Darwinism and the Divine

Informationen zum Autor Alister E. McGrath is Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion & Culture, and Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College, London. A world-acclaimed theologian, he is the author of numerous books including Christian Theology, 5th edition (2011), The Christian Theology Reader, 4th edition (2011), Science and Religion, 2nd edition (2010), Theology: The Basics, 2nd edition (2007), and Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life (2004). Klappentext There remains a widespread perception that Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection marked the demise of any viable Christian natural theology - most notably, that of William Paley. But did Darwinism really shake such fundamental beliefs to the core? Or did Darwin's "dangerous idea" instead serve to transform and illuminate our views on the relation between the natural world and the divine? Darwinism and the Divine presents a detailed examination of the implications of evolutionary thought for natural theology, from the publication of On the Origin of Species more than a century-and-a-half ago through to the present day.Integrating and extending the latest scholarly research from across a wide variety of disciplines, world-renowned theologian Alister E. McGrath first explores the forms of natural theology that emerged in England from the late 17th century until 1850, showing us how these views were affected by the advent of Darwin's theories. McGrath offers the most detailed account of the intellectual background to William Paley's natural theology currently available, and offers an informed assessment of the impact of Darwin on such approaches. He then considers how Christian belief has adapted to Darwinism, and whether there is a place for design both in the world of science and the world of theology. Journeying well beyond On the Origin of the Species, Darwinism and the Divine offers a scholarly and thought-provoking consideration of the co-existence of natural theology with Darwinism in today's world. Zusammenfassung Darwinism and the Divine examines the implications of evolutionary thought for natural theology, from the time of publication of Darwin's On The Origin of the Species to current debates on creationism and intelligent design. World-renowned author and theologian Alister E. Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface.Introduction.Part One: Conceptual Clarifications.1. Natural Theology: A Deeper Structure to the World.2. Darwinism: A Narrative of Evolution.Part Two: Historical Exposition.3. English Natural Theology of the Augustan Age, 1690-1745.4. A Popular Classic: William Paley's Natural Theology (1802).5. Beyond Paley: English Natural Theology, 1802-52.6. Charles Darwin, Natural Selection, and Natural Theology.Part 3: Contemporary Discussion.7. A Wider Teleology: Design, Evolution, and Natural Theology.8. The Concept of Creation: reflections and reconsiderations.9. Universal Darwinism: Natural Theology as an Evolutionary Outcome? 10. The Prospects for Natural Theology.Index....

List of contents

Preface.
 
Introduction.
 
Part One: Conceptual Clarifications.
 
1. Natural Theology: A Deeper Structure to the World.
 
2. Darwinism: A Narrative of Evolution.
 
Part Two: Historical Exposition.
 
3. English Natural Theology of the Augustan Age, 1690-1745.
 
4. A Popular Classic: William Paley's Natural Theology (1802).
 
5. Beyond Paley: English Natural Theology, 1802-52.
 
6. Charles Darwin, Natural Selection, and Natural Theology.
 
Part 3: Contemporary Discussion.
 
7. A Wider Teleology: Design, Evolution, and Natural Theology.
 
8. The Concept of Creation: reflections and reconsiderations.
 
9. Universal Darwinism: Natural Theology as an Evolutionary Outcome? 10. The Prospects for Natural Theology.
 
Index.

Report

"McGrath is a masterful teacher and this volume is as brimming with knowledge and insight as his many others." (Modern Believing, 1 January 2014)
 
"The writing in Darwinism and the Divine is clear, elegant, and well informed throughout, is distinguished by a balanced and nonpolemical style, and is a pleasure to read. Every chapter in this rich volume includes extensive endnotes guiding the reader to further study." (Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 16 January 2014)
 
"These criticisms notwithstanding, McGrath's Darwinism and the Divineis a well-written, lucid work that will occupy a prominent place as an apologetic for Christian theism in its dialogue with the larger scientific community." (International Journal of Public Theology, 1 May 2013)
 
"Furthermore, this work is a rare pleasure to read for its clarity and remarkable level of scholarship across multiple disciplines. Consequently, I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone interested in how the debates over Darwinism relate to the ongoing and evolving goals and methods of natural theology." (The Way, 1 October 2012)
 
"These features, together with the author's accessible writing style, mean that this book can not only be read cover-to-cover in a straightforward and engaging way, but can also be used as a text book to enable more detailed study of the various aspects of this important and relevant subject." (Evangelical Quarterly, 4 October 2012)
 
"Whether these arguments are effective is a matter for more philosophic minds, but if this book brings new ideas into a science-religion conversation that often consists of repetition of the same essential themes, then all scholars of science-religion are beneficiaries." (Journal of the History of Biology, 2011)
 
"But I think that the chief merit of both of these books lies in their parallel analyses of natural theology, specifically the significance of scientific knowledge for resolving theological issues." (The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1 December 2011)
 
"McGrath (King's College London) offers an excellent examination of Darwin's theory of evolution vs. Creationism/intelligent design within the context of natural theology. . . The writing is clear and readable with a wealth of documentation. Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; interested general readers." (Choice, 1 October 2011)
 
"While readers familiar with the subject will find few new ideas in these sections, the material is presented in McGrath's usual readable style and so will be helpful in providing an introduction to the reader new to the subject and in providing a helpfully focused summary for the person who has already begun to explore these ideas. " (Methodist Recorder, 22 September 2011)
 
"But if one had to choose between them, I would recommend the book under review. It presents a synthesis of much of his thinking, supported by richly informative documentation that, in range and volume, is little short of astonishing." (Science & Education, 2011)
 
"The prolific theologian argues that Darwin's own faith and worldview allowed for complexities and intricacies in the intersection of faith and science." (Publishers Weekly, 8 March 2011)

Product details

• Authors: Alister E. McGrath
• Publisher: Blackwell Scientific Publishers Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 11.02.2011
• EAN: 9781444333442
• ISBN: 978-1-4443-3344-2
• Dimensions: 153 mm x 230 mm x 18 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Miscellaneous; Religion, Darwinismus, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution, RELIGION / Religion & Science, Theology, Christianity, Religion and science, Religion & Theology, Religion u. Theologie, Allg. Religion u. Theologie, Creationism, Paley, Darwin, Christianity