Why believe? A reasoned approach to Christianity

This lucid debut by theoretical chemist Shenvi draws on history, math, philosophy, and a variety of other fields to rebut common objections to Christianity. In supporting the faith's key tenets, Shenvi argues for the historical reality of Jesus and finds proof of the gospels' accuracy in first-century Roman historians' writings and such archeological discoveries as the pool of Bethesda. The author also suggests that the big bang theory confirms the Bible's account of a finitely old universe, and posits that intelligent design reveals itself in the fact that "the same beautiful mathematical equations apply uniformly across all time and space." Drawing on the work of psychologists Steven Pinker and Stanley Milgram, Shenvi claims that humans are "radically corrupt" and concludes that this, too, points to Christianity's veracity because Christianity alone among religions recognizes this fact. Shenvi's rigorous syllogistic reasoning and multidisciplinary approach make for an outstanding volume in the crowded field of apologetics. This has the power to change minds. (June)