Some books show us where we are going; this one shows us where we are now. John Macdonald Smith is a scientist and a freelance theologian, and thus well able to map the current territory; the eco-crisis, nuclear dilemmas, nationalism, the new Right, spiritual cop-outs, multi-culturalism, in a dense and exciting survey of today's ideas, and how we arrived at them.
He shows how science and religion are different - but not opposing - views of this territory; science offers a description of the world, whilst religion becomes an approach to rather than an account of reality.
The God we are to do without is the idol of old. The God we need now is evolving, universally incarnate, cosmic self-embodiment.
I got a bit out of breath reading this book, though I enjoyed the unexpected digressions into different disciplines - a bonus of JMS's breadth of knowledge; but I missed one thing - a personal stance drawn from experience.
Little in this book will be new to Sea of Faith magazine readers but it is a stimulating read which will encourage debate and provide an excellent reference point.
Trudi Newton
Review of On Doing Without God by John Macdonald Smith, Emissary Publishing, Freepost PO Box 33, Bicester, Oxon OX6 7PP, £7.99.