Matt Reynolds, in Christianity Today
"Written for nonspecialists, the book should appeal both to students and to grown-ups who, like me, daydreamed their way through high-school science courses and never learned much of anything."
Reynolds, Christianity Today
Creation Reality
Creation Reality
"This book attempts to organize various views of the origins debate into six categories and present them in a way that encourages thoughtful, unbiased comparison. Overall, I think it does a good job, and is amazingly free of bias, rancor, or the negativity that so often characterizes this topic."
Mark Wessner 1
Mark Wessner, Pastor, professor and author
“It is not possible for a short posting like this to do justice to all of the research, information, and synthesis contained in the book.”
Doc Kirby
Doc Kirby, author of Book Bit and broadcaster for WTBF-AM/FM, Troy, AL
"There are six major models explaining the origin of the universe, life, species and humans, but it is difficult to examine them without being influenced by the author of your research material. That's what makes this book so different. All six are presented with an unbiased eye. (When I interviewed the author for ON THE BOOKSHELF this weekend, he would never tell me which of the six models he considered to be the most valid!)"
Marvin Olasky
Marvin Olasky, editor in chief of WORLD News Group
"Gerald Rau's Mapping the Origins Debate: Six Models of the Beginning of Everything (IVP, 2012) has the soporific thoroughness of much academic writing, but it could still be a good gift to those who read only the work of their own camp."
C.S. Lewis Society
The C.S. Lewis Society of Central Massachusetts offers the following comment:
“With the sensitivity of a seasoned educator, Rau demonstrates how each model assesses the scientific evidence in relation to four different kinds of origins: the universe, life, species and humans. In an age of specialists, Rau sees the big picture. Mapping the Origins Debate cuts through the cacophony and the complexity to provide a lucid and charitable contribution to the conversation.”
Bob Trube
Bob Trube, Senior Area Director for InterVarsity's Graduate & Faculty Ministry team in the Ohio Valley
"Perhaps I'm stating the obvious but most discussions of origins seem to generate far more heat than light. They preach to the choir of those who agree, fail to engage those with whom they disagree on their own terms and perpetuate the unfortunate notion that Christianity and science are at war with each other. [Mapping] is a notable exception to that trend in that it is intended to promote understanding and conversation rather than more controversy."
John James, Affinity
John James, Pastor of Helier Chapel, Northfield, Birmingham, Review for Affinity
"[B]ack in the 90s, as a first year undergraduate geology student, having recently come to faith, I know I would have benefited from reading a book like this."
Tim Challies
Tim Challies, book reviewer and author
"Any reader will not only become better informed about the current debates on origins but will become better thinkers about the issues at stake."