Product Description
If every effect in science has a cause, what caused the birth of the Universe? Have scientists brought themselves face to face with the possibility of God? In God and the Astronomers, Dr. Robert Jastrow, world-renowned astrophysicist, describes the astronomical discoveries of recent years and the theological implications of the new insights afforded by science into mankind's place in the cosmos. He explains the chain of events that forced astronomers, despite their initial reluctance ("Irritating," said Einstein; "Repugnant," said the great British astronomer Eddington; "I would like to reject it," said MIT physicist Philip Morrison) to accept the validity of the Big Bang and the fact that the universe began in a moment of creation.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 13 reviews)

God & The Astronomers by Noah C. Arntson (Los Angeles)

5 Stars
November 21, 2009
A concise take on a astronomy textbook and refreshing take on big bang creation. Agnostics and astronomists will find this awesome.

Sure to increase the insecurity of atheists everywhere by J. Schofield (Cirque Du Soleil)

5 Stars
August 29, 2009
I enjoyed this book immensely. It's not often that one reads of scientists who, perhaps grudgingly, admit to a Divine creation because their own science runs into a dead end. Whether you're a believer in the Judeo/Christian God, an agnostic or even an atheist, you will come away believing that earth and space were created as a supernatural act. I read an article about this book which prompted me to buy it. Allow me to share it with you (I cannot credit the author since I don't recall who wrote it): "The evidence led astronomer Dr. Robert Jastrow, who until his recent death was the director of the Mount Wilson observatory once led by Edwin Hubble, to author a book called God and the Astronomers. Despite revealing in the first line of chapter 1 that he was personally agnostic about `religious matters," Jastrow reviewed some of the SURGE evidence and concluded, "Now we see how the astronomical evidence leads to a biblical view of the origin of the world. The details differ, but the essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same: the chain of events leading to man commenced suddenly and sharply at a definite moment in time, in a flash of light and energy." In an interview, Jastrow went even further, admitting that "Astronomers now find they have painted themselves into a corner because they have proven, by their own methods, that the world began abruptly in an act of creation to which you can trace the seeds of every star, every planet, every living thing in this cosmos and on the earth. And they have found that all this happened as a product of forces they cannot hope to discover. . . . That there are what I or anyone would call supernatural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact." Jastrow was not alone in evoking the supernatural to explain the beginning. Although he found it personally "repugnant," General Relativity expert Arthur Eddington admitted the same when he said, "The beginning seems to present insuperable difficulties unless we agree to look on it as frankly supernatural." Now why would scientists such as Jastrow and Eddington admit, despite their personal misgivings, that there are "supernatural" forces at work? Why couldn't natural forces have produced the universe? Because there was no nature and there were no natural forces ontologically prior to the Big Bang; nature itself was created at the Big Bang. That means the cause of the universe must be something beyond nature, something we would call supernatural. It also means that the supernatural cause of the universe must at least be: * spaceless because it created space * timeless because it created time * immaterial because it created matter * powerful because it created out of nothing * intelligent because the creation event and the universe was precisely designed * personal because it made a choice to convert a state of nothing into something (impersonal forces don't make choices). Those are the same attributes of the God of the Bible. I mentioned in the debate that other scientists who made Big-Bang-related discoveries also conclude that the evidence is consistent with the Biblical account. Robert Wilson, co-discoverer of the Radiation Afterglow, which won him a Noble Prize in Physics observed, "Certainly there was something that set it off. Certainly, if you're religious, I can't think of a better theory of the origin of the universe to match with Genesis." George Smoot, co-discoverer of the Great Galaxy Seeds which won him a Nobel Prize as well, echoed Wilson's assessment by saying, "There is no doubt that a parallel exists between the Big Bang as an event and the Christian notion of creation from nothing." How did Hitchens (an atheist) respond to this evidence? Predictably, he said that I was "speculating", that no one can get behind the Big Bang event. I say "predictably" because that's exactly the response Dr. Jastrow said is common for atheists who have their own religion, the religion of science. Jastrow wrote, "There is a kind of religion in science . . . every effect must have its cause; there is no First Cause. . . . This religious faith of the scientist is violated by the discovery that the world had a beginning under conditions in which the known laws of physics are not valid, and as a product of forces or circumstances we cannot discover. When that happens, the scientist has lost control. If he really examined the implications, he would be traumatized. As usual when faced with trauma, the mind reacts by ignoring the implications; in science this is known as `refusing to speculate.'" Hitchens admits the evidence but ignores its implications in order to blindly maintain his own religious faith ([...]). How is it speculation to say that since all space, time, and matter were created that the cause must be spaceless, timeless and immaterial? That's not speculation, but following the evidence where it leads. Dr. Jastrow, despite his agnosticism, told us where the evidence leads. He ended his book this way: "For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."

The beginning! by Richard D. Cappetto (Moodus, CT United States)

5 Stars
April 29, 2009
Robert Jastrow is an Agnostic and what he does in this classic is look at how Science can become a religion. When the Big Bang Theory first came about, it was met with intense emotional distaste. We have to understand that, at the time, Most in science just assumed that the universe and earth were timeless (evalution needs almsot infinite time to work), in fact you can find quote after quote from scientists, that if you could prove there was a beginning to the universe, you would prove there was a God. So when the Big bang theory came, it was met with huge consternation. It took some 50 years for the theory to be excepted by most of science. It's funny atheists continue to move the goalpost, Darwin said, to paraphrase, if my theory is true, there will be found millions of transitional forms (fossils) and that if they were not found, we should discard his theory; and what happened? not only were not millions of transitional fossils found (missing links), none were found: did science discard his theory? NO, now they are neo Darwinists, whit a theory that cannot be proved or even tested and folk's that is a religion. Jastrow goes on to show how the theologians were right all along. The Big Band proves there is a God.

I expected a little bit more... by nto62 (Corona, CA USA)

4 Stars
March 31, 2009
What is God and the Astronomers? It's an excellent laymen's resource for understanding the Big Bang as a physical cosmology. What isn't God and the Astronomers? It isn't as concerned with religious cosmology as one might expect from the title. Jastrow, an agnostic, is by no means compelled to include theological ramifications, nor would it necessarily enhance his Big Bang narrative. But, citing God in a title, he should be prepared to offer more than tacit affirmation of the basic cosmological similarities. A layman unaided can spot the simple stuff. The brief, though ubiquitous, biographies of participants such as Einstein, Hubble, Humason, et al. were welcomed, but strangely disonnant. I just couldn't shake the notion that the book embraced the supporting cast to the detriment of the declared headliner. But, don't get me wrong. I loved the book. It is quick, concise, easily processed, and a welcome addition to my library. I just expected something a bit more transcendent, delving a few inches deeper, and am only moderately disappointed I didn't find it. 4 stars.

An informative journey throught the Big Bang by none (Richmond, VA)

5 Stars
July 22, 2008
I was tempted to read the new biography written on Einstein. My motive was to learn about all the evidence that changed the majority of scientists from the Steady State view to the Big Bang. I knew Einstein was a pivotal figure and struggled with the philosophical implications of the Big Bang. He was reluctant to accept the view; however, he eventually was won over by the evidence showing the universe had a begining. The problem with the new Einstein biography is its over 500 hundred pages. Also, I am not interested in all of Einstein's history. (I don't care how many women Einstein slept with). In God and the Astronomers, Robert Jastrow has written just what I was looking for. I wanted the segments of scientific history that delt with the Big Bang. I wanted to the know who the major players were. I wanted to see how the different theories arose and how evidence then supported those theories. An example would be, after Hubble discovered the evidence for "red shift", some scientist theorized that if the universe came from a type of explosion, then a faint trace of radiation should exist in the background of the universe. In other words, even though the Big Bang is a supposed one time event in history (science of origin), we can use our knowledge of explosions (operative science) and predict likely evidence. Now, the theorists were not the same people who found the evidence. But, in each case Jastrow takes us step by step between theory and discovery. Also, I like that Jastrow does not speculate beyond the Big Bang. He is honest. He simply states, although it is not science, he finds the question interesting. In the edition of the book I read, Jastrow includes responses by two different theologians. These portions were average. If you are looking for a complete yet concise book on the history of discovery involving the Big Bang, get this book.

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