Creation

Was creation a fantastic series of actions by God that long ago set the universe in motion? Or is creation an eternal flowing forth from God that even now causes all things to exist?

Christopher Baglow, director of the Science and Religion Initiative at the University of Notre Dame, writes from within the deep well of Catholic tradition and his personal love of both science and faith to provide probing yet lively and often-humorous answers to the foundational questions of human existence.

Christian doctrine sees creation not as a one-time event but rather as an eternal outpouring of divine merciful love. In Creation: A Catholic’s Guide to God and the Universe, Baglow explores how the doctrine of creation addresses the why of the universe, making it perfectly open to science, which helps us to answer how the universe came to be and continues to exist. He weaves thelessons of scripture, the Church’s long tradition of scientific inquiry and theological development, and cultural icons such as Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the inhabitants of C. S. Lewis’s Narnia series to create a concise and spirited guide for Catholics wanting to better understand the doctrine ofcreation without abandoning what science teaches us.

Baglow helps to neutralize the unnecessary conflict between faith and science that often runs rampant among people of faith. He provides an excellent guide for curious Catholics, and an expert resource for teachers in Catholic schools, parish leaders, campus ministers, and RCIA teams, helping those exploring foundational questions of faith dive into the meaning of creation and what it tells us about who God is, who we are, and how we are to live.

A free, downloadable discussion guide is available on avemariapress.com.

Books in the Engaging Catholicism series from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame help readers discover the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith through a concise exploration of the Church’s most important but often difficult-to-grasp doctrines as well as crucial pastoral and spiritual practices. Perfect for seekers and new Catholics, clergy and catechetical leaders, and everyone in between, the series expands the McGrath Institute’s mission to connect the Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame to the pastoral life of the Church and the spiritual needs of her people.

 

Christopher T. Baglow is the director of the Science and Religion Initiative in the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, where he also serves as a professor in the theology department. He is the author of the textbook Faith, Science, & Reason, and his work has been featured by the Word on Fire Institute and in That Man is You, Crux, and Church Life Journal. He is a consultant for the USCCB Committee on Catechesis and Evangelization and his thirty-year career in Catholic education has spanned high school, undergraduate, graduate and seminary teaching.

Baglow earned a bachelor’s degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a master’s degree from the University of Dallas, and a doctorate from Duquesne University. He is a member of the Society of Catholic Scientists and a theological liaison to the board. He is a member of the Academy of Catholic Theology and the Catholic Theological Society of America.

He was awarded grants from the John Templeton Foundation for his work helping Catholic educators integrate faith and science in their classrooms, most notably for creating and directing the Steno Learning Program in Faith and Science (named for Blessed Nicholas Steno) and the Integrating Faith and Science at Catholic High Schools Nationwide project.

Baglow and his wife, Christine, were honored with the Servus Fidelis Award for service to the Church in faith and marriage ministries and with the Ray Mock Memorial Award for lifetime achievement in youth ministry. Baglow was one of four people to receive an Expanded Reason Award for Teaching from the University of Francisco de Vitoria and the Vatican-Joseph Ratzinger Foundation.