Jonathan Sarfati

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Dr Jonathan D. Sarfati (b. born::October 1, 1964) is a renowned creationist, physical chemist, spectroscopist, and chess master. He is most famous for taking an uncompromising stance on the origins of the universe, the earth, and life, and defending Scripture in a straightforward manner against any attempt to "reconcile" it with "scientific data" that contradict it. Since 1996 he has been employed as a research scientist and editorial consultant for Creation Ministries International.[1]

Jonathan Sarfati
PO Box 350
Powder Springs,
GA 30127

Life and career

Jonathan Sarfati was born in Ararat, Australia in 1964. He moved to New Zealand as a child and received his early education there. He graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry with two physics papers substituted, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry, based on his thesis: A Spectroscopic Study of some Chalcogenide Ring and Cage Molecules.[1] He has also had papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals including co-authoring in the journal Nature on high-temperature superconductors in 1987, when he was 22.[2]

In 1996 Sarfati moved to Brisbane, Australia to work for the Creation Science Foundation (now Creation Ministries International[3]) as co-editor of their magazine, Creation, and the peer-reviewed Journal of Creation. There he became well-known for his insightful writing and his ability to recall a multitude of obscure details. In 2010 he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to work with CMI in the United States.


  • Ph.D. in Spectroscopy (Chemistry)

Religious history

Ethnically Jewish, Sarfati converted to Christianity in 1984.


Sarfati has written numerous publications, including five books. Refuting Evolution, his first book, a rebuttal to the National Academy of Sciences' teachers' guidebook Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science, was published in 1999.[4] It has since sold more than 450,000 copies. This was followed by a sequel, Refuting Evolution 2, a response to a major PBS/Nova 7-part series and a Scientific American article.

In 2004, he wrote Refuting Compromise as a rebuttal of the day-age creationism of Dr Hugh Ross, which treats the days of Genesis 1 as long ages, in an attempt to harmonize that account with the belief that the earth is billions of years old. "15 Reasons to Take Genesis as History" is a short book (co-authored with Don Batten) to summarize the theological case for taking Genesis at face value.

A major book published in 2008, By Design, is subtitled, Evidence for nature’s Intelligent Designer—the God of the Bible. This "presents case after case for amazing design in the living world, and demolishes theories of chemical evolution of the first life. Yet unlike many in the prominent Intelligent Design Movement, he is up-front about the truth of the Bible. This enables him to refute many anti-design arguments, and answer the key question: ‘Who is the Designer?’"

His latest major book is The Greatest Hoax on Earth?, a detailed refutation of Richard Dawkins' book The Greatest Show on Earth.

Sarfati has also authored a number of booklets, besides contributing chapters and articles to numerous books and magazines, as well about 400 articles on the Creation Ministries International website (a more complete list is found on his bio page). He is a popular speaker at churches and conferences on the issue of creation versus evolution.


Sarfati also maintains a keen interest in chess. A former New Zealand national chess champion (1987/88),[5] he represented New Zealand in three Chess Olympiads.[6] He also tied Rey Casse in the Australian Junior Championship (1981), but was declared ineligible because of his New Zealand residency (yet Casse was born in England). He was three times New Zealand junior champion. In a tournament in Wellington in 1988, he drew with former World Chess Champion Boris Spassky.

He enjoys playing chess "blindfold", i.e. played from memory without sight of or any physical contact with the board, and has been known to play twelve such games simultaneously (see some games and photos).

Sarfati was one of the top 1000 reviewers at Amazon.com. In addition to chess-related books, his reviews also cover religious and scientific books.




Articles (a selection)


Seminars from the Seattle Creation Conference, 2007.

Seminars from the Seattle Creation Conference, 2013.

Available Presentations

Title Description
Designed For Life New discoveries are constantly pointing to intricate design that Darwin never dreamed of. Indeed, human designers are constantly learning from 'nature', in a growing field called biomimetics. Such design—and the information for this design—point to a Designer.
The Christian Roots of Science & Busting the Myths of Evolution Why did science flourish in the West, and only the West? The biblical worldview provided the presuppositions that allowed science to flourish while it was stillborn in other places such as Greece and China. Evolutionists deny this biblical foundation for science by accusing Christianity of superstitions that held science back. Jonathan deftly busts the myth of the ‘Dark Ages’—a time marked by many scientific advances. He also busts the myths of Galileo, belief in a flat earth, and more.
Science or ‘Spin’? Real Science Supports the Bible! What is ‘real science’? Jonathan discusses the distinction between ‘origins science’ which seeks to explain what happened in the past and ‘operational science’ which is testable, repeatable, and is the source of things like cell phones and antibiotics. He shows how what we see from operational science—things we observe today—support the Bible’s statements about origins and an intelligent Designer—the God of the Bible.
Creation Declares the Glory of God! - Incredible Design in Nature We can tell when something shows evidence of having a human designer. So when things in nature show those same characteristics—only on a much more complex level—it makes sense to attribute that to a Designer as well. Jonathan discusses several evidences of magnificent design in nature, including DNA, molecular machines, the complexity of the cell, and more. He also demolishes arguments of ‘bad design’.
Six Days…Really? Refuting Compromise from the Scriptures A six day, young earth understanding of Genesis is the only one that comes from the text itself, which is why the rest of Scripture interprets it that way. Long-age views are a modern aberration that comes from imposing outside ideas of uniformitarian “science” upon the text. See how compromising views render the Bible meaningless to a dying world. You’ll be encouraged and energized to hear there is no need for compromise and that there are answers. The evidence for Creation and the Bible’s account of history is all around us if only we know how to look for it, and Jonathan will show you how to do just that!
Are Miracles Scientific?
  • Miracles are not very common in the Bible.
  • What laws of nature can and can't say about them.
  • Hume's circular argument against miracles.
  • Can an atheist even defend the natural law that he uses to attack miracles?
  • Miracles are really an addition to natural law, rather than an exception.
  • Are miracles a threat to science?
  • Why should we trust the biblical reports on miracles (authenticity of text, reliability of authors)
  • Chronological snobbery
  • Refuting the pagan copycat thesis


  1. 1.0 1.1 Dr Jonathan D. Sarfati B.Sc. (Hons.), Ph.D., F.M.: Biography by Creation Ministries International. Accessed May 30, 2010.
  2. A. Mawdsley, H. J. Trodahl, J. Tallon, J. Sarfati, and A. B. Kaiser. "Thermoelectric power and electron-phonon enhancement in YBa2Cu3O7-8" Nature, 328:233-234, July 16, 1987. Accessed March 7, 2008.
  3. "Jonathan D. Sarfati, physical chemistry". Creation Ministries International. http://creation.com/jonathan-d-sarfati-physical-chemistry-in-six-days. Retrieved 2013-0403. 
  4. Working group on Teaching Evolution, National Academy of Sciences (1998). Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Science. ISBN 0-309-06364-7. http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/evolution98. 
  5. "Title and Trophy Holders", Chess in New Zealand, New Zealand Chess Federation. Accessed March 7, 2008.
  6. Ashton, John F, ed. (2000). In Six Days: Why Fifty Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation. Green Forest, AR: Master Books. p. 75. ISBN 0-89051-341-4. 

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