How Earth Became Humanity’s Home
Hugh Ross

Hugh Ross is a scientist who believes in Jesus Christ and the Bible. He does not wish to be pushy in his evangelism. He has created Reasons to Believe as a way to spread the gospel and give witness to the truth of the Bible as a scientist. I read this book because I was interested in what he would say about creation from a scientific point of view.

The author introduces the book by talking about another book he wrote that explains the characteristics of the universe and what they tell us about our purpose in the world. He approaches data about earth as a scientist who believes in God. He reviews the approaches we have all learned in school about the earth.

In the second chapter, he talks about the way the world is. He presents scientific evidence that the earth has been through many “rebirths.” The earth has been through cataclysmic experiences that have set it up for perfect conditions for life to exist on it. He explains how the earth has gone from simple to complex organisms and how it had to be this way.

He continues in the third chapter to explain the essential building materials the earth needed. Many have called these some of the anthropic principles that must happen for life to be possible. The earth is unique among the cosmos. The earth needed the right environment to exist and for life to exist on it. The earth is in just the right spot in the universe to bring life and maintain it. Even our galaxy had to be just the right size with just the right things happening within it.

Ross further explains in Chapter 5 how everything had to be prepared in just the right way for earth to produce life. He shows how the planets and the moon were formed. The next chapter explains the earth was not quite ready for life in its beginning stages. Solar radiation was too high. Distances between the planets made conditions chaotic.

Chapter 7 describes the foundation of the earth. He explains how the water of the earth was ready to make life and have it prosper. There are no identical planets to found by scientists as of the writing of this book. The measurements have to be just right for liquid water to service life. Discusses ultraviolet light from the sun also being a specific factor, and other factors dealing with the sun.

He discusses other factors such as the cells that are required for life to expand beyond single-settled organism. Ross continues with talking about plate tectonics, atmosphere and oxygen, but scientist called the “boring billion,” the rotation of the earth and Pangaea, the sun and wind, and many more factors.

The following chapters explain in scientific detail the anthropic principles that must happen for human life, and even life itself, to happen. Ross shows how important all these factors are to have life on the earth. Many times, these factors must be so precise that they must be within a few numbers one way or the other for life to happen.

Chapters 14 and 15 give a brief history of the earth and everything that happened with basic timelines according to Ross and most scientists. I feel that some of the millions and billions of years could only be estimates at best. It is the most detailed history of the earth I have ever seen or read.

In Chapter 16, the author addresses the question of why humans are here. This, I think, is the shining chapter of the book. He has finally come to belief in God and why we can believe in Him. He shares examples of believing and nonbelieving scientists. He shares why he believes in God and that everything that has happened in the universe points to God’s plan for human life.

The first Appendix postulates why there is not life on the moon. The second Appendix answers the question of if we are alone in the universe. I thought this was an interesting Appendix based on a scientific answer of the question.

This book is not for you if you go to a young earth creation theory or do not believe in things like the Big Bang and evolution. Hugh Ross is a theistic evolutionist. He also demonstrates the scientific evidence for an improbable planet on which we live. There is a lot of scientific evidence, specifically laid out by Ross that helps us to understand the miracle of life.

He presents the detailed scientific evidence with its case studies littered throughout the book in the way of describing how you start from the world to your nation to your neighborhood to your house. These illustrations are helpful but I found the book with such great scientific detail informative but hard to follow. I’m not a scientist, so many of the details were over my head. However, I recommend this book to any unbeliever who is interested in the scientific details of how God made life happened on earth. If you have a scientific mind, you will do better with this book than I did. It will certainly bolster the faith of any scientist who is a Christian.