For much of his early life, Richard J. Krauland did not consider faith an obvious answer. A mathematician by education, a philosopher by temperament, and a business builder by profession, he approached the world through reason, observation, and experience. Then, in 1994, a deliberate reading of the Gospel of Matthew began to alter the direction of his life.
In his latest book, The Bridge From Science to God, Krauland makes a bold and inevitably debated case: that modern scientific discovery has not pushed humanity further from God, but closer to recognising a creator. Moving from physical laws and DNA to grief, adversity, and the teachings of Jesus, the book is as much a personal testimony as it is an argument. In this conversation, Krauland discusses the moment his disbelief began to change, the objections he expects from scientists, and why proving God’s existence is only the beginning of his message.
Before we discuss science, take me back to that Wednesday evening in 1994. You had deliberately waited until you were over forty to read the Bible seriously. What happened as you began reading Matthew?
Richard’s answer:
I had reached a point where I felt I possessed enough life experience to judge the Bible for myself. By then, I had been a student, husband, father, athlete, financial analyst, manager, salesman, and business professional. I had also experienced chronic illness and the deaths of my father and younger brother.
That evening, I began reading the Gospel of Matthew. I have a reading disability, so twenty pages took me more than two hours. Yet I felt overwhelmed by the wisdom in almost every sentence. I had read major philosophers and religious texts, but nothing had affected me that way. It was not an emotional conversion manufactured by someone else. It was the beginning of a conclusion I reached for myself.
You had once considered yourself an atheist. Was there a single belief you had to surrender before faith became possible?
Richard’s answer:
I had to surrender the assumption that something could not exist merely because I could not fully understand it. Human intelligence has limits. A dog cannot understand calculus, but calculus still exists. In the same way, our inability to comprehend a being capable of creating and sustaining the universe does not prove that such a being is absent.
That realization allowed me to approach the evidence with greater humility. I stopped asking whether God could fit within the limits of my understanding and began asking what the observable order of the universe might be telling us.
Many scientists would say that you misunderstand established evidence concerning the Big Bang, evolution, or intelligent design. Where do you think critics most seriously challenge your case?
Richard’s answer:
The strongest disagreement concerns interpretation. We may look at some of the same observations and draw very different conclusions.
I distinguish between observed scientific processes and theories about events no one directly witnessed. Critics may believe natural processes are sufficient to explain the origin and diversification of life. I do not believe those explanations account adequately for the information, coordination, and interdependence we observe.
I do not expect readers to accept my position unquestioningly. I ask them to examine both my reasoning and the assumptions behind the alternatives. Honest disagreement is healthier than treating any theory as immune from examination. Richard advances particularly strong and contested conclusions about cosmology, evolution, and intelligent design in the book.
Halfway through the book, the argument changes. It stops being principally about scientific evidence and becomes a deeply personal account of Jesus, grief, fear, and transformation. Was science the destination, or merely the bridge?
Richard’s answer:
Science is the bridge. It helps me address the first question: is belief in a creator reasonable?
But recognizing that God exists is not the destination. The more consequential question is what we do with that knowledge. Can we form a relationship with God? How should that change the way we live?
That is why the book turns towards Christianity, my own experiences, and the teachings of Jesus. Belief must eventually become conduct: loving God, loving other people, serving them, confronting fear, and remaining faithful to truth even when doing so is difficult.
What would you say to a reader who finishes the book unconvinced about God, but more uncertain about their disbelief than when they began?
Richard’s answer:
I would consider that meaningful progress. I am not asking readers to pretend certainty they do not possess. I am asking them to remain open, question inherited assumptions, and look beneath what is immediately visible.
The book begins with the idea that people often draw a tree but forget its roots. We know the roots are there, yet we overlook them because they are outside our immediate sight.
A reader does not need to agree with every conclusion for the book to have value. My hope is that they continue asking sincere questions about order, meaning, morality, purpose, and how they want to live. Truth is worth the effort required to pursue it.
Final Thoughts
Krauland does not expect every reader to arrive at the same conclusions he has. What he asks for is a willingness to examine familiar assumptions, remain open to difficult questions, and look beyond what is immediately visible.
For him, science is not the destination but the bridge. On the other side lies a more personal question: if life possesses meaning, order, and purpose, how should that understanding affect the way we live and treat one another? Whether readers finish the book persuaded, challenged, or simply less certain of what they once believed, Krauland hopes they will continue the search with intellectual honesty.
The Bridge From Science to God was published in June 2025 and is available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook editions. Richard J. Krauland is also the author of Enlightened in the 21st Century, which he reports reached No. 1 in Amazon’s Science and Religion category in 2020.
About Richard J. Krauland
Richard J. Krauland describes himself as a philosopher by nature, a mathematician by education, and a builder of a billion-dollar-plus company by profession. Now in his seventies, he writes about science, faith, truth, personal transformation, and the principles of truth, justice, and charity. He lives in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.
Book and Author Links
Official author website: RichardJKrauland.com
Book website: TheBridgeFromScienceToGod.com
Author and first-book website: EnlightenedInThe21stCentury.com
Buy The Bridge From Science to God on Amazon: Amazon Book Page
Buy Enlightened in the 21st Century on Amazon: Amazon Book Page
Media and Interview Enquiries
Richard J. Krauland’s publicity, author-brand development, and media outreach are coordinated by Edioak.
Media contact: Emma
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Direct author contact: kraulandr@gmail.com
For interviews, podcast appearances, review copies, speaking enquiries, photographs, book artwork, or Richard J. Krauland’s press kit, media professionals may contact Edioak or reach the author through his official website.
