Earlier this year Crossway published a 368 page book by Dr. Vern Poythress titled Chance and the Sovereignty of God: A God-Centered Approach to Probabiliy and Random Events. I appreciate how Dr. Poythress has made many of his books available to the public for free as a PDF. This new book is now among them!
You can download the PDF by clicking HERE.
The description of the book on the publisher Crossway’s website is as follows:
What if all events—big and small, good and bad—are governed by more than just blind chance? What if they are governed by God?
In this theologically informed and philosophically nuanced introduction to the study of probability and chance, Vern Poythress argues that all events—including the seemingly random or accidental—fall under God’s watchful gaze as part of his eternal plan. Comprehensive in its scope, this book lays the theistic foundation for our scientific assumptions about the world while addressing personal questions about the meaning and significance of everyday events.
Here’s the table of content:
Table of Contents
Introduction: Experiences with Unpredictable Events
Part 1: The Sovereignty of God
1. The Bible as a Source for Knowledge
2. God’s Sovereignty
3. Unpredictable Events
4. Disasters and Suffering
5. Human Choice
6. Small Random Events
7. Reflecting on Creation and Providence
8. God’s Sovereignty and Modern Physics
9. What Is Chance?
Part 2: God as the Foundation for Chance
10. Regularities and Unpredictabilities
11. Trinitarian Foundations for Chance
12. Responding to Chance
13. Chance in Evolutionary Naturalism
14. Chance and Idolatry
Part 3: Probability
15. What is Probability?
16. Predictions and Outcomes
17. Theistic Foundations for Probability
18. Views of Probability
19. Subjectivity and Probability
20. Entanglement of Probabilities
21. Probabilistic Independence
22. Independence and Human Nature
23. Is God Probable?
Part 4: Probability and Mathematics
24. Pictures of Probability
25. Mathematical Postulates for Probability
26. Theistic Foundations for Some Properties of Probability
27. Limitations in Human Thinking about Events and Probabilities
28. Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix A: Why Gambling Systems Fail
Appendix B: The Real Problem with Gambling
Appendix C: A Puzzle in Probability
Appendix D: Interacting with Secular Philosophical Views of Probability
Appendix E: Permutations and Combinations
Appendix F: The Birthday Problem
Appendix G: Diseases and Other Causes
Appendix H: Proofs for Probability
Appendix I: Statistics
Appendix J: The Law of Large Numbers versus Gamblers
Enjoy!
Thanks for the link SJ. I just downloaded it. I really appreciate Polythress’ ministry. Lord bless.
You’re welcome Rob! I too appreciate Poythress’ ministry and works!
Reblogged this on My Delight and My Counsellors.
Thank you for re-blogging this!
Reblogged this on Snyderssoapbox's Blog.
Thank you again for reblogging this!
Seems like a wonderful read. Thank you, Sir.
I am grateful for Poythress and Crossway making this available for free online!
Reblogged this on To Hold The Sky * by Angelfirelove and commented:
Always pray for wisdom and understanding… Nothing happens by Chance- God knows the hearts and thoughts of men before they are even born into this world- He is the Creator of all things and has infinite wisdom and power. We ar all under his wings *
Thanks for re-blogging this!
I downloaded it