Where Darwin Meets the Bible

Creationists and Evolutionists in America

Larry A. Witham

A comprehensive and evenhanded account of one of America's longest-running cultural conflicts

Where Darwin Meets the Bible

Creationists and Evolutionists in America

Larry A. Witham

Description

The conflict between creationists and evolutionists has raged ever since the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859. And yet, even as generations of Americans have fought and re-fought the same battles, the contours of the debate have in recent years shifted dramatically.
Tracking the dizzying rhetorical heights and opportunistic political lows of this controversy, Larry Witham travels to America's churches, schools, universities, museums, and government agencies to present creationists and evolutionists in their own unfiltered voices. We meet leading creationists and proponents of Intelligent Design such as Michael Behe; evolutionists such as Richard Dawkins; and theistic scientists who describe how they reconcile God and Nature.
Today, Biblical literalism is tempered by the Intelligent Design movement, which finds evidence of God's presence in nature's patterns. The once-dominant "young earth" school has been replaced by a creationism that conscripts the language of science to advance the creationist cause. Meanwhile, evolutionary scientists hesitate to point out gaps in their theories for fear that such self-scrutiny could serve as fodder for anti-evolution propaganda.
In an age marked both by a rising religious tide and daily scientific breakthroughs, Where Darwin Meets the Bible provides the standard account of this lasting conflict.

Where Darwin Meets the Bible

Creationists and Evolutionists in America

Larry A. Witham

Reviews and Awards

"Where Darwin Meets the Bible is the best one-stop account of who's who (and what's what) in the creation-evolution conflict."—Charles Haynes, Senior Scholar, First Amendment Center -

"provides a treasure trove of information about recent discussions of creation, evolution, and intelligent design."— The Journal of Religion -

"An invaluable resource for those seeking to understand the complex and often divisive debate over the legitimacy of Darwinian evolution...the new standard introduction for those interested in familiarizing themselves with contemporary critiques of evolutionary theory, but wary of the propagandist tendencies of many recent popular texts."-Religious Studies Review -

"What's behind the never-ending creation-evolution debate? Award-winning journalist Larry Witham addresses this question with keen insight and refreshing even-handedness in Where Darwin Meets the Bible. Drawing on a wealth of personal interviews with protagonists on both sides of the origins debate, Witham gives readers a guided tour of this science-religion battlefield. Partisans on both sides of the issue, as well as interested observers caught in the middle, will benefit from reading Witham's balanced analysis. I highly recommend it."—Edward J. Larson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Summer for the Gods and Trial and Error -

"Witham's impeccable reportage, his erudite analysis and his ability to synthesize complex and nuanced strains of thought all make this book an invaluable roadmap of the evolution-creation controversy in America"—Publishers Weekly -

"Engaging, challenging, and informative"—Library Journal -