Chronology of the Evolution-Creationism Controversy

(Hardback)

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A unique chronology with entries describing the key events in the 3,000-year conflict between religion and science over the explanation and definition of life on Earth. Exhaustively researched and authoritative, Chronology of the Evolution-Creationism Controversy does what no other work does: it examines the conflict between the religious and scientific views of life on Earth in its full 3,000-year historical context, showing readers how this roiling debate has played out over the centuries. With hundreds of entries, Chronology of the Evolution-Creationism Controversy describes specific cultural, religious, and scientific events relevant to the evolution-creationism controversy from the first notions of creationism in ancient Egypt to the present. Within this historical approach, it identifies a number of recurring themes that have shaped the debate through the ages, including famous court cases, the recurrence of the "intelligent design" argument, disagreements over the age of the Earth, and the impact of technological advances on both the scientific and faith-based viewpoints. While approaching the subject globally throughout, the book's second half focuses on tensions between science and religious thought in the United States since the early 1900s.

Reviews

The modern controversy has roots that go far back in the history of human thought, contend Moore, Mark Decker, and Sehoya Cotner (all biology, U. of Minnesota-Minneapolis), and they begin in 2700 BCE in Egypt to trace some of the ideas and ways of thinking about the degree to which the physical world is self-contained. The chronology extends to 2009 and the discovery of what is now thought to be the oldest human remains. Marginal symbols indicate such categories as legislation and legal cases, argument from design and Intelligent Design, the age of earth, and social Darwinism and eugenics. * Reference & Research Book News *
This is an essential and frequently fascinating look at the long history of the evolution-creationism debateit is a great introduction to the subject. Clearly written and easy to understand, the book is highly recommended for school, public, and academic libraries, as well as theological libraries with audiences interested in the topic. * Library Journal *
Useful for reference collections covering biology and or creationism. * Booklist *
This should prove a useful reference work for students and faculty and provide much useful material for those researching the issues. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. * Choice *

Author Bio

Randy Moore, PhD, is H.T. Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biology at the University of Minnesota. Mark Decker, PhD, is codirector of the biology program at the University of Minnesota. Sehoya Cotner, PhD, is an award-winning teaching associate professor in the biology program and the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota.