Product Description
Do similar features found among different animal species prove a common ancestry? Is evolution purely science, as evolutionists claim, or are there other factors involved? How can we account for the evil in the world? In Darwin's Proof Cornelius Hunter tackles these questions head on, revealing evolution's scientific, philosophical, and theological failures. Following the success of Darwin's God, Hunter delves more deeply into the issues raised in that book. He exposes the weaknesses in evolution's scientific "proof" and reveals its philosophical contradiction: despite claims that religion plays no role in their theory, they rely on assumptions of God's character in order to argue that he could not have made this world. Hunter shows how Western religious traditions of Darwin's time laid the foundation for evolution, and offers Christians a reason for hope-the world is magnificent yet flawed, and only the Bible can adequately explain why this is so. Critical thinkers who are looking for an intelligent response to evolution's overconfidence will welcome this bold statement, and it will have enormous appeal to Christians who want a scientific, philosophical, and theological response to the claims of evolution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Lacking
I think it is important to read what dissenters have to say even if their views aren't popular (in the scientific community in this case).So I read the book and found it overall that it presents a pretty weak case that basically can be summed up as "Evolution seems really complex and hard so God must have done it instead".

The author picks out the most difficult parts of evolution and claims "see the odds of this happening are really low therefore it must not have happened" while completely ignoring the evidence that indicates that it did in fact happen.Undoubtably, this will appeal to anyone who hasn't studied the evidence for evolution on their own and to anyone who doesn't want to give it a fair shake to begin with (which I would suspect is the author's intent).

I would challenge anyone who reads this book to also read Why Evolution Is True by Coyne to give yourself a balanced perspective on evolution.At that point you will at least have seen both sides of the argument and can decide for yourself.

Excellent analysis of Darwinism
In the first chapters (ch.2-5) Cornilius Hunter discusses some arguments for and against Darwinian evolution. He shows that there are countless of examples of what appears to be design on the biochemical level, that Darwinism doesn't have any idea of how to explain. And when Hunter looks at the positive evidence that is often cited, for example comparative anatomy, he finds that a closer look reveals these evidences to be rather weak and often difficult to explain from the darwinian point of view.

So why is evolution accepted as a "fact"? What gives the evidences their strength as arguments? In chapter 6 Hunter looks at evidence for evolution again, and shows how they are used not as direct evidence for naturalistic evolution, but as indirect evidence: as arguments *against* creation. The argument is "God wouldn't have created this way". In the case of comparative anatomy, the argument is not that it's in accord with the Darwinian predictions (it's not), but that if God created the species separetely, He wouldn't have made them so similar. Hunter shows how evolutionists not only resort at times to this argument, but how it is an underlying assumption in their entire argumentation. And that makes the situation a bit paradoxical, since evolutionists on the one hand claim to be depending solely on the facts of nature and on the other have to assume a certain view of God to make their arguments work. In chapter 7 Hunter shows what kind of God is assumed, and how this concept was nourished in Darwin's times and before. The God of Darwinism is a God whose primary concern is the pleasure of his creation, and who is preferred to be distant rather than having anything to do with the unpleasentness of this world. Hunter goes on to show that the biblical concept of God is quite different in a chapter dealing with God, the nature of creation, and the fall in the Bible. The Bible portrays God as sovereign, creating at His own pleasure, and the things we cannot understand may be due to God as Creator being infinitely superior to us, or to the sin in the world that causes things to be bad. So Darwinists are not only depending on theology to make their arguments work, but on bad theology. (To the Darwinists defence it must be said - as Hunter also notes - that this same bad theology is often accepted in Churches. So Christians should pay special attention to the chapter on the biblical view of God and creation.)

The last two chapters deal with the Intelligent Design (ID) theory, and why it is so strongly opposed, and with design more generally. The problem with ID, says Hunter, is not that it assumes a religios basis for its arguments, but that it argues against the evolutionists religious commitments. Finding examples of design in nature is unacceptable for Darwinism, sonce it goes against their concept of God. In the chapter on design Hunter shows how the designs in nature often follow the same principles as human design (or, it's rather the latter mimicing the former...).

A very clear and insightful book. I recommend it to anyone interested in Darwinism's strengths and weaknesses. And of an alternative view that is both theologically and scientifically superior. As Hunter puts it in the end of the last chapter:
"In Darwinism, religion triumphed over science to the detriment of both. We need to recognize and remedy this situation. Let us now fix our religion and our science." Begin by reading this book, and learn what the situation is!

Sneaky attempt to discredit genuine science!
Embryology is seemingly never tackled in this book. Apparently, author Hunter feels he cannot whip up a doubletalking creationist excuse for why embryos (even those of humans) look quite a bit alike. The book tries a new strategy against evolution. Several.The archaopteryx is not mentioned. Neither is homo erecus or Nebraska Man or Neaderthals. Just lots of confusing double talk. Look all---- we have dna to shw all lifeforms of humans, apes, and other vertebrates are related. Skip doubleatalking crap like this!

Well thought out critique of Evotheism
Cornelius Hunter does a very good job of describing how Darwinism is truly a naturalistic religion.In debates with Darwinists, I always use the term evotheism and it is extremely effective.Hunter has given me more tools as an apologist.

The strongest part of the book is his discussion of evil and the impact of sin.He forcefully points out that Evotheists use the problem of pain and evil to further their doctrine that no God would have created species that would die out or be subjected to imperfections.Most readers should find his point of view extremely compelling.

My complaint about the book is that it is too short and I felt as if I were always waiting for just a little more information.He really should build a textbook citing examples of how evotheists use specious materials to promote their religion.

An astutely reasoned Christian scrutiny
Written by Cornelius G. Hunter (a researcher in molecular biophysics), Darwin's Proof: The Triumph Of Religion Over Science is a critical and intelligent dissection of the scientific, philosophical, and theological weaknesses in Darwin's theory of evolution. Studying traditional fundamentalist arguments against evolution, surveying the scientific evidence in favor of evolution, examining the "Intelligent Design" theory, and more, Darwin's Proof offers the reader an astutely reasoned Christian scrutiny of a complex and controversial issue. Also very highly recommended reading in this subject area is Thomas Woodward's Doubts About Darwin: A History Of Intelligent Design (0801064430, $19.99). ... Read more

Product Description
This richly textured book bridges analytic and hermeneutic andphenomenological philosophy of science, featuring unique resources forstudents of the philosophy and history of quantum mechanics and theCopenhagen Interpretation, cognitive theory and the psychology ofperception, the history and philosophy of art, and the pragmatic andhistorical relationships between religion and science. Of specialinterest is the new technology of variational graphic representationswith the insights (and mathematical apparatus) of Patrick Heelan'swork on the perception of space and the history of art, particularlythe work of Cezanne and Van Gogh.This book will interest students ofthe scientific philosophies of Heisenberg and Bohr, Wittgenstein (onscience - Hertz - and on religion - Rush Rhees), as well as the socialhistories of Thomas Kuhn and Ludwig Fleck, and the philosophicalinsights of Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Lacan, Foucault, andincluding pragmatism and the contemporary Thomism of Bernard Lonergan. ... Read more

Product Description
What is time? Is there a link between objective knowledge about time and subjective experience of time? And what is eternity? Does religion have the answer? Does science? Internationally known scholar Antje Jackelén investigates the problem and concept of time. Her study draws on her experiences in the Continental- European science and religion dialogue, with a particular focus on the German, Scandinavian, and Anglo-American dialogues. Her analysis of the subject includes:The notion of time and eternity as it is narrated through Christian hymn books stemming from Germany, Sweden, and the English-speaking world, with insights into changes of the concept and understanding of time in Christian spirituality over the past few decades; Theological approaches to time and eternity, as well as a look at Trinitarian theology and its relation to time; The discussion of scientific theories of time, including Newtonian, relativistic, quantum, and chaos theories; The formulation of a "theology of time," a theological-mathematical model incorporating relational thinking oriented towards the future, the doctrine of trinity, and the notion of eschatology.Previously published in Swedish and German editions, this is the first English translation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Based on a sample of one, this book is a fascinating challenge for those who are professionals in science (pure or applied), who also have a dilettante's interest in theology and philosophy, and who might enjoy reading random chapters of a book as much as reading it sequentially.

A symmetrical extrapolation of the above leads one to surmise that the book is equally interesting for professionals in philosophy and theology who have more than a passing acquaintance with physics and mathematics, independent of their reading patterns.

The author herself appears to have more in common with the latter group.Antje Jackelén is Bishop of Lund in the Church of Sweden.The book is translated from the German, and is based on her 1999 doctoral thesis at the University of Lund.Between departing Lund with her new doctorate and returning as Bishop in 2007, Jackelén was for a time on the faculty of Religion and Science at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.

In an attempt to bridge the apparent gulf between theology and science, Jackelén chooses to treat a specific topic rather than comparing the gestalten of the two schools of thought.The topic she chooses is the fascinating concept of time.

Time - - the mysterious flux which sweeps us all along toward we know not what.What we know not is the nature of the absence of time, Jackelén's "Other" of time, the "eternity".In most differential equations written to describe and model the real world, the independent variable is time.With computers today we can explore different rates of time flow, we can even reverse its flow in our models, but those accomplishments do little to advance our basic understanding of time itself.

Jackelén ranges far and wide in her considerations of time and eternity.She explores and explains eschatology as the "core of a theology of time", based in part on concepts from a 1927 Paul Tillich document on "Eschatology and History".She suggests that a God-related space-time line can be represented by a vector in the plane of complex numbers.(The fact that complex numbers have imaginary components seems to raise no irony.)

Among other sections of the book which stimulate heretofore unencountered notions for this reader, a favorite is that titled "Time and the Quantum World", which has as one of its observations that quantum physics shares with psychology "constant difficulties in identifying objective content".(Perhaps in that characteristic, theology would fit well also.)

The diversity of this book is perhaps no better illustrated, however, than by the chapter found most intriguing by this reader, the treatment of the lyrics of hymns as evidence of time and eternity, based on the idea advanced by French hermeneutic phenomenologist Paul Ricouer that time has meaning only when it is narrated.Jackelén analyzed some 3000 hymns, finding in them over 3500 references to time."Amazing Grace", with its explicit reference to time and implicit reference to eternity (infinity + 10,000 = infinity), was not specifically mentioned, a disappointment of sorts.

"Time & Eternity" is recommended as a constantly stimulating and often surprising collection of ideas about time and eternity, prepared by a scholar.As with any successful dissertation, it closes with ideas for further thought and study.Unlike most dissertations, it provides many such ideas on its interior pages.



... Read more

Product Description
Twelve scientists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines demonstrate that it is indeed possible for profound intellectuals to integrate the life of science with the life of faith. In honest and inspiring interviews, they describe the difficult though rewarding process of reconciling their faith with their science and reveal the ways in which the two spheres can not only coexist but also mutually enhance each other.Jane Goodall begins the conversation by emphasizing the importance of recognizing the "spark of spirit" that runs through all creatures, human and animal. Robert Pollack discusses his motivations for opening a major center for the study of science and religion at Columbia University. Khalil Chamcham, a Moroccan astrophysicist and devout Muslim, moves from the study of galaxy formation to a new dialogue between Islam and the West. Thomas Odhiambo, a Kenyan entomologist, helps to bring sustainable agriculture to sub-Saharan Africa by uniting African animist and Christian traditions, and Henry Thompson, a computer scientist, utilizes his Quaker practice in both his science and his work as a mediator.Thoughtful and compelling, these and other scientists recount a rich integration of science and religion in their practice, their experience, and their approach to their work. Some find a deep harmony between the life of faith and the practice of science, whereas others struggle with the ongoing tensions. These original interviews range across the metaphysical, ethical, and religious implications of cutting-edge research. Taken together, they offer a unique picture of how scientists make peace with their work and their spirituality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fascinating and enlightening
This book that tells the stories of twelve individuals who all find some way to reconcile science and religion in their daily lives and work.Together these narratives paint an image of great beauty and cohesion.Certainly in many instances there are conflicts perceived between science and religion, but the overwhelming consensus seems to be that these conflicts are superficial.

It is too easy to fall into the routine of discussing faith or religion as a purely intellectual pursuit instead of a personal journey.This book turns the tables on philosophical religious discourse and instead has a look at individual perspectives in the form of transcribed interviews with real people who consider themselves scientists.

Somehow, each person has an idea, however well formed, of just how science and religion fit together.Regardless of the extent to which someone has studied science, religion, or both, and regardless of one's knowledge and prior experiences with science and religion, everybody has a paradigm from which they operate.This book takes that and runs with it.

Anybody who has ever thought about science or pondered faith has something to glean from this book.You will find yourself agreeing with new ideas and questioning your own beliefs about science and faith.

I cannot recommend it highly enough! ... Read more

Product Description

By the twentieth century, science had become so important that religious traditions had to respond to it. Emerging religions, still led by a living founder to guide them, responded with a clarity and focus that illuminates other larger, more established religions’ understandings of science. The Hare Krishnas, the Unification Church, and Heaven’s Gate each found distinct ways to incorporate major findings of modern American science, understanding it as central to their wider theological and social agendas. In tracing the development of these new religious movements’ viewpoints on science during each movement’s founding period, we can discern how their views on science were crafted over time. These NRMs shed light on how religious groups—new, old, alternative, or mainstream—could respond to the tremendous growth of power and prestige of science in late twentieth-century America.

In this engrossing book, Zeller carefully shows that religious groups had several methods of creatively responding to science, and that the often-assumed conflict-based model of “science vs. religion” must be replaced by a more nuanced understanding of how religions operate in our modern scientific world.

Product Description

In this exceptionally clear analysis, a leading philosopher and public intellectual lays out the evidence and logic relating to evolution and Creation.Professor Fetzer exposes the philosophical issues at the core of passionate public debates.He demonstrates that, while God's Creation of the universe can be reconciled with the scientific evidence, the literal account in Genesis cannot be so reconciled.

Render Unto Darwin unravels some of the muddled thinking inherent in present-day evolutionary discussions, but shows that any Creationism which denies the great truths disclosed by Darwin is a lost cause.Fetzer explains that morality can be objectively validated independently of religion, and that only a deontological standard of ethics passes the essential tests.

In the most provocative part of this provocative book, Fetzer argues that an unholy alliance of fundamentalist propagandists and rightwing politicians is playing its part in the rise of a new American fascism based on the domination of civic life by unscrupulous business corporations.

Customer Reviews (2)

Beautiful answers to your questions
Dr. John Haught has given us a beautiful small book to help us sort through questions on the relationship of science and religion. At a time when antagonists from the extremes of both sides argue that science and Christianity are incompatible, this book confronts and refutes those arguments in an easy to follow, yet brilliant and compelling, way. Anyone hoping not to give up their faith in order to accept the findings of modern science, or vice versa, will benefit from reading this book.

The God Who Invites
This is a book for anyone whose faith has not been as stunted by formal religious education as it would have been by cynical rationalism.It rests on the conviction that the fundamental "stuff" of the universe is not inert matter, nor is evolution a history of endless deaths.What enlivens the universe, quickens growth and thought, is the restless Spirit of God, humbly emptying himself unendingly.What a jolt of life this book is! ... Read more

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In a Darwinian world, religious behavior - just like other behaviors - is likely to have undergone a process of natural selection in which it was rewarded in the evolutionary currency of reproductive success. This book aims to provide a better understanding of the social scenarios in which selection pressure led to religious practices becoming an evolved human trait, i.e. an adaptive answer to the conditions of living and surviving that prevailed among our prehistoric ancestors. This aim is pursued by a team of expert authors from a range of disciplines. Their contributions examine the relevant physiological, emotional, cognitive and social processes. The resulting understanding of the functional interplay of these processes gives valuable insights into the biological roots and benefits of religion.

Product Description
Her home shop stood like a bright dwarf among dead giants and burned rubble at the western end of the old strip. The old ones, Harvey's and Caesar's and Harrah's, had been built for a bigger tourist trade. They'd been built for a massive power grid, too. Those still standing were dark, left to crumble, the casinos closed. She wished she could either get them up and running again or just tear the damned things down like they'd tried to do in Vegas before they ran out of workers. People came to Tahoe for a good time; relics of the crowded past were too depressing. Blackjack was wide and long and three stories high, bleeding light from every door and window, noise from every chink and crack. This had been a good season. Lots of people tossing their coins and bills into the slots, braving the tables, losing their money with the self-satisfaction of high rollers. And Judith always made sure there were plenty of winners, that Blackjack had the payoff rep, the word-of-mouth whisper. Judith was wise and she was clever and that was why the Coleman's owned Blackjack and pieces of the relics and of a couple much smaller independent casinos on the strip near Stateline. They had only one real competitor: Scorsi's Luck, opened thirty years before in a motel down past the old California line. She felt acid burn the back of her throat, felt her mouth twist in disgust. Scorsi. Back to work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Fascinating Story
It takes place in the year 2066.Our world as we know it has been decimated by terrorists, foreign and home grown, followed up with chemical warfare that has most of the population dead or dying.The story is fascinating in that it covers the gamut -- love, brutality, andpolitics in a world that is just emerging from catastrophe.Frightenly real.

Good blend of fiction and fantasy
As both a author and reader of fiction I was impressed with Blackjack. The characters seemed real and the story line was believable. I guess that I just like books that can hold my interest and make me think at the same time. I recommend this book. Time keeps me from writing a longer review but I wanted to get something posted as I enjoyed this book.
Tommy Taylor

Rica Marin--My Kinda Gal
Lee Singer, where did Rica Marin come from? I loved everything about her. Especially, a mercenary, torch singer. All the characters were great. I can't wait to see what's next. Please tell me that this is only the beginning.

I can't tell you how many times she brought a smile to my face with her quick witted remarks. This does not happen very often.

Thanks Lee Singer. I had a good time.

Rica Marin Rocks!
Rica Marin rocks! She's noir and deep, a postapocalyptic mercenary and torch singer who blazes her way through the fast action, intricate society, and dangerous politics in the year 2066 in BLACKJACK. Read it!

-Jaqueline Girdner, author of the Kate Jasper and Cally Lazar mysteries.

Great Near future Sci-Fi
Lee Singer creates a very real world where the USA has broken down into territories and new governments are being formed following bio terrorism that wiped out much of the planet's population. Rica Marin is a tough sexy woman who goes where the pay is, singing torch songs one night and killing bad guys the next.The book is fast paced and memorable.It's a great read. ... Read more

Product Description
Evolutionary science lies at the heart of a modern understanding of the natural world. Darwin’s theory has withstood 150 years of scientific scrutiny, and today it not only explains the origin and design of living things, but highlights the importance of a scientific understanding in our culture and in our lives.

Recently the movement known as “Intelligent Design” has attracted the attention of journalists, educators, and legislators. The scientific community is puzzled and saddened by this trend–not only because it distorts modern biology, but also because it diverts people from the truly fascinating ideas emerging from the real science of evolution. Here, join fifteen of our preeminent thinkers whose clear, accessible, and passionate essays reveal the fact and power of Darwin’s theory, and the beauty of the scientific quest to understand our world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Nothing new here and quite an axe to grind too, even so...
This book is a rehash of what should be common knowledge among anyone with a high school education really. But it is so heavy with anti religious bias and a lack of any scientitfc underpinning that it really does the rational thought community on the orgins of our species and the relevant details of evolution something of a diservice.

I say this becasue it provides ammuniton for the "Inteligent Design" people, and a prime "poster boy" to color all anti-creationists with the brush of hopelessly and angry and vitriolical atheists.

Lets be rational here, evolution is a relaity, there can't be any rational scientifc argument to challenge that. So why cloud the issue with anti-religious rants like this? It only serves to keep the ignorant, well ignorant, by uniting them in their anti-rationalism and fear.

Personaly, I know there is no god like some people imagine, Thta is a being with self-awareness etc . That is just ludacrious denial really and mostly motibvated byadenial of our own mortality and inevitable death.

But but rationalism demands thatwe aknowledge the facts on the ground too, that religion helps a lot of people in hard times and the statistical fact is they live longer than atheiset too.

Why not stop these silly and childish attacks on fundamentlaist Christian creationism religions (Hel we won that 'debate' decades ago anyway) and try to enlighten these people so that they can see the obvious truth that Evolution is intelligent design?

It is just that that intelligience is far beyonnd their human understanding. Well, isn't that one of the most basic aspects of a belive in a 'god being' being, that sucha beings mind is beyond human undertanding?

Why don't we use rationalism instead of rheteric? I think we could bring religious people to a greater awareness and humanity that way. Organized religion is certainly the greteast obstacle to most people's spiritual growth and developemnt sure.But with some compasion and reason and an abscence of attack on what these people hold so sacred, perhaps we could allmove forward and reduce the hate of both Christians and people like the author of this book. peytonq1@gmail.com

Terse, Well-Written Rebukes of Intelligent Design from Eminent Scientists and Philosophers
In "Intelligent Thought: Science Versus The Intelligent Design Movement" editor and literary agent John Brockman has assembled sixteen insightful, quite well-written, essays from leading scientists and philosophers regarding the so-called "Evolution vs. Intelligent Design creationism" debate. While most essays offer ample refutations of Intelligent Design, others explore other, related issues, ranging from the evolution of human consciousness and whether there is indeed evidence supporting the very idea of a "designed" universe. Noted evolutionary geneticist Jerry Coyne distinguishes between "soft" scientific Intelligent Design, and its harder "religious" version, in the opening essay, "Intelligent Design: The Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name". Eminent philosopher David Dennett explains why Intelligent Design is a hoax in "The Hoax of Intelligent Design and How It Was Perpetrated", discussing at length, favorite Intelligent Design rhetorical techniques like "insisting" that a scientific controversy exists when one doesn't, simply by criticizing or misinterpreting valid published scientific research (One that is clearly a favorite pastime of Discovery Institute mendacious intellectual pornographer William Dembski.). Paleontologists Tim D. White and Neil H. Shubin weigh in with succinct essays on, respectively, the hominoid fossil record ("Human Evolution: The Evidence") and the evolutionary transition from fish to tetrapods ("The `Great" Transition"). Historian of science Frank J. Sulloway explains "Why Darwin Rejected Intelligent Design". Distinguished physicist Lisa Randall compares and contrasts evolutionary theory with Intelligent Design ("Designing Words"), discussing both the extensive evidence for evolution and the history of evolutionary thought, while also noting why Intelligent Design fails scientifically. These sixteen essays are an excellent overview of the mendacious intellectual pornography known as Intelligent Design; for this very reason alone, they deserve to be read by as wide a readership as possible.

Papers that challenge the reader to think and argue
This book contains papers aboutcreationism and the thought process of Intelligent design. Each paper is written by an expert in a differentt filed and sometimes I found myself agreeing outloud and sometimes I found myselfin certain disbelief. That is the beuaty of this book. It stirs you to think and challenge.

A Mixed Bag
I wish I could review each essay individually as it bears on the sub-title.If it was not for the importance of getting works like this out, I might have been tempted to only give three.

The book is a collection of 16 essays, some of which deal directly with the "Intelligent Design" (ID) movement, some of which discuss the ramifications of neo-Darwinism.And some that go quite far afield.

The first essay, by Coyne, is about the fallicy of calling ID a science.He does a great job of describing what science is, why evolution meets that definition, and why ID does not.Basic and easy to follow, this was one of my favorite in the book because it goes straight to the heart of the "controversy".

Susskind writes well, but the main thrust of his essay is about the science-religion conflict and the politics that exist to prolong it, not about the crisis of trying to teach religion in science class.

The third review, by Dennett, covers why people are turned off by evolutionary theory's complexities and become convinced by ID'd PR that it has a valid point to make.It's a good overview of how a nonexistant "scientific debate" has been misrepresented to the public.

In the fourth essay, Humphrey discusses the evolution of human consciousness.This piece was confusing and a bit too philosophical for my liking.I know it was a reply to the ID idea that consciousness must have been designed in, but when he starts showing that consciousness is an illousion of mental activity, he lost me.

Paleotologist White rambles about various digs in Africa to show humans have changed over time.

Shubin does a great job of showing that the great transition at the start of the Cambrian wasn't so great, it was just successful.He covers the fish to tetrapod shift very well, showing that evolution is testable, but that's as close as he gets to dealing with ID.

In his essay, Dawkins starts off by showing that ID's claim that maybe aliens designed us begs the question of where did they come from.He writes mostly about the difficulty of finding alien life, but returns to ID at the very end, albeit briefly.

Next, Sulloway reviews Darwin's thought process from the creation idea that was the prime paradigm of his time to natural selection.More of a history of Darwin's change of mind and methods, it doesn't really address the ID topic.

Atran starts off well, showing that if there was a designer, he sure did a crappy job in some places.He provides several examples of anatomy that could have been designed much better, but make sense with evolution using what's available.Alas, he then turns off into a discussion of the role of religion that rambles off the stating point.

Pinker shows that morality can "evolve" in a society without the interferance of a mandate from a creator.I thought this whole thing was off the topic of the book.

Physicist Smolin discusses the possible origin of our universe and ways it might happen absent the creator's hand.It was a bit hard to follow, and, again, I'm not sure this essay belonged in this collection.

The next piece, by Kauffman, was about self-organization and assembly being possible without outside help.It was confusing.

According to Lloyd in the next essay, the universe is so big and so many chemical reactions, or information processing, happen that it was inevitable that life would arise, no help needed.Some good ideas, but boring.

Randall wrote a rambling piece about part of the history of the evolutionary debate, finishing with some comments about how science is almost never 100% sure, but it's still science.

Hauser chimes in with a piece about how the government shouldn't force subjects outside of a diciplin to be taught within the subject's curriculum.While a course on scientific controversies would be interesting, it shouldn't be part of an actual high-school science course for fear it would confuse the students as to what was accepted science and what is not.This was a good piece about education and the importance of keeping to the curriculum needed at that level.

And last, Sampson describes why it's important for evolution not only to be understood itself, but also in tandem with ecology.

Overall, the book was a good read, but some of the essays seemed out of place in this work.Still, I liked it.The addition of excerpts from the anti-ID decision in Kitzmiller vs Dover School District at the end was a nice touch.

All over the map
This collection of essays is all over the place. The first essay by Jerry Coyne is a gem. It is the most thorough and concise explanation I have seen of the evidence for evolution and of why Intelligent Design is not science. A similar essay by Coyne is available online if you know where to look.

After that, mileage varies considerably. Daniel Dennett does a presentable job of explaining some of the rhetorical hijinx engaged in by ID advocates. Steven Pinker doesa nice job presenting evolutionary models for morality. Some of the others seem off-target or even weak. I would like to know where Lisa Randall gets her numbers, and how deep her knowledge of biology is. I didn't get much out of Nicholas Humphrey's essayon consciousness. It is devoid of any sense of the fascinating findings of cognitive science of the last several decades. Seth Llloyd's essay on the computing power of hte universe was so far out there that I have no idea how sound it might be.

The appendix, with an excerptfrom Judge Jones' decision in the Kitsmiller v. Dover case, is another gem, and one that is also available elsewhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fact/Value Divide: Where Is It?
The author's suggestion of "evolutionary ethics" is seriously confused. T. H. Huxley in the 1890s wrote a valuable essay, evolution AND ethics. That work has been republished by Princeton University Press with sociobiologist George Williams' epilogue. Unlike the book under review, neither Huxley nor Williams confuse IS for OUGHT, or OUGHT for IS.

It's one thing to find VALUES compatible with FACTS, it is a logical fallacy to claim a FACT is a VALUE, or a VALUE is a FACT. The Fact/Value Divide, implicit in Aristotle, was made explicit in Hume's Treatise (1740) and G. E. Mooore's Principia Ethica (1903), which the present author ignores to everyones' detriment.

Crime is a fact. Do we value it? Of course not! Love is a value? Does that make it a fact? Of course not! Something SO basic as the Fact/Value Divide is not basic to this author or his book. His entire edifice collapses because he stretches facts into values, and values into facts.

Whether insights are valuable or not cannot be determined with so much confused thinking and writing. Some call it "contamination" and "pollution" so toxic not even metaphysicians can make it pure. All I know is that he cannot make facts into values, and values into facts. So what does he make?

Can Neo-Darwinism Explain Ultimate Human Love and Sacrifice?
Evolution and Ethics examines the burning questions of human morality from the standpoint of Christian thought and contemporary biology, asking where the two perspectives diverge and where they may complement one another.Representing a significant dialogue between world-class scientists, philosophers, and theologians, this volume explores the central features of biological and religious accounts of human morality, introducing the leading theories and locating the key points of contention.Central to these discussions are the questions of whether human actions are ever genuinely selfless, whether there is something in the moral life that transcends biological function, and whether one can sensibly speak of an overall purpose to the course of evolution.Evolution and Ethics offers a balanced, levelheaded, constructive approach to an often divisive debate.

Of interest in this volume are articles by Jeffrey P. Schloss and Discovery Fellow Joseph Poulshock.Poulshock recognizes that Darwinian explanations like "kin selection" can account for altruism within groups of closely related individuals.However human social interactions clearly require explanations which go far beyond Darwinian explanations. That is, nearly every major religion has proscriptions similar to the "Golden Rule."For instance, Christian notions of being the "good Samaritan" and Hebraic moral codes calling for kindness to foreigners, require explanations beyond reference to "selfish genes."

Poulshock explains that social groups with strong moral codes eventually become governed by those codes.Thus it is ideas--communicated through written and spoken language--which seem to have the greatest impact upon human ethics.

Nice Overview of the Relevant Issues
This book is a terrific overview of the questions concerning the ULTIMATE SOURCE of moral values.Have values developed as part of human socio-cultural evolution?Are they nothing but the outer manifestation of the innerworkings of "selfish" genes?Is "morality" just a particular type of discourse used for conveying personal emotions about certain activities?Or do they arise from our "intuitions of the divine?" (Or perhaps some combination of these?).Highly recommended for anyone interested in current trends within the science/religion dialogue, and anyone interested in evolutionary psychology. ... Read more

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Christians have long debated the relationship of science and faith. With the rise of Darwinism, however, the issue took on new significance. Darwinism appeared to undermine the authority of the Bible and the credibility of Christianity by freeing science of the need for a Creator. Rethinking the relationship between science and Christianity quickly became a priority. How does a faithful Christian respond to the pronouncements of contemporary science? Is science a help or a hindrance to belief? Are science and the Bible in conflict?

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Christians continue to wonder whether faith and science are partners or opponents.In this book six Christian scholars help us sort through the issues as they present four views on the relationship of science and Christianity. The four views and their proponents are

[] "Creationism: An Inerrant Bible & Effective Science," Wayne Frair, King's Collge, and Gary D. Patterson, Carnegie Mellon University[] "Independence: Mutual Humility in the Relationship Between Science & Christian Theology," Jean Pond, Whitworth College[] "Qualified Agreement: Modern Science & the Return of the 'God Hypothesis,'" Stephen C. Meyer, Whitworth College[] "Partnership: Science & Christian Theology as Partners in Theorizing," Howard J. Van Till, Calvin College

Each of the contributors responds to the other essayists, noting points of agreement as well as disagreement. The editor also provides an introduction to the contemporary debate and a conclusion that helps readers evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each view. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Are Science and Religion Separate or Interacting Spheres?
Christians have long debated the relationship of science and faith. With the rise of Darwinism, however, the issue took on new significance.Darwinism appeared to undermine the authority of the Bible and the credibility of Christianity by freeing science of the need for a Creator.Rethinking the relationship between science and Christianity quickly became a priority.How does a faithful Christian respond to the pronouncements of contemporary science?

At the beginning of the 21st century, Christians continue to wonder whether faith and science are partners or opponents.In this book six scholars help us sort through the issues as they present four views on the relationship of science and Christianity.These views include creationism, independence, qualified agreement, and partnership.

Firstly, Wayne Frair and Gary D. Patterson argue that creationism bolsters faith in the Bible, while basing its claims upon actual scientific evidence. For them, science is the formal study of the observable world while theology is the study of God and his relationship to his created world. They argue that the Bible is to be interpreted as the inerrant word of God, while holding that the actual literal meaning of Genesis could still fit with an ancient age of the universe. Science is seen as supporting what is known by faith.

Next, Jean Pond argues for the "independence" viewpoint, like Stephen Jay Gould who argued, "Science and religion are not in conflict, for their teaching occupy distinctly different domains."(pg. 71)Senior Discovery Institute fellow Stephen C. Meyer responds to this view by observing that in reality, science and religion often tread upon the same ground, for "Christianity in particular does not simply address questions of morality and meaning as Gould's NOMA principle asserts, but it also makes factual claims about history, human nature and, it would seem, the origin of the natural world." (pg. 112)

Meyer then articulates his view of science and religion, called "qualified agreement."In particular, materialistic theories of origins betray a theistic understanding of the universe.As Bertrand Russell described materialistic science, "Man is the product of causes which had no provision of the end they were achieving" and that predestined him "to extinction in the vast death of the solar system." (pg. 127-128)Meyer argues that history demonstrates that many proponents of materialistic science have viewed science as antithetical to faith.According to Meyer, new scientific developments including Big Bang cosmology, fine-tuning arguments, and information in DNA support design in the universe and theistic perspectives of reality.

Finally, Howard J. Van Till argues for acceptance of evolutionary science. Van Till puts particular emphasis upon what he calls "transparently shoddy scholarship" against evolution coming from the Christian community which is an "embarrassment."(pg. 196).Van Till views opposition to evolution as either based upon (1) peer-pressure, (2) childhood impressions, (3) or careful examination of the data, which he calls a position "that appears to be rare." (pg. 200).For Van Till, the key question is, "Is the formational economy of the creation sufficiently robust (that is, gifted withal the requisite capabilities) to make possible the actualization of all the different physical / material structures and all forms of life that have existed since the beginning of time?"According to Van Till, the answer is an assumption because "For the sake of scientific theorizing we assume that the formational economy of the universe is sufficiently robust to account for the actualization in time of all the types of physical / material structures and all the forms of life that have ever existed."Van Till urges Christians to accept that assumption as true.

Stephen Meyer responds to Van Till by noting that assumptions should not cloud the minds of scientists, for design theorists "think that scientists should follow the evidence wherever it leads."Meyer contends that "questions about whether natural self-organizational capacities or acts of intelligent design better explain the natural world ought to be decided by empirical investigation rather than a priori principles," such as those proposed by Van Till.Meyer concludes that the empirical data does not support Van Till's hypothesis that life can arise via natural processes, in particular because there are no "self-organizing" forces which can explain the sequence-specific ordering of the chemical bases in DNA.Thus Meyer argues that Van Till's assumptions can be empirically tested, and they have been found to be false.

This debate will likely continue long into the future. However the respectful and fruitful dialogues found in this book will help Christians better identify the best approach to understanding the relationship between science and faith.

Dissappointing- Creationist position not represented well
Science & Christianity: Four Views is a well-conceived attempt to cover the spectrum of Christian thought concerning the proper interaction of theology and science as realms of knowledge. These interacting viewpoint books are a great idea but they are difficult to pull-off because at least one viewpoint usually suffers.In this book, Creationism in particular is not well represented. Since this view is a historical cornerstone in the discussion, the overall book suffers as a result.

Frair and Patterson represent the Creationist viewpoint (young and old-earth views are essentially combined in this book).Their opening position statement, as expected, emphasizes the priority of an inerrant Scripture as the authority in human knowledge though they also encourage vigorous scientific inquiry and believe the two ultimately converge into one reality.But, their interactions with other viewpoints throughout the book tend to miss the point by avoiding any contrast/conflict.This avoidance hurts the value of the book and depth of their presentation.

Pond represents what is called the Independence view, which is often ignored in these discussions. Independence asserts that theology and science are two completely different areas of knowledge with no appreciable overlap in describing reality.If there is a question about the actual physical history of earth, it is resolved solely by science.Likewise, if there is a question of human spirituality it is resolved solely in the area of religion (Christianity for Pond).Pond says she considers scripture one more facet of information, which is to be considered along with church tradition (Episcopal in her case), and human reason depending upon the subject at hand. In the case of physical earth history, she sees no role for the Bible. She does not accept the notion that the scripture is inerrant and asks for a definition of the term (FYI Feinberg provides a great one in "Inerrancy" edited by Geisler).In place of inerrancy Ponds promotes the NOMA principle popularized by Stephen Jay Gould. Pond is eloquent for her position and interacts with other viewpoints in a consistent manner that provides some color to what is generally a bland book.Aside from the color she adds to the discussion, I find her view of scripture and science (along with NOMA) to be an elaborate cop-out that gives total precedence to science at every point in the discussion carrying any significance for discovering physical reality.Pond (and NOMA) seem to overlook the turbulent nature of scientific theories throughout history while discounting the possibility that the Bible has a divine author capable of giving a general but accurate description of physical reality that science is yet to fully discover.

The Qualified Agreement viewpoint is covered by Meyer and basically says that we should accept a highly interactive view of both scripture and science on a case-by-case basis where there are no hard and fast rules as to which will take precedence beforehand.After tracing the history of earlier intelligent design efforts by Paley and others, Meyer provides an onslaught of physical evidence from various fields of science.This chapter has so many well-known examples of design that the overall method (inference to the best explanation) does not receive the attention it deserves.Meyer is consistent throughout the book making most of his arguments from contemporary scientific evidence suggesting design, rather than from scripture.Meyer footnotes his evidence well and provides a veritable who's who of intelligent design authors such as Dembski, Behe, Ross and Denton.

Van Till provides the Partnership view, which says that science and Christian theology can go hand in hand without conflict.This view emphasizes a possible harmony between the two fields of knowledge and seeks to explain it with what Van Till calls the Robust Formation Economy (RFE). He prefers RFE to theistic evolution, which is more often used as a category for his viewpoint.The RFE basically says God created the universe as an amazing evolutionary machine that is capable of unfolding in the way modern evolutionary sciences say it does with no further intervention from God.Van Till feels this view ascribes more glory to God than the interventionist views held by Creationists or Qualified Agreement camps (Independence would seem to agree more with Van Till though it has no identifiable position as to interaction).Van Till's position is open to the critique (attempted but not adequately made in this book) that he is just playing games with words.Renaming deism to RFE doesn't really help things very much. His position counters scripture in a number of areas that indicate God is actively involved in the daily workings of nature, not just the macro architect from billions of years ago.Partnership ends up being a cop-out theory like Independence, it's just dressed up with fancier words and ideas, but not strong arguments based upon theological and scientific data.

This is a mediocre book that had the potential to be excellent but did not achieve that goal.There actually aren't that many intermediate books available in the area of philosophy of science and Christianity, but this is one. If you just want one book in this area choose Three Views on Creation and Evolution by Moreland and Reynolds; it is somewhat better than this book.

Absence of true Creationist position made this dialog bland
There are four positions here, and I will address them in the order that they are presented in the book:

1. The Creationism position (for some reason the only position that is an "ism") was blandly proclaimed in a lengthy and mostly uninspired essay by Wayne Friar and Gary D. Patterson. Although I had never heard of them, I suspect they are part of some mutual admiration society overusing phrases in their supposedly critical response essays like "we commend", "we join", "we agree that" and "we share." They sacrificed the sharp sword of intellectual debate for the blunt instrument of patronizing accolades.
2. Jean Pond's position of Independence is ridiculous -- she plainly stated that belief in Christ "requires faith beyond reason" (p. 242) when taken in context implies that faith is not reasonable. Additionally she quotes Sagan, Dawkins and Gould with respect normally granted only to the Pope. She gives particular credence to Gould's NOMA principle (loosely put: an intellectual wall of separation between science and 'religion'.) She quotes Dawkins and Gould effectively stating that theology is the study of nothing (maybe the wall is a fence to keep God out?). Pond gently reminds the readers that they are the exception rather than the rule, but then doesn't follow through by affirming that the study of theology is the study of anything. She seems to throw up her arms in confusion because of the proliferation of denominations and the use of the Scriptures for both sides of crucial issues like homosexuality and the ordination of women.
3. I like Stephen Meyer's philosophical approach in the Qualified Agreement position -- at least he had guts to disagree with Pond and Van Till, something that Friar and Patterson were reticent to do. He exposes the Independence and Mutual Partnership's (see below) acceptance and promotion of what I call the "myth of religious/metaphysical neutrality." Additionally Meyers is strong when discussing the classical proofs of God and how those arguments can be resurrected by new discoveries, particularly in the area of information science.
4. Lastly, Van Till propounds the Mutual Partnership position where science and Christian theology are "partners in theorizing." Although his position is solidly evolutionary, I found his principle of robust formational economy (RFE) [Jean Pond found that phrase to be a mouthful -- one might say "say that three times fast."] interesting although not convincing. His desire is to take a razor blade to the idea of 'creation' by separating them into two distinct phases or arenas: the initial concept (dare I say 'design') and the actual formation or creating (read naturalistic evolution). Therefore, if I'm reading him correctly, Van Till gives all the credit to God for designing a system that is self-creating. Obviously God kicked off the process, but He's just watching it unfold perhaps like some Cosmic Couch-Potato Deity. Stephen Meyer is correct in his assessment that this is close to, if not fully developed, Deism. In advocating the RFE principle, Van Till rejects the artisan, craftsman or builder concepts. I think he does so to the detriment of the Holy Scriptures where God compares Himself to the Potter and we his creatures to the clay pot. The Potter doesn't just intellectually design His creation, but intimately molds his creation.

All of the contributors to this volume, including the editor, for the most part ignore important points in the first few chapters of Genesis. 1) God speaking the creation into existence; 2) the Fall and it's ramifications (the various curses and introduction of death); 3) the supposedly historically accurate reports of great life spans prior to the Flood; 4) the Judgment of Yahweh on sin in the Flood (and by extension the Apostle Peter's reminder of a future judgment by fire); and 5) the divine origin of human languages. One item worth noting is the simple, yet interesting, chart on the classification of the sciences by Arthur Peacocke (Theology for a Scientific Age) as modified by Nancey Murphy (Reconciling Theology and Science) -- perhaps their books will shed more light on the topic of Science and Christianity than this work compiled by Richard F. Carlson.

Great views!!
This book is exciting as well as informative. Steve Meyer's essay is extraordinary! Great info! I can't wait to read it again!!

A very helpful dialogue...whatever your view.
While we stand firmly in the "creationist" camp,all of the contributors are worth reading here -- and Editor Richard Carlson provides invaluable help as "moderator." If you are dealing with these issues -- get this new book! Recommended. -- The Discerning Reader ... Read more

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John Polkinghorne describes the relationship between science and religion as consonant. This book investigates Polkinghorne's theory of consonance and analyses its philosophical background. German text. ... Read more

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This book examines the case for emergence in contemporary science and philosophy. A variety of recent scientific results have challenged a reductively physicalist understanding of the natural world, suggesting instead that evolution produces a series of interrelated but irreducible levels of organization. If sustained, these data require revisions not only within the philosophy of science but also to standard views of consciousness, culture, and religion. German text. ... Read more