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Statistics and Faith: A Christian Guide to Telling the Truth with Data, By Jason Wilson

Statistics and Faith

A Christian Guide to Telling the Truth with Data

by Jason Wilson
Foreword by Russell W Howell

Statistics and Faith
Paperback
$26.99
  • Length: 272 pages
  • Dimensions: 6 × 9 in
  • Published: May 26, 2026
  • Imprint: IVP Academic
  • ISBN: 9781514013229
Other Formats:

Bringing Integrity to the Stories Numbers Tell

When we tell stories with numbers, we depend on the field of statistics—but how do we know that those stories are true? Almost everything in life is connected to data, and thatdata can help us make sense of truth in a world that feels increasingly challenging to navigate as Christians.

But in a world where we are told to “do our own research,” it can be nearly impossible to know whether we’re just gravitating toward stories that confirm our own untested biases, or whether we’re analyzing the data in a way that is illuminating truth.

Exploring a range of contemporary topics, professor of statistics Jason Wilson shows both non-experts and experts alike that statistics has something to say when it relates to the polarizing issues that we face today. Exploring topics such as gambling, Covid, and media bias, Wilson shows that the ways we collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data have something to say in conversation with the Christian faith.

In Statistics and Faith, you'll find

  • examinations of contemporary issues using statistical concepts, tools, and theories;
  • case studies from history that show how statistics can be used in ways that are helpful or harmful;
  • application chapters based on over fifteen years of research; and
  • reflection questions to help you explore how to do statistics with integrity.

This book is ideal for professors seeking to help students explore the history and application of statistics from a Christian worldview as well as for Christians who are curious about how we understand truth through numbers. It serves as an idealsupplementary text for statistics courses and other disciplines that incorporate statistical methods, and it offers an insightful perspective on how statistics in conversation with Christian faith can speak to today’s polarizing issues, empowering readers to discern truth through data in a noisy world.

REVIEWS

"Statistics and faith both help us tell stories that allow us to understand the world. Statistics uses numbers, data, and quantifying, while faith uses something harder to describe. Jason Wilson expertly interweaves these elements, showing how both speak to the innate human desire to know and practice the truth. Now more than ever it is vital to engage truth winsomely, and this book serves as an example and a valuable resource toward this end."Josh Wilkerson, president of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences and director of mathematics at Regents School of Austin
"In a world increasingly driven by data, in which statistics are wielded like weapons, Jason Wilson's Statistics and Faith arrives at a crucial time. This is not a book about numbers alone, nor is it a devotional cloaked in academic jargon. It is, rather, an exploration into the fertile ground where empirical truth and spiritual conviction meet—a place many fear to tread but where Wilson walks with clarity, humility, and wisdom."Russell W. Howell, Kathleen Smith Chair of Natural and Behavioral Sciences at Westmont University and coeditor of Mathematics Through the Eyes of Faith and Mathematics in a Postmodern Age: A Christian Perspective, from the foreword
"Statistics and Christian faith share a deep commitment to seeking the truth, but they approach that undertaking in very different ways. Jason Wilson does a fine job of exploring the ways they differ but also the many ways in which their shared common commitment to truth leads to situations in which both have a vital concern. And he does it in a way that's accessible to a wide variety of readers."James Bradley, professor of mathematics emeritus at Calvin University and coeditor of Mathematics Through the Eyes of Faith and Mathematics in a Postmodern Age: A Christian Perspective
"I often say that there is a way to think biblically about everything. It never occurred to me to apply this to the field of statistics. Yet, my colleague and friend Jason Wilson has done it! In Statistics and Faith, written for intellectually hungry non-statisticians, Dr. Wilson reveals some fascinating insights about gambling, the origin of life, the Covid-19 virus, and much more. He helps readers not only make connections from math to faith but to grow in wisdom, so as not to be fooled by the many people who misuse stats."Sean McDowell, author, popular YouTuber, and professor of apologetics at the Talbot School of Theology
"In our contemporary culture, where so much of perceived truth has become tribal, Jason Wilson courageously dissects statistical claims on contentious issues like Covid-19, evolution, Bible codes, and even gambling, to rescue the truth from partisanship. Along the way, he winsomely educates readers on the power and proper use of statistics while leading us to deeper faith in Christ, the one who is the truth."David Schmus, executive director of Christian Educators Association
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CONTENTS

List of Figures and Tables
Foreword by Russell W. Howell
Preface

Part 1—Foundations
1. On the History of Statistics
2. How to Assess Statistical Arguments

Part 2—Applications
3. On Gambling
4. Probabilities of the Origin of Life, Prayer, and Fulfilled Prophecy
5. How to Lie (to Someone) with Statistics
6. Assessing Covid-19 Statistics
7. How to Lie (to Society) with Statistics
8. Statistics of the Bible Code
9. Conclusion

Acknowledgments
Glossary
Figures and Tables Credits
General Index
Scripture Index

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ABOUT Jason Wilson

Jason Wilson

Jason Wilson (PhD statistics, UC Riverside) is professor of statistics at Biola University where he oversees the statistics program and directs the Quantitative Consulting Center. He is the author of over twenty peer-reviewed journal articles andis a member of the American Statistical Association. He is the codeveloper of the Faith, Work and Money church integration survey and coinventor of the patented Quality of Pitch® MLB statistic. He loves spending time with family, mentoringstudents, reading, and practicing taekwondo. He and his wife, Natalie, have two daughters and live in the Los Angeles area.

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