Re: [asa] The Evolution Dialogues

How can you leave out the age of the earth and the fossil record in a book on evolution?! As Michael Roberts has pointed out more than once, evidence associated with those two topics provides by far the most compelling and easily understandable arguments for evolution. In fact, without them the other arguments fade to insignificance. Robert Schneider's note piqued my interest, but your comment here unpiqued it.

Don

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Randy Isaac<mailto:randyisaac@adelphia.net>
  To: Gregory Arago<mailto:gregoryarago@yahoo.ca> ; Robert Schneider<mailto:rjschn39@bellsouth.net> ; asa@calvin.edu<mailto:asa@calvin.edu>
  Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 12:21 PM
  Subject: Re: [asa] The Evolution Dialogues

  No. Well, a little bit of paleoanthropology. The subtitle of the book is "Science, Christianity, and the Quest for Understanding." I objected that there was virtually no discussion of the age of the earth or of the fossil record. She did add some of it but not very much.

  Randy

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Gregory Arago<mailto:gregoryarago@yahoo.ca>
    To: Randy Isaac<mailto:randyisaac@adelphia.net> ; Robert Schneider<mailto:rjschn39@bellsouth.net> ; asa@calvin.edu<mailto:asa@calvin.edu>
    Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 7:03 AM
    Subject: Re: [asa] The Evolution Dialogues

    Did the text include any discussion of evolutionary theories in sociology, psychology, anthropology, or economics?

    Arago

    Randy Isaac <randyisaac@adelphia.net<mailto:randyisaac@adelphia.net>> wrote:
      Yes, Bob, it was good to finally get a copy of the finished book rather than the drafts. They did a nice job with the formatting and pictures.
      http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0809evolution.shtml<http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/0809evolution.shtml>
      As for the text, I did send Cathy a rather lengthy critique of an early version. Essentially, I said that while the writing was very clear and easy to understand, a number of concepts such as ID and NOMA, were not accurately portrayed. Also some key elements of Christian faith and also of evolution were missing. To her credit, Cathy did her best to address these issues, though not as much as I would have liked. I did meet with her for an hour or more in Washington earlier this year. She's an interesting person.

      The book was due to be published in April but was delayed to August, in large part because of funding issues. Even AAAS has challenges.
      The style and level of writing make the book accessible to many lay folks but, as is usual for this genre, experts in the field will find many items oversimplified. At $9.95 the book is priced to move and not to make a profit.

      Randy
        ----- Original Message -----
        From: Robert Schneider<mailto:rjschn39@bellsouth.net>
        To: asa@calvin.edu<mailto:asa@calvin.edu>
        Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2006 9:54 AM
        Subject: [asa] The Evolution Dialogues

        I'm back after a trip to SE Europe, where I gave a paper on "Inter-Religious Dialogue and Science" at an international conference in Mostar, BiH, on Religion and Public Life in Europe. The proceedings will be published.

        The reason for this note, however, is to call your attention to a new publication, The Evolution Dialogues, written by science writer Catherine Baker and edited by James B. Miller. This book is a production of the Dialogue on Sience, Ethics and Religion of the AAAS. The subtitle is important: Science, Christianity, and the Quest for Understanding. As far as I know, this is the first book sponsored by AAAS that is designed for use by congregations in Christian education. The chapter titles will give you some idea of the content:
            1. Science in Darwin's Time
            2. Christianity in Darwin's Time
            3. The Theory of Evolution
            4. Initial Responses to Darwin's Theory
            5. The Science Behind Evolution
            6. Christian Worldviews
            7. The World as Explained by Evolution
            8. Contemporary Stances Toward Evolution (this last chapter explores YEC, ID, and creation/evolution as complementary and integrative)

        I was one of the consultants to the project so I've already read the book in drafts. The writing and exposition are excellent, in my view, and the text is very informative. Each chapter is introduced by a dialogue between a college student, who is a Christian wrestling with evolution, and either her adviser/biology teacher or a campus minister. The text is nicely illustrated, and contains endnotes and a glossary.

        Randy Isaacs was one of the external readers, and he may wish to comment also.
            
        Bob

        Robert J. Schneider
        187 Sierra Vista
        Boone, NC, 28607
        828-264-4071

        "Science and Faith: perspectives on Christianity and science"
        http://community.berea.edu/scienceandfaith/<http://community.berea.edu/scienceandfaith/>
        "A Catechism of Creation"
        www.episcopalchurch.org/science/<http://www.episcopalchurch.org/science/>
        "Truth is born into this world only with pangs and tribulations, and every fresh truth is received unwillingly. To expect the world to receive a new truth, or even an old truth, without challenging it, is to look for one of those miracles which do not occur" (from an interview of Alfred Russell Wallace published posthumously in 1913).

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Received on Mon Aug 28 09:29:40 2006