Evolution and Religion: A Dialogue

(Paperback, Second Edition)

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Michael Ruse, a leading expert on Charles Darwin, presents a fictional dialogue among characters with sharply contrasting positions regarding the tensions between science and religious belief. Ruse's main charactersan atheist scientist, a skeptical historian and philosopher of science, a relatively liberal female Episcopalian priest, and a Southern Baptist pastor who denies evolutionpassionately argue about pressing issues, in a context framed within a television show: "Science versus God Who is Winning" These characters represent the different positions concerning science and religion often held today: evolution versus creation, the implications of Christian beliefs upon technological advances in medicine, and the everlasting debate over free will. The second edition of this innovative text incorporates the influence of Eastern religions and philosophies on the debate on human origins, broadening the contextual reach of the dialogue into comparative philosophy and religious studies.

Reviews

Evolution and Religion is an entertaining and informative introduction to science-religion issues with a particular focus on evolution. It is amazing how many issues Michael Ruse weaves into this lively discussionthe nature of science, origins, history of life, evil and suffering, the status of Homo sapiens, morality, mind, miracles, and many more--to give the reader a vivid sense of several representative positions in the larger cultural arena. -- Michael L. Peterson, Asbury Theological Seminary
Michael Ruse has provided a comprehensive and illuminating account of the tension between science and religion. Using a dialogue among a fictional panel of individuals, each with a diverse position on this tension, is an ideal format. Ruse uses it to tease out the emotions, ideologies, influences and politics of the various positions. Interspersed along the way is a remarkable amount of history (religious and secular) and philosophy (western and eastern); history and philosophy that has represented and shaped the various positions of those on the panel. Biological evolution, especially its implications for meaning in human existence, lies at the heart of the contemporary debate and no one is better placed than Ruse to explore the tension between biology and religion more accurately a subset of religion, which Ruse deftly makes clear. Anyone interested in the various positions, and their justifications, on science and religion will find this book a rich source of information, presented in a lively and engaging way. -- R. Paul Thompson, Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto
An ingenious and very articulate way of presenting disparate, indeed very conflicting, views about religion and science. Six characters, from an atheist scientist and a skeptic philosopher to a moderate priest and a conservative Southern pastor, dialogue about five relevant topics. The format allows Michael Ruse to cover a broad range of opinions, thoroughly documented by means of footnotes. Evolution and Religion is very instructive and very entertaining. -- Francisco J. Ayala, University of California, Irvine

Author Bio

Michael Ruse is the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University.