The New Geocentrists

By: Karl Keating

Narrated by: Marcus Freeman

Were Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler wrong? Does Earth orbit the Sun, or does the Sun orbit Earth? For centuries, everyone thought the science was settled, but today the accepted cosmology is being challenged by writers, speakers, and movie producers who insist that science took a wrong turn in the 17th century. These new geocentrists claim not only that Earth is the center of our planetary system but that Earth is motionless at the very center of the universe. They insist they have the science to back up their claims, which they buttress with evidence from the Bible and Church documents. But do they have a case? How solid is their reasoning, and how trustworthy are they as interpreters of science and theology? The New Geocentrists examines the backgrounds, personalities, and arguments of the people involved in what they believe is a revolutionary movement, one that will overthrow the existing cosmological order and, as a consequence, change everyone's perception of the status of mankind.

©2015 Karl Keating (P)2016 Karl Keating

Better Suited to a Lecture than a Book

Two stars are given for performance because, through no fault of the narrator, his re-stating of sentences or fragments was left unedited. I imagine that narrators do this when they feel they can improve upon their delivery of a fragment, expecting subsequent editing. This was not done for the half-dozen occasions the narrator repeated something he had just read.

I purchased the 2016 Audible Audio version of this book after appreciatively reading two other books by Karl Keating. Catholicism and Fundamentalism, and What Catholics Really Believe continue to be very helpful to me.

I am an elder at a (non-independent) Baptist Church. In our Adult Sunday School, we are studying The Unfinished Reformation: What Unites and Divides Catholics and Protestants After 500 Years, by Allison and Castaldo. Seeking further understanding of Catholic doctrine and practice, I read the books by Keating.

They've helped me greatly. I've come to admire such things as the practice of Confession, a method that makes real the accountability that Protestants yearn for. I admire the mature approach to sin, sorrow and forgiveness. I admire the Catholic capacity to embrace the mystical or supernatural attributes of God's Kingdom. I admire the employment of fine art in a Catholic worship setting. Bottom line: Christ can be known in a Catholic or Protestant setting. As I've recently said to my co-congregants, there is no reason for Protestants to try to convert Catholics to Protestantism.

So I recommend these books. The New Geocentrists? No. It microscopically examines career activities of the individuals Keating targets, in order to highlight negative features. This becomes tedious, then becomes embarrassing to listen to, because the ponderously detailed muckraking approach never stops.

Regarding the affidavit-like details, the book is repetitive, repetitive, repetitive. There are too many examples to bother citing here.

The increasing weight of these two characteristics gives this book an ugly tone. Truly I looked forward to the end of my listening experience. Once through it, I immediately sweetened my soured ears by commencing a third listening to the wonderful Audible poetry collection by John Lithgow, The Poet's Corner.

In a nutshell, The New Geocentrists does not merit book length. This material, as presented by Keating, is better suited to a lecture accompanied by PowerPoint slides.