Just read the book. Basically he argues that one of the two accounts of Creation in the Book of Genesis (that's right, have a look, there are two accounts) follows a pattern that can be described as evolutionary and reconciled to Darwin's theory of evolution. He further dwells on how science and faith can live happily together, the former explaining the mechanics and nuts & bolts, the latter explaining the Engineer behind it all. He is very close to Pope John Paul II's personal theology of Creation in that regard, and he obviously finds and argues atheism is an unstaisfactory state of opinion about the origin and meaning of life.
Well, Biblical fundamentalists (or whatever label they may prefer) will see this as a sell out of the Bible and of God's inerrant, infalible and literally and historically true Word.
Atheists and probably many agnostics will see it as an attempt to prove God's existence using both Bible and Science as harmonious exhibits A and B, but most will dismiss Dr Parker's case as nonsense. Religious faith to them will always be a mix of superstition, fabel, fiction, with a dose of human power games, and nothing more.
Catholics, unless they fall into the Biblical fundamentalist group, and any other Christians/Theists who do not fall into that group will probably find Dr Parker's book interesting and an apology for their own view of God creating creation through evolution.
I found the book interesting but felt he was drawing a long bow on some claims and I think more scholars (scientists, theologians and Scripture scholars of various stripes) than not would not rate this work very highly.
The topic of wanting/trying/hoping to prove that the Torah/Bible/OT is both historically accurate and either literally true or either full of evolutionary processes in the Creation of the earth and universe - and thus defended by evolution as well as demonstrating evolution, is not a topic I'm interested in but I'd recommend the book to anyone who was, even if just to include in one' bibliography on the subject. At the very least it has a good codification of various opinions, references and primary sources on the topic (for and against).
For the average Joe the Atheist in the street he'll scoff at such stuff, and for the average Joe the Believer in the street he'll just want to know that the ending of the book reassures him/us that there is a God and here is one more (new) reason to believe.
Surprise, surprise - I find your review spot on Padre, and I only say that because its true!
At last it is refreshing to hear from someone who has actually read the book, and from someone who is able to differentiate between Genesis and Jesus.
A good two shekels worth.
And of course Joe the atheist will scoff at such stuff without actually reading it! So much for an existence without questions.
