I recently read this book and found it very informative. It’s a story of two lifelong friends, Ian and Mac, both seeking the ultimate meaning of life, and both traveling divergent paths. As Ian and Mac plow through other
people’s opinions, the
author introduces much interesting information about the Judeo-Christian view of life and about a non-Biblical scientific view of life.
Some very surprising information is presented in the book. In support of the scientific view, the author
quotes an Episcopalian bishop (a real person) claiming Jesus Christ is essentially a myth, and the author quotes Carl Sagan’s comment that if Jesus Christ ascended into heaven at the speed of light (the fastest speed known to
science), today, he (2000 years later) hasn’t yet gotten out of our galaxy. In support of the Judeo-Christian view, the author quotes C. S. Lewis discussing what ideology could possibly motivate people to help others, sometimes at the risk of their own lives.
The first half of the book is an even handed discussion of the pros and cons of the Judeo-Christian view of life with many quotes from contemporary scholars. About halfway through the book, one of the characters opines that if someone could prove that there was no historical Jesus Christ, it would be like revealing a
secret of the universe. At this point, I would venture that the real secret of the universe is that God really exists. God never meant it to be a secret, but since so many people don’t believe it, no wonder they search for other secrets.
The latter half of the book then begins to swing toward the author’s own opinion. In the end, the author fully describes what he thinks is the secret. You might not agree with the author, but the book will make you very well informed about what other people are seriously discussing today.