Published: September 12, 2005

Evolution - Creationism

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In the Wake of President Bush's Public Comments About Teaching Human Origins, Science & Spirit Takes Up the Debate

On August 1, President George W. Bush told a group of reporters that he supports the inclusion of intelligent design alongside evolution when public school students are taught about the origins of life. On August 10, the Kansas State Board of Education made a preliminary decision to eliminate the theory of evolution from required school curriculum. In less than 10 days time, a debate that has been smoldering since Tennessee schoolteacher John Scopes was prosecuted for teaching evolution in 1925 had erupted once again, landing front and center on the radar screen of the American public. Science & Spirit has long been on the leading edge of the evolution vs. creationism debate. In its September-October issue, the magazine, uniquely positioned to cover the controversy delves even deeper, presenting multiple perspectives through which readers can begin to understand the origin, ferocity, and significance of the issue:

--  Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward J. Larson takes us back to
    Dayton, Tennessee, and walks us through the next 80 years, chronicling the
    clash between science and religion, highlighting major court decisions and
    legislation, and tracking public opinion on the matter.

--  Philosopher of science Michael Ruse describes the European reaction to
    America's evolution "wars" and issues a call "to learn about the evolution-
    creation dispute and to do what you can to serve the cause of truth and
    morality."


--  Leading primatologist Frans de Waal illustrates primate-human
    comparisons through compelling photographs and describes his interest in
    primates and evolution by saying, "The more I learn about where we came
    from, the more I appreciate what we are today and wonder about the larger
    scheme of things."

--  Ernan McMullin, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of
    Notre Dame and a Catholic priest, makes the case that Saint Augustine's
    ideas can help bridge the divide between scientific and theological
    accounts of how life began.

The September-October issue of Science & Spirit also examines American universities' reluctance to address spiritual issues in the classroom, despite students' eagerness to explore; spotlights the world's first nonprofit drug company; and looks at an international gathering of community groups dedicated to furthering the science-religion dialogue.

Science & Spirit is published six times a year by Heldref Publications. It is sold on newsstands and by subscription, and can be viewed online at .