Reviewed by: Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Introduction

Title: Flat Earth Flat Wrong: An Historical, Biblical & Scientific Analysis

Author: Robert A. Sungenis, Sr.

Publisher: Catholic Apologetics International Publishing, Inc.

Publication Date: 2018

Format: Paperback

Length: 736 pages

OVERVIEW

Why do so many modern, apparently intelligent people today believe the earth is flat? Robert A. Sungenis explains that most “flat earthers” reach their conclusions based on a combination of their interpretations of the Bible, of church history, and of scientific data that supposedly proves the earth is flat. Sungenis analyzes these arguments one by one and presents a more accurate view of the earth.

Sungenis gathers an impressive body of research, even going back to original biblical languages to explain how Bible verses that apparently describe a flat earth actually describe something different. He relies a little too much on secondary sources or his own expertise in his scientific case for why the earth is a globe but still does a decent job of showing why flat earthers’ “scientific” findings don’t stand up to scrutiny.

The book’s real flaw is that Sungenis frequently connects his arguments to his beliefs in geocentricism (that the earth is the universe’s center and everything orbits it). To a point, this connection makes sense. Many flat earthers take statements Early Church Fathers made supporting geocentrism and then claim those statements show the early church believed in a flat earth. To refute those claims, Sungenis needs to discuss geocentrism. Still, Sungenis doesn’t present a particularly good defense for geocentrism, which makes it hard to take his other arguments seriously.

All in all, this book works well as a reference for the flat earth theory debate but doesn’t show enough scrutiny to be a truly good critique.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

2 stars

Suggested Audience

Christians interesting in modern flat earth theory, Christians interested in what the Bible and the early church taught about the earth’s shape.

Christian Impact

This book makes a compelling case that loving the Lord your God with all your mind (using critical thinking, asking the right questions, etc.) is vital to reading Scripture or thinking about the universe.

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