The Selfless Gene is a side-splitting call for moderation. Foster contends that it’s possible to believe in God without sticking your head in the sand when it comes to science. In pursuit of this belief, he disarms and jabs young earth creationists and uber-Darwinists like Richard Dawkins with equal ease.

One of the most interesting themes Foster dealt with was the charge that God is a sadist. Animal violence in the natural world cannot stem from the Fall—indeed, it predated it (Some might not agree with the preceding sentence—read the book and rethink the data). I won’t give away the solution to this quandary in a review—suffice to say it’s quite inspiring.

Another fascinating chapter concerned the idea of altruism and natural selection. The process is inherently selfish—how could it promote a creature who acts for the benefits of others? Foster doesn’t only give his opinion, he surveys the mains schools of thought in the process. You can make up your own mind.

“This book will have something in it to frustrate and annoy everyone,” said Foster in the introduction. He was right. Fortunately, he doesn’t stop there. This book provides fuel for thought and progression in the relationship between science and religion. Anyone who’s interested in these ideas should give this compelling book a try.

Disclaimer: I received this book as a member of Thomas Nelson’s BookSneeze program.

Foster, Charles. The Selfless Gene: Living with God and Darwin. Thomas Nelson, 2009.