A Good and True Story: Eleven Clues to Understanding Our Universe and Your Place in It

This underwhelming outing by Gould (Cultural Apologetics), a philosophy professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University, finds evidence in the everyday for Christianity’s veracity. The author examines “eleven features of the world”—including the universe, morality, and beauty—and contends that they are “signposts” that confirm Christianity’s worldview. He posits that the difficulty of finding happiness in earthly pleasures indicates the need for all humans to commune with God and cites Anthony Kiedis’s memoir, in which the Red Hot Chili Peppers front man describes the despair he often felt despite his wealth and success. Gould suggests that the existence of animal species with stable “essences” points to the reality of a creator and asserts that evolution can’t account for the development of new species, shrugging off the role of genetic mutations as “highly unlikely.” The author concludes that “Christianity is the true story of the world” because the gospels’ inclusion of such “embarrassing details” as Jesus “cursing a fig tree” means that the authors were likely telling the unvarnished truth, failing to consider that other sacred texts include elements modern audiences might also find “embarrassing.” The flimsy apologetics are unlikely to either sway skeptics or provide Christians with a cogent defense of the faith. This comes up short. (Nov.)