The Air We Breathe: How we all came to believe in freedom, kindness, progress, and equality by Glen Scrivener. Good Book Company, 2022

This gripping book is apologetics gold: historically informed, cogently argued, relevant and contemporary, and sparkles with interest from start to finish. It is certainly deserving of the many inside-cover commendations from various Christian movers and shakers. And not just believers, for British historian (and non-Christian) Tom Holland writes: “It is not necessary
to be a Christian to appreciate the force of Glen Scrivener’s argument in this punchy, engaging, and entertaining book.

Scrivener’s main thesis:

The publisher’s own succinct statement is excellent:
“Today in the west, many consider the church to be dead or dying. Christianity is seen as outdated, bigoted, and responsible for many of society’s problems. This leaves many believers embarrassed about their faith and many outsiders wary of religion. But what if the Christian
message is not the enemy of our modern Western values, but the very thing that makes sense of them?”

The Three Pillars of Evolution Demolished: Why Darwin was wrong by Jerry Bergman. Westbow Press, IN, 2022

Jerry Bergman is a well-known creationist author who has extensively published over many decades and who has taught at several universities. He has taught biology, biochemistry,
anatomy and physiology, genetics, and other courses for over 40 years. He has over 1,700 publications in both scholarly and popular science journals and monographs.
The three pillars of evolution identified by Bergman are abiogenesis (aka chemical evolution), natural and sexual selection, and mutations. The author of this book finds all three of these pillars defective as evidence for evolution.

Bergman has examined claims of abiogenesis, the nature of mutations, and the explanatory power of natural selection. As in the title of this book, he has thoroughly demolished them. The
monopoly of the theory of evolution, in academia, is all the more irresponsible. In fact, it is puzzling apart from the possibility that God gave them over to a reprobate mind.

“So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.” Psalms 81:12

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.” Psalms 14:1

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind… ” Romans 1:28

The Misted World of Genesis 1 by Michael Drake, Wycliffe Scholastic, Auckland, 2020

The Misted World of Genesis 1 is a forceful and deep defense and exposition of the traditional ‘historical week’ reading of Genesis 1 (figure 1). Author Michael Drake is the Founding Principal (Retired) of Carey College, a Year 1–13 Christian School in Auckland. He focuses on more recent interpretive strategies to harmonize Genesis 1 and long-age geology/evolution that draws on recent theories of linguistics, biblical scholarship, and Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) studies. The book is divided into two main sections: part 1 is a critique of contemporary long-age-friendly approaches to Genesis 1, and part 2 is a positive exposition of Genesis 1.

When Drake is dealing with the Genesis 1 text, he is almost always very careful and cogent. Sadly, this is not as much the case when dealing with those he critiques, which makes part 1 much weaker than part 2. Nonetheless, there is a lot of useful material in Drake’s analysis, and it repays close examination even where one disagrees. Drake has done his homework, and even if I don’t agree with all his solutions, his commitment to a clear and uncompromising exposition of Genesis 1 as the foundation of our faith is clear. May we all read Genesis 1 with the clarity Drake does.

Unearthing the Bible: 101 archaeological discoveries that bring the Bible to life by Titus Kennedy. Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 2020

In Unearthing the Bible, Dr Titus Kennedy isolates and illuminates 101 archaeological discoveries that buttress the thesis that the Bible is a reliable historical record by the traditionally recognized authors at the traditionally accepted times they lived. Kennedy’s book should be in the hands of everyone serious about a historical study of the Bible. Sketching
101 intersections between God’s Word and archeological evidence, Kennedy crafts a sturdy structure of information and argument that makes clear that belief in the truth, accuracy, and
reliability of the biblical narrative is not merely possible, but it is sensible and rational. Indeed, it takes a full dose of willful blindness and/or intellectual dishonesty to refuse to acknowledge
the legitimacy and implications of some of these artifacts. Complete with photographs and translations of ancient inscriptions, a helpful principle of organization, and explanations that
are clear and coherent, the book is a genuinely useful tool.

Kennedy’s book is a collection of convincing illustrations that scientific evidence does not contradict God’s Word. Just as biology, geology, chemistry, and physics are consistent with the Bible, the evidence found in archaeology is consistent with the Bible. Dr Kennedy has just released his next book, Excavating the Evidence for Jesus: The archaeology and history of Christ and the Gospels. I am eager to discover the biblical truths confirmed in his new book.

All of these books are reviewed comprehensively in the latest edition of Journal of Creation 2022 Vol 36 Issue 3. http://www.creation.com