Elaine Howard Ecklund
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195392982
- eISBN:
- 9780199777105
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195392982.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Americans support science as well as religion—but these two things are often at odds. In the wake of recent controversies about teaching intelligent design and the ethics of embryonic-stem- cell ...
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Americans support science as well as religion—but these two things are often at odds. In the wake of recent controversies about teaching intelligent design and the ethics of embryonic-stem- cell research, greater understanding between scientists and the general religious public is critical. What is needed is a balanced assessment of the middle ground that can exist between science and religion. Science vs. Religion: What Do Scientists Really Think? is the definitive statement on this timely, politically charged subject. After thousands of hours spent talking to the nation’s leading scientists, Elaine Howard Ecklund argues that the American public has widespread misconceptions about scientists’ views of religion. Few scientists are committed secularists. Only a small minority actively reject and work against religion. And many are themselves religious. The majority are whom she calls spiritual pioneers, who desire to link their spirituality with a greater mission for the work they do as scientists. In the current climate, even scientists who are not religious recognize that they must engage with religion as they are pressed by their students to respond to faith in the classroom—what Ecklund calls environmental push. Based on a survey and interviews with scientists at more than 20 elite U.S. universities, Ecklund’s book argues that other scientists must step up to the table of dialogue and that American believers must embrace science again. Both science and religion are at stake if any less is done.Less
Americans support science as well as religion—but these two things are often at odds. In the wake of recent controversies about teaching intelligent design and the ethics of embryonic-stem- cell research, greater understanding between scientists and the general religious public is critical. What is needed is a balanced assessment of the middle ground that can exist between science and religion. Science vs. Religion: What Do Scientists Really Think? is the definitive statement on this timely, politically charged subject. After thousands of hours spent talking to the nation’s leading scientists, Elaine Howard Ecklund argues that the American public has widespread misconceptions about scientists’ views of religion. Few scientists are committed secularists. Only a small minority actively reject and work against religion. And many are themselves religious. The majority are whom she calls spiritual pioneers, who desire to link their spirituality with a greater mission for the work they do as scientists. In the current climate, even scientists who are not religious recognize that they must engage with religion as they are pressed by their students to respond to faith in the classroom—what Ecklund calls environmental push. Based on a survey and interviews with scientists at more than 20 elite U.S. universities, Ecklund’s book argues that other scientists must step up to the table of dialogue and that American believers must embrace science again. Both science and religion are at stake if any less is done.
Niall Shanks
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195161991
- eISBN:
- 9780199835058
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195161998.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
This book introduces the intelligent design theory, which preserves the core of creation science while doing away with much of the biblical literalism and explicit references to God. It discusses the ...
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This book introduces the intelligent design theory, which preserves the core of creation science while doing away with much of the biblical literalism and explicit references to God. It discusses the theory, where it came from, and how it is presented to the public. It argues that the theory represents a serious threat to the educational, scientific, and philosophical values of the Enlightenment that have shaped modern science and modern democratic institutions.Less
This book introduces the intelligent design theory, which preserves the core of creation science while doing away with much of the biblical literalism and explicit references to God. It discusses the theory, where it came from, and how it is presented to the public. It argues that the theory represents a serious threat to the educational, scientific, and philosophical values of the Enlightenment that have shaped modern science and modern democratic institutions.
Barbara Forrest and Paul R. Gross
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195157420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894000
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157420.003.0010
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter documents the religious essence of intelligent design and establishes its true identity as creationism, based on the words and publications of the intelligent design creationists ...
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This chapter documents the religious essence of intelligent design and establishes its true identity as creationism, based on the words and publications of the intelligent design creationists themselves. The discussion exposes the anti-secular views of the movement’s leaders and documents that intelligent design is not merely a religious but a sectarian Christian movement as explained by William Dembski, who enunciates the movement’s regressive theological underpinnings. The chapter also examines the movement’s Christian financial benefactors, especially Howard Ahmanson, catalogues its association with evangelical Christian organizations, and documents its alliances with Christian extremists. It includes an extensive analysis of intelligent design’s continuity and commonalities with earlier forms of creationism, including young-earth creationism. It closes with an analysis of the Discovery Institute’s effort to establish a presence for intelligent design in higher education by cultivating followers on university faculties and establishing student intelligent design organizations.Less
This chapter documents the religious essence of intelligent design and establishes its true identity as creationism, based on the words and publications of the intelligent design creationists themselves. The discussion exposes the anti-secular views of the movement’s leaders and documents that intelligent design is not merely a religious but a sectarian Christian movement as explained by William Dembski, who enunciates the movement’s regressive theological underpinnings. The chapter also examines the movement’s Christian financial benefactors, especially Howard Ahmanson, catalogues its association with evangelical Christian organizations, and documents its alliances with Christian extremists. It includes an extensive analysis of intelligent design’s continuity and commonalities with earlier forms of creationism, including young-earth creationism. It closes with an analysis of the Discovery Institute’s effort to establish a presence for intelligent design in higher education by cultivating followers on university faculties and establishing student intelligent design organizations.
Norman A. Johnson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195306750
- eISBN:
- 9780199790203
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195306750.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Although strongly supported by multiple lines of evidence and relevant to many “real world” problems, Darwinian evolution remains a battleground in the culture wars. A variant of creationism, known ...
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Although strongly supported by multiple lines of evidence and relevant to many “real world” problems, Darwinian evolution remains a battleground in the culture wars. A variant of creationism, known as intelligent design (ID), recently gained ground in political circles even as new research more firmly established the validity and vitality of Darwin's framework. This chapter explores the ID movement — especially that led by the Discovery Institute — showing how it is without scientific merit. ID backers contend that many biological systems show irreducible complexity, and thus cannot evolve by Darwinian evolution. This is not the case; systems like blood clotting and eyes that appear irreducibly complex can indeed evolve through stepwise Darwinian evolution. This chapter also addresses several issues of the philosophy of science, as well as the relationship between science and religion.Less
Although strongly supported by multiple lines of evidence and relevant to many “real world” problems, Darwinian evolution remains a battleground in the culture wars. A variant of creationism, known as intelligent design (ID), recently gained ground in political circles even as new research more firmly established the validity and vitality of Darwin's framework. This chapter explores the ID movement — especially that led by the Discovery Institute — showing how it is without scientific merit. ID backers contend that many biological systems show irreducible complexity, and thus cannot evolve by Darwinian evolution. This is not the case; systems like blood clotting and eyes that appear irreducibly complex can indeed evolve through stepwise Darwinian evolution. This chapter also addresses several issues of the philosophy of science, as well as the relationship between science and religion.
Barbara Forrest and Paul R. Gross
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195157420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894000
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157420.003.0009
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter examines the Discovery Institute’s aggressive cultivation of political influence at the state and national levels. Its maneuverings in Washington State, Kansas, and Ohio are discussed in ...
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This chapter examines the Discovery Institute’s aggressive cultivation of political influence at the state and national levels. Its maneuverings in Washington State, Kansas, and Ohio are discussed in detail. The discussion of Kansas includes the establishment of the Intelligent Design Network as a de facto arm of the Discovery Institute and the two organizations’ attempt to insert intelligent design into Kansas’s state science standards. The effort to insert intelligent design into Ohio science standards includes the Discovery Institute’s adoption of terms such as “teach the controversy” to disguise its true aims. The chapter concludes with a detailed discussion of the Discovery Institute’s “Santorum amendment,” an episode in which stealth creationist language was inserted into the legislative history of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001.Less
This chapter examines the Discovery Institute’s aggressive cultivation of political influence at the state and national levels. Its maneuverings in Washington State, Kansas, and Ohio are discussed in detail. The discussion of Kansas includes the establishment of the Intelligent Design Network as a de facto arm of the Discovery Institute and the two organizations’ attempt to insert intelligent design into Kansas’s state science standards. The effort to insert intelligent design into Ohio science standards includes the Discovery Institute’s adoption of terms such as “teach the controversy” to disguise its true aims. The chapter concludes with a detailed discussion of the Discovery Institute’s “Santorum amendment,” an episode in which stealth creationist language was inserted into the legislative history of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001.
David Fergusson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199569380
- eISBN:
- 9780191702051
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199569380.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This book discusses numerous wide-ranging, topical issues of faith, using various illustrations from contemporary life. It provides a historical, social, and rhetorical context for the ‘new atheism’, ...
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This book discusses numerous wide-ranging, topical issues of faith, using various illustrations from contemporary life. It provides a historical, social, and rhetorical context for the ‘new atheism’, and evaluates in depth, the relationship of religion to science, including a theological and scientific critique of both creationism and intelligent design theory. Critics of religion, such as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennet, and Sam Harris, are heralded as the exponents of a ‘new atheism’, and the book explains each of their work in its historical perspective, drawing comparisons with earlier forms of atheism. Responding to the critics through dialogue on the credibility of religious belief, Darwinism, morality, fundamentalism, and our approach to reading sacred texts, it establishes a compelling case for the practical and theoretical validity of faith in the contemporary world. This book supports an informed and constructive exchange of ideas rather than a contest between two sides of the debate. It encourages faith communities to undertake patient engagement with their critics and acknowledge the place for development in their self-understanding, whilst resisting the reductive explanations of the ‘new atheism’.Less
This book discusses numerous wide-ranging, topical issues of faith, using various illustrations from contemporary life. It provides a historical, social, and rhetorical context for the ‘new atheism’, and evaluates in depth, the relationship of religion to science, including a theological and scientific critique of both creationism and intelligent design theory. Critics of religion, such as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennet, and Sam Harris, are heralded as the exponents of a ‘new atheism’, and the book explains each of their work in its historical perspective, drawing comparisons with earlier forms of atheism. Responding to the critics through dialogue on the credibility of religious belief, Darwinism, morality, fundamentalism, and our approach to reading sacred texts, it establishes a compelling case for the practical and theoretical validity of faith in the contemporary world. This book supports an informed and constructive exchange of ideas rather than a contest between two sides of the debate. It encourages faith communities to undertake patient engagement with their critics and acknowledge the place for development in their self-understanding, whilst resisting the reductive explanations of the ‘new atheism’.
John C. Avise
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195393439
- eISBN:
- 9780199775415
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195393439.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Humanity's physical design flaws have long been apparent—we get hemorrhoids and impacted wisdom teeth, for instance—but do the imperfections extend down to the molecular level of our genes? Inside ...
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Humanity's physical design flaws have long been apparent—we get hemorrhoids and impacted wisdom teeth, for instance—but do the imperfections extend down to the molecular level of our genes? Inside the Human Genome is the first comprehensive book to examine the philosophical question of why, from the perspectives of biochemistry and molecular genetics, flaws empirically exist in the biological world. This book offers a panoramic yet penetrating exploration of the many gross deficiencies in human DNA—ranging from new mutational defects to ancient design faults—while at the same time offering a comprehensive treatment of recent findings about the human genome. The author shows that overwhelming scientific evidence for genomic imperfection provides a compelling counterargument to Intelligent Design. He also develops a case that theologians should welcome rather than disavow these scientific discoveries. The evolutionary sciences can help mainstream religions escape the shackles of Intelligent Design, and thereby return religion to its rightful realm—not as the secular interpreter of the biological minutiae of our physical existence, but rather as a respectable philosophical counselor on grander matters of ultimate concern.Less
Humanity's physical design flaws have long been apparent—we get hemorrhoids and impacted wisdom teeth, for instance—but do the imperfections extend down to the molecular level of our genes? Inside the Human Genome is the first comprehensive book to examine the philosophical question of why, from the perspectives of biochemistry and molecular genetics, flaws empirically exist in the biological world. This book offers a panoramic yet penetrating exploration of the many gross deficiencies in human DNA—ranging from new mutational defects to ancient design faults—while at the same time offering a comprehensive treatment of recent findings about the human genome. The author shows that overwhelming scientific evidence for genomic imperfection provides a compelling counterargument to Intelligent Design. He also develops a case that theologians should welcome rather than disavow these scientific discoveries. The evolutionary sciences can help mainstream religions escape the shackles of Intelligent Design, and thereby return religion to its rightful realm—not as the secular interpreter of the biological minutiae of our physical existence, but rather as a respectable philosophical counselor on grander matters of ultimate concern.
Paul F. Lurquin and Linda Stone
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195315387
- eISBN:
- 9780199785674
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195315387.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Intelligent Design (ID) thinking and older style creationism argue that evolution by natural selection is an incorrect theory. This book demonstrates that in doing so, neocreationism (Intelligent ...
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Intelligent Design (ID) thinking and older style creationism argue that evolution by natural selection is an incorrect theory. This book demonstrates that in doing so, neocreationism (Intelligent Design) and classical creationism misinterpret the meaning of scientific theories. This is because these religious doctrines imply teleology and purpose in the natural world, which are not analyzable scientifically. In addition, the concept of “irreducible complexity” often invoked by ID proponents is based on a flawed interpretation of scientific data. It also demonstrates that evolutionary thinking in the sciences is a powerful tool that can be used in the study of the origin of the universe, the origin of life and its diversification, and human evolution. Creationism and ID do not belong in the realm of science and have contributed nothing to its advancement. Further, attempts to force the teaching of creationism and ID in schools can only weaken a science curriculum which already leaves much to be desired.Less
Intelligent Design (ID) thinking and older style creationism argue that evolution by natural selection is an incorrect theory. This book demonstrates that in doing so, neocreationism (Intelligent Design) and classical creationism misinterpret the meaning of scientific theories. This is because these religious doctrines imply teleology and purpose in the natural world, which are not analyzable scientifically. In addition, the concept of “irreducible complexity” often invoked by ID proponents is based on a flawed interpretation of scientific data. It also demonstrates that evolutionary thinking in the sciences is a powerful tool that can be used in the study of the origin of the universe, the origin of life and its diversification, and human evolution. Creationism and ID do not belong in the realm of science and have contributed nothing to its advancement. Further, attempts to force the teaching of creationism and ID in schools can only weaken a science curriculum which already leaves much to be desired.
Edward J. Larson
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195154719
- eISBN:
- 9780199849505
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195154719.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, American History: 20th Century
This chapter explores the ongoing efforts of evolutionists to consolidate their gains through state education standards. The 1987 US Supreme Court decision in Aguillard stalled the movement to inject ...
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This chapter explores the ongoing efforts of evolutionists to consolidate their gains through state education standards. The 1987 US Supreme Court decision in Aguillard stalled the movement to inject creation science into the public education but it did not still the underlying controversy over teaching evolution. After 1990, University of California law professor Philip Johnson and his allies advanced the concept of “intelligent design” as scientific theory with a secular purpose suitable for inclusion in public education. Throughout the 1990s, the bedrock for anti-evolutionism in the US remains the biblical literalism of the Protestant fundamentalist church. Richard Dawkins, Dan Dennett, and Will Provine pushed the Darwinist assault on theism in popular books and public lectures.Less
This chapter explores the ongoing efforts of evolutionists to consolidate their gains through state education standards. The 1987 US Supreme Court decision in Aguillard stalled the movement to inject creation science into the public education but it did not still the underlying controversy over teaching evolution. After 1990, University of California law professor Philip Johnson and his allies advanced the concept of “intelligent design” as scientific theory with a secular purpose suitable for inclusion in public education. Throughout the 1990s, the bedrock for anti-evolutionism in the US remains the biblical literalism of the Protestant fundamentalist church. Richard Dawkins, Dan Dennett, and Will Provine pushed the Darwinist assault on theism in popular books and public lectures.
Barbara Forrest and Paul R. Gross
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195157420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894000
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157420.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter begins the examination of Phase II of the Wedge Strategy, “Publicity and Opinion-Making,” which is continued in Chapter 7. It explains how the intelligent design movement is executing ...
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This chapter begins the examination of Phase II of the Wedge Strategy, “Publicity and Opinion-Making,” which is continued in Chapter 7. It explains how the intelligent design movement is executing every aspect of its strategy except the production of scientific research to support intelligent design. Beginning with information about its fundraising, the chapter examines the movement’s aggressive schedule of book publication and publicity, conferences, apologetics seminars, the development of teacher training programs and intelligent design educational materials, and use of the Internet as a tool for reaching the American public. The chapter also provides detailed information about Access Research Network, a clearinghouse for intelligent design books and videos. The establishment of intelligent design student groups and the movement’s inroads into the popular media are covered in detail.Less
This chapter begins the examination of Phase II of the Wedge Strategy, “Publicity and Opinion-Making,” which is continued in Chapter 7. It explains how the intelligent design movement is executing every aspect of its strategy except the production of scientific research to support intelligent design. Beginning with information about its fundraising, the chapter examines the movement’s aggressive schedule of book publication and publicity, conferences, apologetics seminars, the development of teacher training programs and intelligent design educational materials, and use of the Internet as a tool for reaching the American public. The chapter also provides detailed information about Access Research Network, a clearinghouse for intelligent design books and videos. The establishment of intelligent design student groups and the movement’s inroads into the popular media are covered in detail.
Larry A. Witham
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195150452
- eISBN:
- 9780199834860
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195150457.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Legendary public debates over evolution began with Thomas H. Huxley in 1860 and raged through the 1920s and 1970s to the present, featuring debaters such as biologists Kenneth Miller (pro‐evolution) ...
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Legendary public debates over evolution began with Thomas H. Huxley in 1860 and raged through the 1920s and 1970s to the present, featuring debaters such as biologists Kenneth Miller (pro‐evolution) and Duane Gish (pro‐creation). This chapter looks at key figures in this history, strategic arguments, campus debates, radio and television, and the rhetorical approach of “intelligent design.”Less
Legendary public debates over evolution began with Thomas H. Huxley in 1860 and raged through the 1920s and 1970s to the present, featuring debaters such as biologists Kenneth Miller (pro‐evolution) and Duane Gish (pro‐creation). This chapter looks at key figures in this history, strategic arguments, campus debates, radio and television, and the rhetorical approach of “intelligent design.”
Barbara Forrest and Paul R. Gross
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195172256
- eISBN:
- 9780199835546
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195172256.003.0013
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
The rejection of evolution in favor of creation by a supernatural deity is not the only feature of intelligent design creationism that marks it as a religious movement. Its integral but lesser known ...
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The rejection of evolution in favor of creation by a supernatural deity is not the only feature of intelligent design creationism that marks it as a religious movement. Its integral but lesser known features include anti-modernism, anti-secularism, religious exclusionism, and anti-rationalism. The intelligent design movement, following a Wedge Strategy, seeks not only to return American education to a premodern understanding of science, but to move the country culturally and politically away from secular democracy and toward a premodern, Christian commonwealth. The movement’s leader, Phillip Johnson, brands secular academics as apostates and warns Christian students against relying on “your own thinking”. Scientists must join concerned citizens in stopping the advance of intelligent design in the public school science class.Less
The rejection of evolution in favor of creation by a supernatural deity is not the only feature of intelligent design creationism that marks it as a religious movement. Its integral but lesser known features include anti-modernism, anti-secularism, religious exclusionism, and anti-rationalism. The intelligent design movement, following a Wedge Strategy, seeks not only to return American education to a premodern understanding of science, but to move the country culturally and politically away from secular democracy and toward a premodern, Christian commonwealth. The movement’s leader, Phillip Johnson, brands secular academics as apostates and warns Christian students against relying on “your own thinking”. Scientists must join concerned citizens in stopping the advance of intelligent design in the public school science class.
Elaine Howard Ecklund
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195392982
- eISBN:
- 9780199777105
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195392982.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
In chapter 3, Ecklund describes the faith journeys of scientists who came through their own personal faith struggles to a place where they do not see any conflict between religion and science. ...
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In chapter 3, Ecklund describes the faith journeys of scientists who came through their own personal faith struggles to a place where they do not see any conflict between religion and science. Through extensive analysis of survey data and in-depth interviews with scientists, Ecklund shows that scientists who have achieved such reconciliation—even though they believe in the same God-may generally understand their faith traditions differently than do the nonscientists who share their faith. While none of the religious scientists Ecklund interviewed supported the theory of intelligent design, many thought that their faith commitments ought to influence their interactions with students and colleagues. Others thought their faith ought to influence the kinds of projects they chose, refusing, for example, to participate in studies that support nuclear proliferation because of a Christian conviction to care about the welfare of humanity.Less
In chapter 3, Ecklund describes the faith journeys of scientists who came through their own personal faith struggles to a place where they do not see any conflict between religion and science. Through extensive analysis of survey data and in-depth interviews with scientists, Ecklund shows that scientists who have achieved such reconciliation—even though they believe in the same God-may generally understand their faith traditions differently than do the nonscientists who share their faith. While none of the religious scientists Ecklund interviewed supported the theory of intelligent design, many thought that their faith commitments ought to influence their interactions with students and colleagues. Others thought their faith ought to influence the kinds of projects they chose, refusing, for example, to participate in studies that support nuclear proliferation because of a Christian conviction to care about the welfare of humanity.
Barbara Forrest and Paul R. Gross
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195157420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894000
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157420.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This book explains the history and strategy of the intelligent design creationist movement, which is headquartered at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture in Seattle, WA. The ...
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This book explains the history and strategy of the intelligent design creationist movement, which is headquartered at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture in Seattle, WA. The movement’s twenty-year “Wedge Strategy,” implementation of which began in 1998, is aimed at bringing intelligent design into American public schools, public policymaking, and the cultural mainstream. Beginning with a brief history of the movement and the authentication of the “Wedge Document,” in which the Wedge Strategy is outlined, the book critiques the incompetent science and rhetorical tactics of the movement’s leaders: Douglas Axe, Paul Chien, Jonathan Wells, Michael Behe, and William Dembski. The movement’s own documents reveal its religious funding sources and its execution of all phases of the strategy except the production of genuine scientific data, including its development of a legal defense against challenges to the teaching of intelligent design. The book recounts the movement’s political maneuvering in its effort to influence science curricula in individual states, most notably Kansas and Ohio, and to develop political support among members of Congress. Importantly, the book documents the centrality of religion to intelligent design, its leaders’ associations with Christian extremists, its continuity with earlier forms of creationism, and its ambitions for academic legitimacy. This 2007 edition provides updates on the movement’s efforts in Kansas and Ohio and offers a firsthand account by Barbara Forrest, who was an expert witness for the plaintiffs, of the landmark legal case involving intelligent design, Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District (2005).Less
This book explains the history and strategy of the intelligent design creationist movement, which is headquartered at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture in Seattle, WA. The movement’s twenty-year “Wedge Strategy,” implementation of which began in 1998, is aimed at bringing intelligent design into American public schools, public policymaking, and the cultural mainstream. Beginning with a brief history of the movement and the authentication of the “Wedge Document,” in which the Wedge Strategy is outlined, the book critiques the incompetent science and rhetorical tactics of the movement’s leaders: Douglas Axe, Paul Chien, Jonathan Wells, Michael Behe, and William Dembski. The movement’s own documents reveal its religious funding sources and its execution of all phases of the strategy except the production of genuine scientific data, including its development of a legal defense against challenges to the teaching of intelligent design. The book recounts the movement’s political maneuvering in its effort to influence science curricula in individual states, most notably Kansas and Ohio, and to develop political support among members of Congress. Importantly, the book documents the centrality of religion to intelligent design, its leaders’ associations with Christian extremists, its continuity with earlier forms of creationism, and its ambitions for academic legitimacy. This 2007 edition provides updates on the movement’s efforts in Kansas and Ohio and offers a firsthand account by Barbara Forrest, who was an expert witness for the plaintiffs, of the landmark legal case involving intelligent design, Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District (2005).
Larry A. Witham
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195150452
- eISBN:
- 9780199834860
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195150457.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Here are biographical profiles of scientists who do see God behind nature: Kurt Wise, a young‐earth paleontologist; John Wiester, a geology educator and an activist; Henry Morris, an engineer and a ...
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Here are biographical profiles of scientists who do see God behind nature: Kurt Wise, a young‐earth paleontologist; John Wiester, a geology educator and an activist; Henry Morris, an engineer and a “creation science” founder; Howard Van Till, a physics professor; Owen Gingerich, a Harvard astronomer; and Michael Behe, a biochemist and an intelligent design theorist.Less
Here are biographical profiles of scientists who do see God behind nature: Kurt Wise, a young‐earth paleontologist; John Wiester, a geology educator and an activist; Henry Morris, an engineer and a “creation science” founder; Howard Van Till, a physics professor; Owen Gingerich, a Harvard astronomer; and Michael Behe, a biochemist and an intelligent design theorist.
Peter J. Graham
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199603213
- eISBN:
- 9780191725388
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199603213.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Metaphysics/Epistemology
In Warrant and Proper Function and in Knowledge of God, Alvin Plantinga provides an intelligent design argument for the existence of God. Plantina's key premise is that “naturalism” cannot account ...
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In Warrant and Proper Function and in Knowledge of God, Alvin Plantinga provides an intelligent design argument for the existence of God. Plantina's key premise is that “naturalism” cannot account for the proper functions of natural traits, but God as intelligent designer can. His argument for this premise relies on a thought experiment involving a Hitler-like madman and his henchmen. This chapter criticizes Platinga's thought experiment through careful attention to both intelligent design and natural selection as sources of functions and standards for normal functioning.Less
In Warrant and Proper Function and in Knowledge of God, Alvin Plantinga provides an intelligent design argument for the existence of God. Plantina's key premise is that “naturalism” cannot account for the proper functions of natural traits, but God as intelligent designer can. His argument for this premise relies on a thought experiment involving a Hitler-like madman and his henchmen. This chapter criticizes Platinga's thought experiment through careful attention to both intelligent design and natural selection as sources of functions and standards for normal functioning.
Larry A. Witham
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195150452
- eISBN:
- 9780199834860
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195150457.003.0016
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Public events of 2000 illustrate the continuing social debate. The “intelligent design” movement emerges. Two predictions are made: (1) A sociological split over middle‐class values will swing the ...
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Public events of 2000 illustrate the continuing social debate. The “intelligent design” movement emerges. Two predictions are made: (1) A sociological split over middle‐class values will swing the distribution “knowledge” class to evolution, the family‐based production class to creation; (2) Both apocalyptic creationism and orthodox Darwinism will decline. While both sides have challenges – evolutionists to justify morals and creationists to fit God to science – both may be appreciated as underdogs.Less
Public events of 2000 illustrate the continuing social debate. The “intelligent design” movement emerges. Two predictions are made: (1) A sociological split over middle‐class values will swing the distribution “knowledge” class to evolution, the family‐based production class to creation; (2) Both apocalyptic creationism and orthodox Darwinism will decline. While both sides have challenges – evolutionists to justify morals and creationists to fit God to science – both may be appreciated as underdogs.
Anthony O'Hear
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199563340
- eISBN:
- 9780191731303
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199563340.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion, Religious Studies
There are conceptual tensions in Darwin's own writings on natural selection. It is not clear how far his reading of the theory still has teleological overtones or presupposes a direction of evolution ...
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There are conceptual tensions in Darwin's own writings on natural selection. It is not clear how far his reading of the theory still has teleological overtones or presupposes a direction of evolution towards greater complexity and perfection. What is clear is that in his application of the theory to humanity there is virtually no difference between Darwin himself and what has come to be denigrated as ‘social Darwinism’. It is also suggested that Darwinism may be compatible with a far more ‘anthropic’ reading of creation than interpreters like Monod suggest.Less
There are conceptual tensions in Darwin's own writings on natural selection. It is not clear how far his reading of the theory still has teleological overtones or presupposes a direction of evolution towards greater complexity and perfection. What is clear is that in his application of the theory to humanity there is virtually no difference between Darwin himself and what has come to be denigrated as ‘social Darwinism’. It is also suggested that Darwinism may be compatible with a far more ‘anthropic’ reading of creation than interpreters like Monod suggest.
Elaine Howard Ecklund
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195392982
- eISBN:
- 9780199777105
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195392982.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
The existence of an ongoing and irreconcilable antagonism between science and religion has been taken for granted by many. And in the wake of recent controversies over teaching intelligent design and ...
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The existence of an ongoing and irreconcilable antagonism between science and religion has been taken for granted by many. And in the wake of recent controversies over teaching intelligent design and the ethics of embryonic-stem-cell research, the divide seems to remain as unbridgeable as ever. In chapter 1 Ecklund shows that in spite of these controversies, the American public and scientists themselves understand little about the real religious lives of scientists. She argues that the insurmountable hostility between science and religion is a caricature, perhaps useful as a satire on groupthink, but hardly representative of reality. Scientists face a plethora of religious challenges, both public and personal, and employ just as many diverse responses to these challenges.Less
The existence of an ongoing and irreconcilable antagonism between science and religion has been taken for granted by many. And in the wake of recent controversies over teaching intelligent design and the ethics of embryonic-stem-cell research, the divide seems to remain as unbridgeable as ever. In chapter 1 Ecklund shows that in spite of these controversies, the American public and scientists themselves understand little about the real religious lives of scientists. She argues that the insurmountable hostility between science and religion is a caricature, perhaps useful as a satire on groupthink, but hardly representative of reality. Scientists face a plethora of religious challenges, both public and personal, and employ just as many diverse responses to these challenges.
Frank Hendriks
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199572786
- eISBN:
- 9780191722370
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199572786.003.0010
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Political Theory
The book tellingly ends with a democratic debate. In this closing debate the six characters that already figured in the opening debate are now challenging the author, referring to issues dealt with ...
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The book tellingly ends with a democratic debate. In this closing debate the six characters that already figured in the opening debate are now challenging the author, referring to issues dealt with in previous chapters, as well as to issues deserving subsequent attention. It is argued that, although it is not impossible to combine democracy with good governance (in the sense of ‘good enough governance’ not in the sense of ‘flawless governance’), it will never be low‐maintenance. It is argued that even without a universal thermometer that indicates when democracy is healthy, it is still worthwhile discussing the vitality of democracy in terms of its perceived effectiveness and legitimacy. It is concluded that the stakeholders in democracy should continue to challenge each other from different angles. The conclusion is that vital democracy is not unlike cycling. ‘To get anywhere, and not fall over, you need to generate your own movement and counter‐movement.’Less
The book tellingly ends with a democratic debate. In this closing debate the six characters that already figured in the opening debate are now challenging the author, referring to issues dealt with in previous chapters, as well as to issues deserving subsequent attention. It is argued that, although it is not impossible to combine democracy with good governance (in the sense of ‘good enough governance’ not in the sense of ‘flawless governance’), it will never be low‐maintenance. It is argued that even without a universal thermometer that indicates when democracy is healthy, it is still worthwhile discussing the vitality of democracy in terms of its perceived effectiveness and legitimacy. It is concluded that the stakeholders in democracy should continue to challenge each other from different angles. The conclusion is that vital democracy is not unlike cycling. ‘To get anywhere, and not fall over, you need to generate your own movement and counter‐movement.’
