The Fingerprint of God: Recent Scientific Discoveries Reveal the Unmistakable Identity of the Creator

250 Pages·1991·3.018 MB·English

by  Hugh Ross

RECENT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES REVEAL THE
UNMISTAKABLE IDENTITY OF THE CREATOR
second edition, revised and updated
Promise Publishing Co.
Orange, California 92667
Cover Photo:
spiral galaxy NGC 5236 (“Southern Pinwheel”) in the
constellation Hydra, courtesy of National Optical Astronomy
Observatories
The Fingerprint of God
First Edition © 1989 by Reasons To Believe
Second Edition © 1991 by Reasons To Believe
Published by Promise Publishing Co.
Orange, California 92667
Printed in the United States of America
Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the Holy Bible,
New International Version, Copyright © 1973,1978,1984 International
Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Ross, Hugh
The Fingerprint of God
ISBN 0-939497-18-2

Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. The Odd Couple 3
PART ONE: Roots of Cosmology
2. Early Historical Roots 9
3. Rebirth of Science 19
4. Rise of Non-Theism 27
3. Scientists Rediscover God 39
PART TWO: Scientific Cosmology
6. The Expanding Universe 53
7. Cosmic Hesitation 6l
8. Steady State Cosmology 69
19.0 O.v eOrthsrocwi lolf aHteisintagtio nU annd iSvteeadrys Seta t9e 779
11. Transcendence and Quantum Gravity 107
12. Design and the Anthropic Principle 119
PART THREE: Biblical Cosmology
13- Biblical Evidence for Long Creation Days 141
14. Genesis Creation Account l6l
15. The Problem of Suffering and Evil 171
16. The Gospel According to the Creation 179
17. Conclusion of the Matter 185
References 187
Glossary 215
Name Index 225
Subject Index 229
about the author 235
about Rkasons To Believe 235
Preface
How can we know whether or not God exists? For
the last few centuries most scientists have promoted an
atheistic or agnostic reply. In the last decade, however, a
set of remarkable discoveries about the universe have
dramatically jolted their position. Have cosmologists been
forced to acknowledge the existence of God? If so, how?
Historically, the question “How did the universe begin?”
has evoked chauvinistic replies from opposing camps:
•Scientists have said that there may be an answer, but it
only will come through a study of science.
•Theologians have said that there may be an answer,
but it only will come through a study of theology.
•Philosophers have concluded that there is no answer.
Existentialists go so far as to declare that the question
itself is absurd.
To tell the story of how the question has been
answered—independently and corroboratively, by both
science and theology—is the purpose of this book.
Preface to the second edition
Revisions and updates have been made on more than
half the pages of the original book. The most significant
additions have been made to Chapters 9, 12, 13, and 15.
Chapter 9 includes new data and discussion on the latest
measurements of redshifts, of the cosmic background ra¬
diation, and of the density of the universe which now
prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the universe
began with some kind of hot big bang. These measure¬
ments have even helped researchers eliminate one class
of big bang models (the standard models) in favor of an¬
other class (inflationary cold dark matter big bangs). Sev¬
eral newly discovered design characteristics for the uni¬
verse and Earth are added to Chapter 12 along with some
calculations of the degree of fine-tuning required by
several other parameters. More biblical support for long
creation days is given in Chapter 13, and further consider¬
ation of God’s personal involvement in dealing with
human suffering appears in Chapter 15.