scientists really do not have a natural explanation for the origin of life in our universe。 Please have an open mind when reading this book。 It is worth This is another tome by Stephen Meyer。 This book is very scholarly and well written with copious endnotes。 His basic argument is that scientific evidence from cosmology， physics and biology has more explanatory power for God creating the universe than does naturalism and evolution。 He argues his points very well and consistently points out that scientists really do not have a natural explanation for the origin of life in our universe。 Please have an open mind when reading this book。 It is worth working through this book which took me nearly two months to read。 。。。more

Stevens Atehortua ，

This is by far one of the best books I have ever read！！ With over 500 sources to support this well thought out case for intelligent design， there is no way this thought provoking book will not give Christians and other theists alike， scientific evidence for belief in God， but will also provoke atheists， agnostics and deists to rethink their worldview， especially as it might relate to Materialism or Naturalism。 AMAZING BOOK！！ I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL， ESPECIALLY IF YOU REQUIRE SCIENTIFIC EVID This is by far one of the best books I have ever read！！ With over 500 sources to support this well thought out case for intelligent design， there is no way this thought provoking book will not give Christians and other theists alike， scientific evidence for belief in God， but will also provoke atheists， agnostics and deists to rethink their worldview， especially as it might relate to Materialism or Naturalism。 AMAZING BOOK！！ I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL， ESPECIALLY IF YOU REQUIRE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE THAT POINTS TO A CREATOR！！ 。。。more

Zak Boston ，

If you are like me， with a spiritual seeking revivified by the psychological arguments about God from Victor Frankl， Carl Jung， or jordan peterson， you will be fantastically disappointed。 When I realized Meyer would spend the entire book resorting to a classic “god of the gaps” angle of argumentation， my jaw bounced off the floor。 Meyer is a great writer and logician， like many literal Christian apologists， but also shares the same source of deeply unwise “insights”。 This book entirely too long If you are like me， with a spiritual seeking revivified by the psychological arguments about God from Victor Frankl， Carl Jung， or jordan peterson， you will be fantastically disappointed。 When I realized Meyer would spend the entire book resorting to a classic “god of the gaps” angle of argumentation， my jaw bounced off the floor。 Meyer is a great writer and logician， like many literal Christian apologists， but also shares the same source of deeply unwise “insights”。 This book entirely too long for the quality and depth of argument the author produces。 It is replete with strawman， argument from ignorance， moving the goalpost， and a host of other fallacious modes of reasoning。 。。。more

Mohd Khir ，

One of the best book i have read in a long time。 I’m a muslim and I can say Islam is not a religion based on faith only。 Islam is an evidenced-based way of life that God has approved for all His creation。 I may not agree 100% with stephen but in a lot of ways， I’m am agreeing with him as he found God through scientific evidence。 The book just bombarded with factual data， scientific research， evidences from sciences which are easy to understand as a layman。 I mean its bibliography is 30 over page One of the best book i have read in a long time。 I’m a muslim and I can say Islam is not a religion based on faith only。 Islam is an evidenced-based way of life that God has approved for all His creation。 I may not agree 100% with stephen but in a lot of ways， I’m am agreeing with him as he found God through scientific evidence。 The book just bombarded with factual data， scientific research， evidences from sciences which are easy to understand as a layman。 I mean its bibliography is 30 over pages。 He is definitely not emotional when he wrote this book。 Its 99% factual。 I’m not sure how atheists can top this。 Its 2021， and yes theism rules。 。。。more

Ray Simmons ，

Amazing！ Meyer not only states the three areas where God is the best explanation， he clearly states them and gives the reasons for them。 The three areas are: （1） Beginning of the universe， （2） Fine tuning， （3） Life explosions like the first single-cell Life， Cambrian， and all Family （taxonomy） and above。 Belief in the existence of God set Science on its course we are in today。 I highly recommend "The Return of the God Hypothesis"。 Amazing！ Meyer not only states the three areas where God is the best explanation， he clearly states them and gives the reasons for them。 The three areas are: （1） Beginning of the universe， （2） Fine tuning， （3） Life explosions like the first single-cell Life， Cambrian， and all Family （taxonomy） and above。 Belief in the existence of God set Science on its course we are in today。 I highly recommend "The Return of the God Hypothesis"。 。。。more

Douglas ，

If one says they have doubts about Darwin， it doesn't mean we are know-nothing idiots。 It is because life is so complex on both the micro and macro level that it is difficult to credit random mutations and survival of the fittest。 If one says they have doubts about Darwin， it doesn't mean we are know-nothing idiots。 It is because life is so complex on both the micro and macro level that it is difficult to credit random mutations and survival of the fittest。 。。。more

Bud Hewlett ，

Stephen C Meyer has written a number of excellent books， but this may probably end up being his Magnum Opus。 It's very thorough and very deep， with lots of biology， physics， cosmology and philosophy， and just the right amount of theology。 I think it has the best explanation of wave particle duality that I've ever read， but there were a few parts that were very challenging and above my intellectual pay grade。 It requires a little perseverance to get through， but is well worth the effort。 Stephen C Meyer has written a number of excellent books， but this may probably end up being his Magnum Opus。 It's very thorough and very deep， with lots of biology， physics， cosmology and philosophy， and just the right amount of theology。 I think it has the best explanation of wave particle duality that I've ever read， but there were a few parts that were very challenging and above my intellectual pay grade。 It requires a little perseverance to get through， but is well worth the effort。 。。。more

Theodene ，

The Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C Meyer is full of studies， experiments， workshops， debates， and seminars by famous and not so famous scientists， a poet， and the author himself in their search for how the earth was created。 It is quite scientific and reads almost like a textbook。 There is a great use of diagrams and photos of the men who developed the various theories mentioned。While non-fiction or science are not my usual genre and I found it overwhelming with information， it is qui The Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C Meyer is full of studies， experiments， workshops， debates， and seminars by famous and not so famous scientists， a poet， and the author himself in their search for how the earth was created。 It is quite scientific and reads almost like a textbook。 There is a great use of diagrams and photos of the men who developed the various theories mentioned。While non-fiction or science are not my usual genre and I found it overwhelming with information， it is quite the informative collection that is brought together in a very orderly fashion。 I am personally impressed at how much work must have went into a book like this！ All these diagrams included seem to be drawn by the same person as the handwriting is all very much the same and strategically placed。This book discusses multiple competing metaphysical hypothesis of how the earth was created: materialism， pantheism， panspermia， deism， and theism。 Each metaphysical hypothesis is explained in great detail and as the book progresses， it eliminates the possibilities of most。 It is quite interesting how so many people， even highly educated， have such varying ideas on how this earth we live on was first created。 I’m not sure we will ever really find the answer to that， but the work that goes into trying to prove or disprove each is astronomical。Special thanks to HarperOne and NetGalley for the wonderful work of The Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C Meyer。 I give this book 4 out of 5 tiaras only because it is overwhelming with scientific information that I cannot seem to wrap my head around。 It is definitely a book to use when people disagree with the creation of earth。 。。。more

Rizwan ，

Audiobook。 A somewhat tedious examination of the arguments of and responses to atheism and other non theistic world views。 A little less rigour and a bit more flair in writing style and content may have helped to bring home the arguments which are largely a rehash of Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Dilemma。 But understandable why the decision was made to write in this format and provides comprehensive responses to all the major objections

Quratulain ，

Excellent！

Larry White ，

tI first became aware of this book in late 2019 when publication was expected in early 2020。 For whatever reason， the publication date was postponed （more than once， I believe）， and I bought it as soon as it became available this year。 Like Meyer’s other books， this was exceptionally well done， and it was well worth the wait。 It is something of a magnum opus in my opinion。tIn brief， the book develops a positive case for theistic intelligent design （of the universe and life itself） through analys tI first became aware of this book in late 2019 when publication was expected in early 2020。 For whatever reason， the publication date was postponed （more than once， I believe）， and I bought it as soon as it became available this year。 Like Meyer’s other books， this was exceptionally well done， and it was well worth the wait。 It is something of a magnum opus in my opinion。tIn brief， the book develops a positive case for theistic intelligent design （of the universe and life itself） through analysis of causal adequacy and inference to the best explanation。 Positive case is important because Meyer doesn’t merely argue against competing hypotheses by striking down their weaknesses （although， as he must， Meyer does an effective job of explaining the causal inadequacies of materialism， deism and pantheism with respect to the origin and fine tuning of the universe and the origin， nature and development of life on earth）， but he argues how theism is in fact causally adequate and explanatory based on the scientific evidence。 A powerful example is his discussion of the presence of information in the genetic code of life， a relatively recent scientific discovery。tIt struck me while reading Return of the God Hypothesis that many modern “Christians” are at best nominally so， and at worst merely untested fideists， unprepared for the secular anti-theistic onslaught influencing the media， the classroom， government， popular culture and much of our daily social interaction。 While Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide are critical concepts， we must also recognize that the anti-theists draw their arguments from outside of Scripture。 Peter， himself， advised us to “always be prepared to give 。 。 。 the reason for the hope that you have” （1 Peter 3:15 NIV）， and that necessarily must include both Scriptural and secular reasoning against the secular objections to faith。 Very few modern Christians， including our young Christians beginning to engage the secular world of higher education， are prepared for that。 Meyer points out that the most significant scientific arguments that cause Christians to abandon their faith relate to evolution。 Our young people are not learning the weaknesses of the Theory of Evolution （in its various forms）; it is treated as “settled science”， with nary any consideration given to the arguments in Return of the God Hypothesis。tFinally， Meyer examines the fallacy of science-theology conflict （historical and present）， the God-of-the-gaps ruse （I wish he had taken on science-of-the-gaps more directly）， and the possible motivations and question-begging of the anti-theism scientific community。tEven the extensive footnotes are worthwhile！ （Meyer references the availability of greater detail at www。returnofthegodhypothesis。com/exte。。。， although I confess to having not availed myself of this resource）。 In other words， this is a thoroughly researched and compelling book。 If the subject seems daunting， and to many it will be， reading the first three and final two chapters is rewarding and revealing in itself and may trigger curiosity about the rest of the story。 。。。more

Scott Nickels ，

Stephen C。 Meyer has written a terrific new book entitled “Return of the God Hypothesis。” For the uninitiated， Dr。 Meyer is a major contributor to the “Intelligent Design” scientific theory， which he has defended admirably despite the derision he has received from the Church of the Darwinian Worshippers。 I have followed the movement since reading about the ID movement over 20 years ago when I became aware of Dr。 William Dembski’s research。 Meyer’s previous scholarship has made a compelling argum Stephen C。 Meyer has written a terrific new book entitled “Return of the God Hypothesis。” For the uninitiated， Dr。 Meyer is a major contributor to the “Intelligent Design” scientific theory， which he has defended admirably despite the derision he has received from the Church of the Darwinian Worshippers。 I have followed the movement since reading about the ID movement over 20 years ago when I became aware of Dr。 William Dembski’s research。 Meyer’s previous scholarship has made a compelling argument for theistic intelligent design while not ignoring counter arguments。 This book provides a healthy historical review of the history， and the philosophy， of the origin of life theories throughout the past few centuries。 He points to both the strengths， and the weaknesses， of the RNA world， evolutionary biologists （long have they reigned！）， even those literally out-of-our world multiverse theories and compares and contrasts with competing hypotheses of naturalism， pantheism， and deism。I was out “over my skis” with some of this book。 Some portions of this book were quite dry for a layperson such as myself。 However， these criticisms reflect directly on the reader （me） and not on Dr。 Meyer’s handiwork。So a huge “thanks” to NetGalley for the chance to dive deep into the topic of Intelligent Design。 May it reinforce those that already are “true believers” and hopefully Meyer’s review can open up some minds on the topic for those that are inclined to argue against it。Definitely 5 stars！ 。。。more

Gregory Harris ，

A MUST READ FOR ANYONE HEADED INTO THE SCIENCES！ Meyer makes a superb and subtle argument。 For many who are not convinced by the deductive arguments for the existence of God， this is the book for you。 He does an excellent job of introducing his audience to Abductive Argument for God。 This probabilistic argumentation is powerful and intuitive。 He helps the reader examine the expectations we should have of the current world， given various hypotheses about the fundamental nature of reality。 He then A MUST READ FOR ANYONE HEADED INTO THE SCIENCES！ Meyer makes a superb and subtle argument。 For many who are not convinced by the deductive arguments for the existence of God， this is the book for you。 He does an excellent job of introducing his audience to Abductive Argument for God。 This probabilistic argumentation is powerful and intuitive。 He helps the reader examine the expectations we should have of the current world， given various hypotheses about the fundamental nature of reality。 He then works through evidence to reveal the strength or weakness of each hypothesis。While Meyer is technical in his scientific information， it is worth the difficulty。 His precision and careful attention to scientific argument and detail only aids the argument and efficacy of the book。 I believe it has brought the God hypothesis back to the forefront of scientific inquiry。 。。。more

Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev ，

An interesting review of the history of scientific research and its relationship to theology。 While most of the material is simple and limited in scope， the book is broad （in the sense of covering multiple fields， like biology， physics， astronomy， etc。） and well organized， though at times boring。 I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the existence of God。 （I suppose it’s possible for a God to exist; I do not think the book does anything remotely close to supporting the idea that th An interesting review of the history of scientific research and its relationship to theology。 While most of the material is simple and limited in scope， the book is broad （in the sense of covering multiple fields， like biology， physics， astronomy， etc。） and well organized， though at times boring。 I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the existence of God。 （I suppose it’s possible for a God to exist; I do not think the book does anything remotely close to supporting the idea that that God is the God of the Bible。） Either way， it’s a good book to read and， given my limited qualifiers， a welcome addition to anyone’s library。 。。。more

Caleb Jore ，

A powerful examination of the evidence and rationality of theism。 It shows that rather than being a primitive myth from a prescientific era， belief in God is rational， science-driving， and meaningful—and the evidence supports it。

Jeff Satterthwaite ，

Another Important Work from Dr。 MeyerWithout God there is no transendant hope or meaning in life; only blind pitiless indifference。 Dr。 Meyer offers a compelling positive case for the God hypothesis and for that I am very greatful。

James A。 Farren ，

Rational thought lives - yahoo！This is an excellent rational summary of the evidence that makes belief in a creator God more likely true than not。

Xrayd ，

I came to this book as an agnostic physician with a relatively strong foundation in the sciences， and some interest in history and philosophy。 Having grown up Christian， I drifted away from religion in medical school。 There I realized that genetic mutations were common， that any gene could be affected， and that medicine， in a large part， was understanding the relationship between a mutated gene and the given inherited disease or fetal anomaly， many of which were either fatal or severely limiting I came to this book as an agnostic physician with a relatively strong foundation in the sciences， and some interest in history and philosophy。 Having grown up Christian， I drifted away from religion in medical school。 There I realized that genetic mutations were common， that any gene could be affected， and that medicine， in a large part， was understanding the relationship between a mutated gene and the given inherited disease or fetal anomaly， many of which were either fatal or severely limiting for the patient。 Years of immersion in this study gradually eroded my faith in God， and though I never drifted as far as atheism， I found at some point that I no longer had faith in a benevolent transcendent higher power。I can't remember where I came across a blurb for this book， but being somewhat curious， and decided to give it a go。 Reading the book was like being back in college。 Deep science， some history， plenty of philosophy and logic， with hundreds of experts referenced across all disciplines （footnotes included）， all linked together and clearly explained by the author， who has plainly made investigating these subjects his life's mission。And for that I very humbly thank the author， because this book will change the trajectory of my life， to what ultimate degree I'm not certain。 The goal of the book was not to "prove" a higher intelligence， but to argue that theism is a better argument for what we see around us， and what we can extrapolate about the beginning of the universe， the fine tuning of the universe （as described by physical laws）， the origin of life， and the emerging complexity of life， as compared to purely materialistic/naturalistic explanations。 And despite a large amount of skepticism going in， I am happy to say that I found the arguments presented for the most part very convincing。 。。。more

Dennis ，

This book is about evidence from science that can be used to confirm faith in God。 Specifically， it provides evidence， reason， and argument to persuade the reader that the theistic worldview is legitimate and does not violate scientific evidence。Like the author， I am a Christian。 I already had faith in God before reading this book。 I am well aware that not all people share my faith。 Nor do they agree with my views about how faith traditions should respond to criticism from other religions or ath This book is about evidence from science that can be used to confirm faith in God。 Specifically， it provides evidence， reason， and argument to persuade the reader that the theistic worldview is legitimate and does not violate scientific evidence。Like the author， I am a Christian。 I already had faith in God before reading this book。 I am well aware that not all people share my faith。 Nor do they agree with my views about how faith traditions should respond to criticism from other religions or atheist traditions。 I am also aware that books like this are not likely to change very many minds， particularly among those that already hold strong beliefs。 Nevertheless， this book can be a great comfort to those believers who have been challenged by the culture wars and concerned about scientific evidence。 It can also be helpful to anyone who wants to understand the terms of the debate or curious about the phenomenon of Intelligent Design。I spent a significant amount of time during the Covid Pandemic watching debates between Christopher Hitchens and various opponents。 These debates were generally on the question of theism and whether it is a force for good or for evil。 Christopher Hitchens consistently argued that theism harmed people。 According to Hitchens， Theism infantilizes people by subjecting them to a tyrannical， cosmic dictator。 Hitchens argued that people shackled in this way should break free， and the world would be much better off。Hitchens was an expert debater。 Few opponents could match his wit， humor， and quickness of retort。 But， I think he mischaracterized the God of theism。 The God of theism created the universe， and I do not believe God needs to violate the laws of physics and chemistry to accomplish God’s purpose。 And， for all Hitchens’s skill as a debater， he is no scientist。 Regarding scientific support for the materialist worldview， he deferred to scientists who had defended atheism like Richard Dawkins， Stephen Hawking， and Lawrence Krauss。So， it is worth noting that Stephen Meyer’s book begins with an incident during a debate with Lawrence Krauss that led him to write Return of the God Hypothesis。 This was a significant turning point for Meyer because up until this book， he has consistently referred to the scientific evidence as support for Intelligent Design and has sidestepped the question about the designer’s identity。Meyer offers three main lines of scientific evidence for theism。 None of this evidence is new to those who have followed the conversation between science and faith。 However， Meyer enlivens his presentation of the evidence with personal narratives of his experiences with scientists。 He also includes biographical stories about the scientists who participated in these discoveries and their attitudes towards faith。 The three main lines of reasoning are （1） evidence for the creation of the universe， （2） evidence for the fine-tuning of the universe for life， and （3） evidence for the creation of genetic code in the cells of all life。The evidence for the creation of the universe consists of what has been called the Big Bang， some 13。7 billion years ago。 This is a well-accepted theory。 The Cosmos had a beginning; therefore， it had a creator。 Since the Big Bang was the beginning of space and time， the creator had to transcend space and time。 The reasoning Meyer uses to make these conclusions is named abduction; that is， inference to the best hypothesis。 His possible hypotheses are Materialism， Pantheism， Deism， and Theism。The evidence for fine-tuning is the extraordinary selection of physical constants and laws necessary to create a universe conducive to life。 There are many such constants。 One is the specific ratio for the strength of the gravitational force compared to the strong nuclear force。 One way to summarize the evidence for fine-tuning is the number representing the likelihood that our universe was created by chance。 This number was first proposed by the 2020 Nobel Laureate， Roger Penrose。 Penrose estimates that there was one chance in 10^（10^123） that our universe was created with incredibly low entropy。 （“^” means exponentiation。） Low entropy means a high degree of specified order。 And that means that our universe was made to create and sustain life。 Penrose’s number is so large that there has not been enough time since the Big Bang to write it down as a string of digits。 The colossal size of the number implies a very， very low probability that our universe was created by chance。Finally， the genetic code found in all life contains specific information for the composition of proteins necessary for life。 Meyer’s first book， Signature in the Cell， describes the amazing appearance of life on earth more than 3。5 billion years ago and likens the DNA code to a signature from its creator。 In his latest book， the DNA code is like a computer program that specifies the molecular machinery necessary for life。 Chemistry can’t explain the sequence of the DNA units because any chemical bonds between the DNA coding units would preclude some of the required combinations from forming。 There are no materialistic explanations for the appearance of specified information inside the living cell。 What is crucial to understand is that the information cannot be explained even if the material composition could。The presentation of solid scientific evidence takes up the first half of the book。 If you are familiar with the discussion of the relevant science， this part of the book will go quickly。 I required more study in the second half of the book。 Here， Meyer delves into some of the challenges to Intelligent Design and some of the support he has received from unexpected sources。The first challenge comes from alternative materialist theories for creating life， such as the “RNA World” hypothesis。 In that scenario， RNA was the first molecule and not DNA。 But RNA encounters criticism from biologists as well。 And Meyer claims that even if the molecular claims were proven， that still would not explain the information contained in the molecule。But Meyer also confronts challenges from evolutionary theists， for example， BioLogos。 Evolutionary theists believe that God is using the evolutionary mechanism without specific intervention in the creation of life。 Therefore， one could believe the laws of nature were “front-loaded” for the existence of life。 That hypothesis would support deism。Meyer gets unexpected support from the atheistic philosopher Thomas Nagel。 Nagel wrote Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False。 He wrote that book to explain why he doesn’t think random mutation can explain how nature works。 He calls for a teleological principle to give a direction to the laws of nature。 In his view， an undirected process cannot result in the world we live in。The most significant challenge to the creation of the universe comes from what Meyer calls “Exotic Naturalism。” These are speculative hypotheses that attempt to circumvent the fine-tuning evidence and the evidence for a finite age of the universe。 Included here are multiple universe proposals， chaotic-inflation theories， quantum cosmology， and the string theory landscape。 If you haven’t run into these arguments before， you may need more study to understand the debate。Meyer presents these exotic theories somewhat independently。 As espoused by proponents， however， they are often woven together into a coherent hypothesis。 Lawrence Krauss， for example， presents a view including the multiple universes， chaotic inflation， and the string theory landscape。 Meyer likens the proposals for a multiverse creation scenario to believing in ten unproven scientific postulates。This debate over multiple universes is essential because even Christopher Hitchens relied on Krauss to refute the fine-tuning evidence from theists。 And Hitchens considered the fine-tuning argument to be the strongest evidence for the theistic position。In Meyer’s conclusion， he considers philosophical challenges to his arguments for theism。 The foremost challenge has been the “God-of-the-gaps” accusation。 This accusation is an accusation that Meyer is committing the fallacy of an argument from ignorance。 An argument from ignorance simply supplies a possible cause for unexplained phenomena without providing evidence that the proposed cause has the power to do what is claimed。Meyer’s consistent claim is that the specified complexity of information present in DNA is sufficient to show the presence of a creating mind。 If you come at this argument from a materialist perspective， you will have difficulty with the proposition for a disembodied mind。 Meyer is a mind-brain dualist。 He believes that consciousness does not arise only in material brains。 This is a legitimate view on philosophical grounds。 Still， many people will have trouble buying into this line of thinking。In my opinion， the best scientific case for mind-brain dualism is The Conscious Universe by Means Kafatos and Robert Nadeau and published by Springer-Verlag。 In this book， mind or consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe。 I think we are attempting to tap into that property with quantum computers。 I am not yet convinced that quantum computing will succeed on a large scale。 Biological computing through human brains has succeeded very well， though。 In my analogy， our brains supply the hardware for disembodied mind to effect action through our thoughts and deeds。In an essay titled “Of Minds and Causes，” published in Debating Darwin’s Doubt， Meyer insists that he doesn’t need to show how a disembodied mind can cause material actions。 While that may be true， I think his thesis would be even more compelling with such an explanation。The final chapter of Meyer’s book is titled “The Big Questions and Why They Matter。” Here， Meyer describes the reason theism is vital for human society。 There are inspirational aspects to theism that are not present in materialist explanations。 Attempts have been made to expound on the wonder and awe-inspiring nature of our material universe。 Still， these fall short， in my view， in a universe without God， in a universe based only on random chance。 Some have attributed many of our social problems on the despair resulting from an impersonal， materialist ideology。Meyer gives a very persuasive reason for believing in theism even without the scientific evidence for support。 If the forces controlling the universe are random， we have no assurance that our cognitive faculties are sound。 We may have evolved to survive and reproduce， but that alone does not guarantee that we can perceive the truth about the universe。Meyer relies on one of his college philosophy professors， Norman Krebbs。 Krebbs argued that even if the mind was not reliable on empirical grounds， it could still be assumed reliable on theological grounds。 He also gets support for this idea from Thomas Nagel。This line of reasoning has been carried even further by philosophers Alvin Plantinga and Robert Koons。 This idea was also the chief criticism of Christopher Hitchens’ perspective by one of his earliest opponents， Douglas Wilson。Meyer states several times in his book that modern materialist ideologies actually undermine the legitimacy of science。 Lawrence Krauss admits as much in A Universe from Nothing。 “If instead the laws of physics as we know them are merely accidents correlated to our existence， then that fundamental goal [of an intelligible universe] was misplaced。”Krauss ends his book with a bleak picture of our future in a dying universe。 He offers us a thin strand of hope。 “The universe is far stranger and far richer—more wondrously strange—than our meager human imaginations can anticipate。”Meyer responds to Krauss in his conclusion: Even so， I readily acknowledge the logic of what Professor Krauss advises。 It is wonderful to be alive; the universe is a beautiful as well as an orderly and mysterious place， and our planet is a unique and exquisite blue jewel in the vastness of—as far as we know—an otherwise uninhabited universe。 And if we know that everything we love will one day dissolve in the heat death of the universe and that we ourselves will die long before then， why not enjoy everything about our lives and our loves as long as we can？ Why not admit the inevitable and be merry while we are here？Perhaps how we respond to our existential predicament—whether by celebrating our fleeting existence or descending into “anguish， forlornness， and despair”—reflects our own personal temperaments or our frame of mind on a given day。 I am not arguing that only one response to the human condition without God makes sense。 After all， if God does not exist， there is no standard by which to judge any such choice。 Each of us must then decide for ourselves how to respond to a future without hope of ultimate survival or meaning。Nevertheless， this book has better news: neither of the widely offered responses to the death of God—angst or Sisyphean resistance—is in fact necessary。 Not only does theism solve a lot of philosophical problems， but empirical evidence from the natural world points powerfully to the reality of a great mind behind the universe。 Our beautiful， expanding， and finely tuned universe and the exquisite， integrated， and informational complexity of living organisms bear witness to the reality of a transcendent intelligence—a personal God。 And that seems to be a fitting place to end。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Return of the God Hypothesis: Compelling Scientific Evidence for the Existence of God

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Return of the God Hypothesis: Compelling Scientific Evidence for the Existence of God&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Return of the God Hypothesis: Compelling Scientific Evidence for the Existence of God&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0