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Among the Creationists

Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line

Jason Rosenhouse

Compellingly describes the experiences of a scientist immersed in the culture of creationism
Disucsses difficult questions related to science, religion, philosophy and theology
Inviting and easily readable style
Includes anecdotes and personal reflections

Among the Creationists

Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line

Jason Rosenhouse

Description

Why do so many Americans reject the modern theory of evolution? Why does creationism, thoroughly refuted by scientists, retain such popularity among the public? Is the perceived conflict between evolution and Christianity genuine, or is it merely an illusion peculiar to Protestant fundamentalism?

Seeking answers to these questions, mathematician Jason Rosenhouse became a regular attendee at creationist conferences and other gatherings. After ten years of attending events like the giant Creation Mega-Conference in Lynchburg, Virginia, and visiting sites like the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, and after hundreds of surprisingly friendly conversations with creationists of varying stripes, he has emerged with a story to tell, a story that goes well beyond the usual stereotypes of Bible-thumping fanatics railing against coldly rational scientists. Through anecdotes, personal reflections, and scientific and philosophical discussion, Rosenhouse presents a more down-to-earth picture of modern creationism and the people who espouse it. He is neither polemical nor insulting, but he does not pull punches when he spots an error in the logical or scientific reasoning of creationists, especially when they wander into his own field, mathematics. Along the way, he also tells the story of his own nonbeliever's attempt to understand a major aspect of American religion. Forced to wrestle with his views about God and evolution, Rosenhouse found himself drawn into a new world of ideas previously unknown to him, arriving at a sharper understanding of the reality of science-versus-religion disputes, and how these debates look to those beyond the ivory tower.

A personal memoir of one scientist's attempt to come to grips with this controversy-by immersing himself in the culture of the anti-evolutionists-Among the Creationists is a fair, fresh, and insightful account of the modern American debate over Darwinism.

Among the Creationists

Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line

Jason Rosenhouse

Part One: Vignettes

Part Two: The Creation Mega-Conference, Lynchburg, VA, June 2005

Part Three: Darwin and Design, Knoxville, TN, March 2007

Part Four: Visiting the Creation Museum, Petersburg, KY, Summer 2010

Part Five: The Sixth International Conference on Creationism, Pittsburgh, PA, August 2008

Epilogue: The Ninth North American Paleontological Convention, Cincinnati, OH, June 2009

Among the Creationists

Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line

Jason Rosenhouse

Author Information

Jason Rosenhouse is Associate Professor of Mathematics at James Madison University. He is previously the author of The Monty Hall Problem: The Remarkable Story of Math's Most Contentious Brain Teaser and Taking Sudoku Seriously: The Math Behind the World's Most Popular Pencil Puzzle.

Contributors:

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Among the Creationists

Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line

Jason Rosenhouse

Reviews and Awards

"Fascinating creatures, these creationists. Rosenhouse holds up a magnifying glass to the various varieties of this species as he strolls through the thickets of confusion known as creationist conferences. Conversationally, he draws you into a world experienced by few secularists. His anecdotes are entertaining - but also instructive about science, religion, and philosophy. An enjoyable read, whether or not you know anything about the creationism/evolution controversy." - Eugenie C. Scott, Executive Director, National Center for Science Education, and author of Evolution vs Creationism: An Introduction

"Armed only with curiosity and a razor-sharp intellect, the intrepid Jason Rosenhouse attended a series of creationist conferences over the course of a decade. The result, Among the Creationists, affords a unique glimpse at the cultures of American creationism, as well as Rosenhouse's own thoughtful and provocative reflections on science, philosophy, and religion prompted by his experiences. Highly recommended!" --Glenn Branch, National Center for Science Education

"Those of us who battle creationism usually wage the war on the Internet, on paper, or in the courtroom. Rarely do we get to know our adversaries as people. Jason Rosenhouse is the rare exception. Equipped with remarkable empathy and a deep knowledge of evolutionary biology, he wades into creationist meetings, trying to understand the mindset that leads people to oppose one of the best-supported ideas in science. The upshot is a remarkably readable chronicle that at once gives penetrating insights into the psychology of creationists while handily refuting their arguments." -- Jerry Coyne, Professor of Ecology & Evolution, University of Chicago, and author of Why Evolution is True

"From the plain foolishness of equating "Darwinism" with every social evil, to the serious implications of naturalism (methodological or natural) as viewed by theists, the author reports, documents, and then offers humane and honest judgment on the validity of the arguments. Serious evolutionists will find endless utilities in this handsomely-written work" -- Paul Gross, University Professor of Life Sciences, emeritus, University of Virginia, and co-author with Barbara Forrest of Creationism's Trojan Horse.

"This is a terrific book. Rosenhouse's incisive but accessible analysis of the never-ending problem of creationism treats the theological and scientific contortions of its promoters with both humor and pathos. His firsthand familiarity with rank-and-file creationists has enabled him to craft a response that combines a truthful account of how utterly misguided they are scientifically with a respectful recognition of their humanity." -- Barbara Forrest, expert witness for plaintiffs in Kitzmiller v. Dover

"Rosenhouse, a mathematician interested in the creation-evolution "controversy" has done a unique service. He attended creation conferences, talked with creationists, and took a serious look at the most lavish creation museum in America. These are efforts few evolutionists would be willing to endure...All in all I enjoyed reading Among the Creationists. It represents a unique attempt of a secular scholar to engage creationist communities on their own home ground and report his experiences. Rosenhouse has provided an immense service to our understanding of a remarkable, persistent, and wrongheaded phenomenon." -- Rudolf A. Raff Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

"This is a well-written, enlightening take on a topic that has generated many books on both sides of a well-heated controversy. The author's sympathetic treatment of this deep divide is valuable. It will help both evidence-based and faith-based individuals move closer to an appreciation of the issues on the other side of this dispute." -- CHOICE

"Rosenhouse has written a highly readable and captivating volume that provides us with an exceptionable perspective on creationism and the people who believe in it." -- Metascience

Among the Creationists

Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line

Jason Rosenhouse

From Our Blog

The real unsolved problems of mathematics

By Jason Rosenhouse With the arrival of the new year, you can be certain that the annual extravaganza known as the Joint Mathematics Meetings cannot be far behind. This year's conference is taking place in Baltimore, Maryland. It is perhaps more accurate to say that it is a conference of conferences, since much of the business to be transacted will take place in smaller sessions devoted to this or that branch of mathematics

Posted on January 14, 2014

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What do mathematicians do?

By Jason Rosenhouse Writing in 1866, the British mathematician John Venn wrote, in reference to the branch of mathematics known as probability theory, 'To many persons the mention of Probability suggests little else than the notion of a set of rules, very ingenious and profound rules no doubt, with which mathematicians amuse themselves by setting and solving puzzles.' I suspect many of my students would extend Venn's quip to the entirety of mathematics.

Posted on January 8, 2013

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What one atheist learned from hanging out with creationists

By Jason Rosenhouse In May 2000 I began a post-doctoral position in the Mathematics Department at Kansas State University. Shortly after I arrived I learned of a conference for homeschoolers to be held in Wichita, the state's largest city. Since that was a short drive from my home, and since anything related to public education in Kansas had relevance to my new job, I decided, on a whim, to attend.

Posted on March 24, 2012

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Atheist solidarity: Jason Rosenhouse rallys for reason

Jason Rosenhouse is Associate Professor of Mathematics at James Madison University. His most recent book is Among The Creationists: Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Lines. After years of emersion in creationist culture, Rosenhouse shares his feelings on what it was like to finally stand amongst his fellow non-believers at the Reason Rally.

Posted on April 28, 2012

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The Joy of Sets

By Jason Rosenhouse In more than a decade of socializing with creationists and other religious fundamentalists, I frequently encountered blinkered arguments about mathematics. This attack on set theory, however, was new to me. I cannot even imagine why anyone would think set theory is relevant to discussions of whether it is man or God who creates math. Perhaps the problem is that set theorists often speak a bit casually about infinity, which some people think is tantamount to discussing God. Alas, this line of criticism is too blinkered to take seriously.

Posted on September 13, 2012

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