“The myth that science disproves God is entirely false,” said José Carlos González-Hurtado, on Thursday, Nov. 12, during the release of his third book exploring the intersection of science and faith, Los genios creen en Dios ( Geniuses Believe in God), at the parish of Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso in Madrid.
The new publication is a collection of 23 brief biographies highlighting prominent figures across cosmology, quantum physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology who maintained religious faith or experienced conversions. González-Hurtado presented the volume alongside Sofía Ruiz del Cueto, according to ewtnnews.com.
To compile the anthology, the author selected figures who shaped their respective scientific fields while exhibiting notable, and occasionally humorous, personal anecdotes. The selection process prioritized individuals whose lives dispel the notion of an inherent conflict between rigorous scientific inquiry and religious belief.
Scientists who found religious belief through their work
During the presentation, González-Hurtado highlighted Allan Sandage, widely regarded as the father of modern observational astronomy. Sandage initially worked without religious belief before concluding during a scientific conference that the universe was created and that human existence is miraculous, eventually deciding to “live as if God existed until he found Him.”
The author also pointed to quantum physicist Werner Heisenberg, whose research demonstrated the reality of human freedom. He noted Alexis Carrel, a Nobel Prize laureate in Medicine who spent most of his life without faith despite witnessing two inexplicable healings at the Sanctuary of Lourdes in France, ultimately returning to the religious devotion of his youth near the end of his life.
“Atheism is normally a disease rooted in the will,” González-Hurtado told ewtnnews.com regarding Carrel’s journey.
Francis Collins transitions from atheism to Catholicism
The anthology also examines Francis Collins, who transitioned from atheism to Catholicism, receiving baptism in 2004 and subsequently advising the Vatican on scientific matters. González-Hurtado argued that Christian faith relies on evidence rather than blind adherence, citing definitions from St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas Aquinas.
“To have faith, you must first think, second want, and third, that God wants it,” González-Hurtado said, adding that most people lacking faith do so by choice.
Proceeds from the author’s previous works, Nuevas evidencias científicas de la existencia de Dios and Las evidencias de que Jesús es Dios, went to EWTN España. González-Hurtado indicated that his upcoming publishing projects will explore reasons supporting the Catholic Church and further examine evidence surrounding the Virgin Mary.
What questions arise about the book and its proceeds?
What criteria were used to select the 23 figures in the book?
The author selected scientists who are among the most relevant in fields such as cosmology, quantum physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology, and whose lives featured documented faith, conversions, or memorable personal episodes.
Where do the proceeds from the book sales go?
Proceeds from Los genios creen en Dios go to EWTN España, following a model where the author’s previous books also went to benefit the network.
“You do not believe in God because of what you ignore; you believe that Jesus Christ is God because of what you know about Jesus Christ,” González-Hurtado said.