Author Ebifegha has constructed a fresh, intelligent look at the long-standing debate between creationists, those who view life and its origins as the result of a God-directed event as described in the Book of Genesis, and evolutionists—those who maintain the proposition that life on earth began cell by cell, species by species, over millions of years. It is a conflict that came into being through the work of Charles Darwin, a researcher whose theories rocked the scientific world and became a creed for biologists, anthropologists, and investigators of cellular progression. Others, grounded in the Holy Bible's account, rejected Darwin’s postulations. Thus began a divergence that continues to this day, although, as Ebifegha points out, Darwinism in its pure form has begun to show glaring weaknesses. One such weakness is the assertion, as yet unproven through scientific methodology, that all life began with a single cell (biogenesis). Moreover, Darwinism also implies that the first cell arose from nonlife (abiogenesis), a proposition that has never been scientifically demonstrated.

In contrast, creationism provides a simple explanation: God made a fully functioning universe in a few days. The author examines these two major viewpoints from a multitude of angles, including the earth’s possible age, fossils and the evidence they may offer, and the indication from DNA research that all peoples around the world are almost completely identical. In general, scientists (at least non-Christian ones) readily reject the creationist view while offering little conclusive study of certain critical factors, notably the development of mind and spirit, an essential aspect of human existence and interaction. Recent contributors with more inclusive viewpoints include Jerry Fodor and Massimo Piatelli-Palmarini, speaking from realms of psychology and philosophy, and Michael Denton, a biochemist and a proponent of intelligent design that departs from Darwinism. Quotations from Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein are significant, both acknowledging their perception of God’s presence. Hawking expressed the wish that “philosophers, scientists and just ordinary people” should be able to discuss together “why…we and the universe exist.”

Ebifegha, with a degree in physics and a career in teaching science and math, is well qualified to propound the themes arrayed in this well-researched, thoughtful contribution to a still-controversial subject. He is able to clearly state science’s inherent strengths along with some flawed thinking that may prevail among its supporters. The contentions he presents in support of creationism are, in his view, necessary since many Darwinists have taken on the stance of lawyers for the defense of their position. In exploring a wide range of facts and theories, the author continuously and intelligently asserts that to trust much of what science has uncovered regarding the lengthy process of development of all-natural species does not and should not preclude the belief in a single creation event. As he states in his conclusion, “the creation-evolution unison” would offer a path to correctly understanding life’s origins. The hope that the author clearly expresses is that creationists and scientists can and may yet accept the relevant factors offered within both disciplines. Ebifegha’s role in making that hope a reality, as expertly demonstrated here, is to create a broader avenue for open discussion with the possibility of greater absorption and merging from both sides.

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