I’ll be honest: when I first heard about this book, my expectations weren’t all that high. I hadn’t heard of the author (Richard E. Simmons III — find him on Facebook here) before, so that’s no reflection on him; I just have found that most Christian books nowadays are pretty mediocre. But Reflections on the Existence of God exceeded all my expectations by a long shot.

Reflections on the Existence of God

Reflections on the Existence of God is a series of essays about…the existence of God. (Shocking, right?) It’s a book about apologetics and worldview that is, in some ways, rather broad, but at its core, pretty narrow. Together, this collection of essays addresses the fact that either there is a God or there is not, that only one of these positions can be true — and, therefore, only one reflects the reality we see and know — and gives evidence for the “yes, there is a God” view from a variety of disciplines.

It is not, exactly, a full apologetic for the existence of God, although it’s most like that.

It is not an attempt to build a full biblical worldview around all the issues of our day.

However, it does an excellent job of demonstrating how a worldview rooted in belief in — or disbelief in — God influences how we approach all the issues of our day. It’s a strong apologetic for the idea that worldview matters.

Deep Reflections

I found parts of Reflections on the Existence of God surprisingly profound.  (My favorite part — if I can call it that — was the testimony of the pastor who previousy served as a soldier liberating Dachau. Never before have I heard such a deep grasp of human nature — both in the fundamental value of man as image-bearer and in the fallenness that turns men into devils.)

And yet the book is not pedantic.

It references a variety of famous thinkers, including Sigmund Freud, C.S. Lewis, Betrand Russell, Albert Einstein, Albert Camus, and Stephen Hawking — which makes this an excellent way to begin familiarizing a student with some of these men. Yet the entire book is very accessible in its writing style.

Who is This Book For?

An avowed atheist could read this book and it would not be obnoxious or out of place. The primary target audience, though, seems to be Christians needing answers for the world around them.

I think this will be most impactful for Christian students (or adults), immersed in secular culture, unaware of how heavily their own worldview has been shaped by secularism, and unaware of how heavily society today is relying on the vestiges of Christian ethics from past generations.

It’s also helpful for those whose worldview is solid who simply want to expand their repertoire of apologetic talking points — or even just looking for encouragement. (I’m comfortable with where my worldview is, and I enjoyed the book.)

My teenager read it and enjoyed it.

Part of the book does talk frankly (‘though not explicitly) about sex and sexuality (and difficult subjects like the Holocaust), so I would use that as my cutoff point for the book’s appropriateness: if your child is mature enough to read frank discussion of sexuality, he’s probably mature enough to handle the book.

One Caveat

I only have one substantive(-ish) beef with the book, or caveat. Francis Collins is referred to in several places throughout the book as a largely positive example of someone who has seen science and Christianity as compatible. The problem is, Collins doesn’t have anything resembling a biblical worldview.

Although he believes in God, he otherwise has a completely secular worldview that he’s tried to shoehorn God into (ignoring some of the very same blindspots Reflections later makes about “science” that isn’t) — and he actively pushes this worldview in a manner that’s spiritually dangerous. Collins is a man to mark and avoid, and I’m concerned the overall positive presentation of him in the book might encourage some readers to seek him out, and find themselves led astray by the appearance of legitimacy his syncretism presents.

For Groups

Although they’re grouped together by topic, each of the essays stands alone and can generally be read in about 10 minutes or less. This format lends itself well to discussion groups like book clubs or youth groups, so if you’re looking for an option to introduce worldview and/or apologetics, this book could be a good choice.