Chronology of the Evolution-Creationism Controversy

by Randy Moore, Mark Decker, Sehoya H. Cotner

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313362873
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/25/2009
Pages:	454
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

Abbreviations xix

The Chronology 1

Appendix A Estimates of Earth's Age 367

Appendix B The Geological Timescale 369

Appendix C Major Species of Known Hominins 375

Appendix D Major Legal Decisions Involving the Teaching of Evolution and Creationism 377

Glossary 383

Bibliography 399

Index 413

What People are Saying About This

Glenn Branch

"Moore, Decker, and Cotner's detailed chronicle of the struggle over evolution tells a fascinating tale. Their book is a salutary reminder that, when it comes to the evolution–creationism controversy, the old saying is true: 'There is nothing new under the sun, but there are lots of old things we don't know.'"

—

Glenn Branch, deputy director, National Center for Science Education

Glenn Branch

"Moore, Decker, and Cotner’s detailed chronicle of the struggle over evolution tells a fascinating tale. Their book is a salutary reminder that, when it comes to the evolution–creationism controversy, the old saying is true: 'There is nothing new under the sun, but there are lots of old things we don’t know.'"

Editorial 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 debate…it 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 Jourbanal

“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

From the Publisher

Chronologies are often strange animals. This one, however, makes good use of the format to present a thorough overview of the evolution-creationism debate, from the earliest recording of Egyptian creation tales in the third millennium B.C.E. to the discovery of Ardi, a female Ardipithecus ramidus skeleton 4.4 million years old in 2009. It includes over 1400 chronologically arranged entries, featuring familiar names—e.g., Galileo, Linnaeus, Darwin, Wilberforce, Scopes, Behe, and Dawkins—and many unfamiliar ones as it elucidates the long history of tensions between scientific evolutionary biology and religion-based creation science. Also included are several useful appendixes, a chart of estimates of Earth's age and of the geologic timescale, a listing of major species of known hominids, a list of case law involving the evolution-creation debate, and a glossary and bibliography. Photographs and illustrations accompany the text, as do icons in the margins, which indicate when an article deals with certain aspects of the topic, such as law, design and intelligent design, scientific evolution, creation science, and the origin of life. Authors Moore, Mark Decker, and Sehoya Cotner, all biologists from the University of Minnesota, are careful to present the issues without ridicule or bias, although they are clearly coming from a proscience, proevolution point of view. BOTTOM LINE This is an essential and frequently fascinating look at the long history of the evolution-creationism debate. While it is insufficient on its own for in-depth research, it 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.—Amanda K. Sprochi, Univ. of Missouri Libs., Columbia

Library Journal