Finding God in the Waves

by Mike McHargue

'Through the lens of neuroscience, McHargue makes his case for valuing religion not for its factual explanatory power but rather for its ability to give meaning to human existence . . . For those who fear science will rob them of both God and Christian community, this work may offer much-needed hope that Christianity and science can coexist.'
-Publishers Weekly

'I thoroughly recommend this book. It is written with humility, honesty and a liberal sprinkling of humour ... not only thought-provoking, but also a jolly good read ... A review does not do it justice, so I suggest you read the book!'
- Methodist Recorder

What do you do when God dies? It's a question facing millions today, as science reveals a universe that's self-creating, western culture departs from its Christian heritage and the idea of God begins to seem implausible at best and barbaric at worst.

Mike McHargue understands the pain of unravelling belief. In Finding God in the Waves, Mike tells the story of how his evangelical faith dissolved into atheism as he studied the Bible, a crisis that threatened his identity, his friendships and even his marriage. Years later, Mike was standing on the shores of the Pacific Ocean when a bewildering, seemingly mystical moment motivated him to take another look. But this time, it wasn't theology or scripture that led him back to God - it was science.

In Finding God in the Waves, 'Science Mike' draws on his personal experience to tell the unlikely story of how science led him back to faith. Among other revelations, we learn what brain scans reveal about what happens when we pray; how fundamentalism affects the psyche; and how God is revealed not only in scripture, but in the night sky, in subatomic particles, and in us.

For the faithful and sceptic alike, Finding God in the Waves is a powerful, page-turning read about belonging, life's biggest questions, and the hope of knowing God in an age of science.

• ISBN10: 1101906049
• ISBN13: 9781101906040
• Publish Date: 13 September 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Convergent
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[wcs53]

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this book as it's one of the best I've read in a while. I've been listening to 'Science' Mike McHargue for few years now on The Liturgists Podcast and The Science Mike Podcast, so I was familiar with his story of how he went from Southern Baptist to atheist and then found God again, but not in the same way as he had experienced faith before. I raced through the first part of the book, which was his lost and found story. This was the part that I was most familiar with, but it was good to put what I'd heard altogether in this way and reading this filled in some of the gaps I had. I slowed down for the second part, which was where he shared his thoughts on God in science.

Although there was a lot of depth to this book, it is still an easy read, What I like about Science Mike is that he never talks down to people. He is always gracious, even to those who don't offer the same grace to him. This came through a lot in his book and made it a pleasurable read. Sometimes I struggle with some of the things he shares, but I also find myself resonating with many of his thoughts and ideas.

There should always be room ford doubts and questions when it comes to faith. This is a great book to start for anyone who is experiencing either or both of these.