Isaac Newton by Mitch Stokes

Everything Isaac Newton did was driven by a desire to know and glorify God and help his fellow men do the same. His life-long search for a theory that would explain not only earthly, but also heavenly phenomenon was motivated by his belief in a divine creator, for he believed that “all knowledge...was, in the end, knowledge of God. Knowing was worship.”

Having recently graduated with a degree in physics I was quite surprised to learn that Newton was a firm believer in God. I’ve had many, many lectures on Newton’s discoveries, on the scientific truths he revealed, and the way he changed the scientific world forever, but I had never thought about what force was behind those discoveries. The author says “For Newton, holiness included industriousness [and] self-discipline” thus, the very traits that enabled him to make his scientific discoveries were enabled by his faith. That is a wonderful thing to be reminded of, that our faith will not hobble us, as skeptics claim, but instead give us wings.

While I didn’t agree with all of the author’s views on Newton’s discoveries or his treatment of modern physics (he has a degree in engineering…), I did like the book and am glad that Thomas Nelson publishers gave me a complimentary copy to review.

I love the book’s premise-to give an overview of Newton’s life and accomplishments through the lens of the Christian faith-and I highly recommend it, and look forward to reading others in the ‘Christian Encounters’ series