Keywords
Robert J. Sawyer, Calculating God, science fiction novel
Abstract
In an entertaining and provocative science fiction novel, Calculating God, Robert J. Sawyer presents us with a likable alien scientist visiting earth to obtain more data about God’s ongoing work of creation. The alien is astounded that a human scientist does not believe in God despite the obvious evidence. Sawyer’s work introduces a variety of reasonable scientific arguments for the existence of God in a series of cleverly conceived dialogs and uses dramatic events to develop some perspectives on God. Sawyer’s purpose is not to evangelize, and the troubling concept of an utterly impersonal God who emerges in Sawyer’s interplay between multiple worlds is quite alien to Christianity and especially to the revelations from Joseph Smith, which offer a much more hopeful perspective. Calculating God is a delightful read that raises some questions that need to be discussed more often, but to obtain meaningful answers, a different calculus is needed.
Recommended Citation
Lindsay, Jeff
(2021)
"Beyond Calculation: A Review of Robert J. Sawyer’s Calculating God,"
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: Vol. 49, Article 11.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/interpreter/vol49/iss1/11
