God or Darwin? It is one of the most contentious conflicts of our time. It is also completely unnecessary, according to Joel W. Martin, an evolutionary biologist and ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church USA. In this slim but powerful book, Martin argues that it is not contradictory to be a practicing, faithful Christian who accepts the science of evolution. Martin finds that much of the controversy in the United States over evolution is manufactured and predicated on a complete - and sometimes willful - misapprehension of basic science. Science and religion, he says, serve different purposes and each seeks to answer questions that the other need never address. He believes that many of the polarizing debates about evolution distract from the deeper lessons of Christianity and that literal, fundamentalist readings of the Bible require the faithful to reject not just evolution but many of science's greatest discoveries.Just as the scientific explanation of rainbows is not meant to refute the biblical ''rainbow'' story of God's promise, evolutionary theory is not a ploy to disavow the divine. Indeed, Martin shows that the majority of Christians worldwide accept the theory of evolution. He urges his fellow Christians to refuse to participate in the intellectually stifling debate over evolution and creationism/intelligent design.
Introduction 1. By the Numbers 2. The Prism and the Rainbow 3. The Flat Earth Society 4. Of Serpents and Certainty 5. The Nature of Science 6. What Does ""Theory"" Mean? 7. What Is Evolution? 8. What Is Creationism? 9. What Is Intelligent Design? 10. Is There Evidence Supporting Intelligent Design? 11. Human Arrogance 12. In the Beginning 13. The Unnecessary Choice 14. What Are We to Believe? Acknowledgments Appendix: Major Christian Denominations and Their Stance on Science, Evolution, and Creationism/ Intelligent Design Notes Glossary Recommended Further Reading Helpful Web Sites Index
""Martin offers a book to an audience of students and parents (and presumably to other nontheological experts). Its purpose is to make a case supporting the thesis that evolutionary biology is consistent with Christian theology, and further, that evolution supports major biblical themes. Martin also wants to inform his readers of the nature of science, some areas of past conflict (and eventual resolution) between science and faith, and some cautionary advice for Christian laity in their Bible reading as they attempt to discern the Bible's message to us today. In our opinion, Martin does all of this effectively in a concise package.""
