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Edis on Among the Creationists [EvolutionBlog]
The Reports of the National Center for Science Education has just posted a new review of my book Among the Creationists. The reviewer is Taner Edis, professor of physics at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. Since Edis’s own books on science and religion, The Ghost in the Machine and Science and Nonbelief are among my favorites on this subject, his opinion means a lot to me. So, did he like the book?
Jason Rosenhouse, who teaches mathematics at James Madison University, might at first
seem an unlikely person to be interested in the creationism/evolution wars. Creationism isa constant nuisance for biologists and geologists, and to a lesser degree for other natural scientists. Social scientists can find creationism to be a fascinating part of the American cultural landscape. But the denial of evolution rarely interferes with the life of a mathematician. And yet, as not only a mathematician but a Jewish atheist coming from a very different background than a typical conservative Christian troubled by evolution, Rosenhouse has produced one of the most readable, interesting, and different books about creationism that has appeared in many years.
Score!
Rosenhouse’s blend of personal observation and probing investigation of scientific and
philosophical questions is what makes the book such a delight. Precisely because creationism can appear so absurd from an academic standpoint, there is a danger of ignoring the intellectual concerns that animate creationists, or to treat evolution-deniers as fundamentalist caricatures. Rosenhouse never falls into such traps. He is invariably respectful of anti-evolutionary ideas—while being careful to explain exactly why they fail, he makes a genuine effort to understand the intellectual appeal they hold for many creationists.
Score some more!
Go read the rest of the review. Then go buy multiple copies of the book. You don’t want to be the last one to read it!
2012-11-01 02:04:53
Source: http://scienceblogs.com/evolutionblog/2012/11/01/edis-on-among-the-creationists/
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