The Battle of Beginnings: Why Neither Side Is Winning the Creation-Evolution Debate - Softcover

Ratzsch, Del

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0830815295 ISBN 13: 9780830815296

Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press,US, 1996

Synopsis

Tracing the history of the creation-evolution debate, Del Ratzsch argues that entrenched positions on both sides impede progress toward the truth. He also critiques the "middle" position of theistic evolution.

About this title

About the Author

Del Ratzsch earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Massachusetts. He is professor of philosophy at Calvin College and author of The Philosophy of Science (published by InterVarsity Press in the Contours of Christian Philosophyseries), as well as several other books. Much of Ratzsch's work over the last seventeen years at Calvin College has sought to relate science and religion (and more recently creation and evolution) in a way that is philosophically informed, scientifically defensible and theologically meaningful. Although Ratzsch is optimistic that design theory can avoid past mistakes in the creation-evolution controversy, he stresses that fundamental clarifying work remains to be done in this area.

From the Back Cover

Two sides have squared off and voices keep getting louder - whether in lecture halls or in the spate of books addressing the controversy. But neither side seems to be winning. Neither side has mounted an argument capable of turning the tide and securing a victory. Why? Del Ratzsch examines the history of the debate and takes aim at entrenched positions that he argues impede progress from either side. Dissatisfied with both creationist fallacies and materialist misconstruals, he seeks to lay the groundwork for more fruitful dialogue. In considerable detail he looks at the history and development of Darwin's theory and popular creationist misunderstandings of evolution, moving on to the history and development of creationist theory and popular evolutionist misunderstandings of it. He then discusses the nature of science and common creationist and evolutionist abuses as a prelude to showing why both sides have remained critical of theistic evolution. Above all, he argues that until misconstruals, philosophical confusion, logical missteps and various other snarls have been untangled, little real progress can be made in sorting out detailed analyses of scientific claims and cases.

Edition details

• Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press,US
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0830815295
• ISBN 13: 9780830815296
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 248