Moore, James R. Review of Ernan McMullin (Editor), Evolution and Creation. (University of

Moore, James R.  Review of Ernan McMullin (Editor), 
Evolution and Creation.   (University of Notre Dame 
Studies in the Philosophy of Religion,  4) xv + 307 
pp.,  figs, index.  Notre Dame, Indiana: University 
of Notre Dame Press,  l985.  $24.95.  In ISIS 78: 2 
: 292, pp. 270-271, l987.

[Jim  Moore is a well-known scholar of the relation 
of science and religion.   He is the author of  The 
Post-Darwinian  Controversies (Cambridge University 
Press,  1979)  and numerous articles on  Darwinism, 
evolution,   Christianity,  and  the  relations  of 
science   and  religion.    He  is  at   the   Open 
University, London, UK.]

The "creation science" controversy in North America 
has   generated   rather  more  heat  than   light, 
notwithstanding     the    numerous     enlightened 
publications  to which it has  given  rise.   These 
torrid tomes,  aimed to the opposition,  whoever it 
may be, have in fact been packaged and published in 
such  a way as to ensure that they warm the  hearts 
of the converted.   There are of course exceptions.  
One of these is the present collection of essays by 
a   dozen   Roman  Catholic  (or  Roman   Catholic-
influenced)  academics from the United  States  and 
England.   Philosophers, theologians, Old Testament 
scholars,  a  lawyer,  and  a geneticist  are  here 
assembled under the organizing aegis of the history 
and  philosophy of science to bear witness  against 
the  false dichotomy "evolution or creation."   One 
does  not have to be a Catholic,  a  Christian,  or 
even a religious person to appreciate the relevance 
of their intervention in the continuing debate.

Although  the  authors  take the  creation  science 
controversy  as  their  point  of  reference,  they 
steadfastly   refuse   to  indulge   a   sense   of 
superiority  and  to  congratulate  themselves,  as 
others have done, on being scientifically correct.  
(Perhaps  one  must belong to the church  of  Urban 
VIII  to have learned this degree of humility.)  On 
the contrary, they get on with their arguments in a 
businesslike    fashion,    without   bombast    or 
phyrotechnics.   A few authors,  indeed,  set  such 
refreshingly low store on solidarity that they join 
the  creation  scientists,  as it were,  in  taking 
evolutionary scientists to task.

For example,  Francisco Ayala,  the only author  to 
have  participated  in  the 1981  creation  science 
trial at Little Rock,  Arkansas,  opens the  first 
section  of the volume,  "Evolution," with a  frank 
account  of  recent  developments  in  evolutionary 
biology, pointing out what was forbidden at Little 
Rock,  a  "blatant  fallacy"  in the  arguments  of 
"punctualists" such as Stephen Jay  Gould,  another 
expert  witness  at  the  trial.   John  Leslie,  a 
philosopher,  follows with a critique of scientific 
empiricism   that   clears   the   ground   for   a 
reformulated   cosmic-design   argument  from   the 
evolution  of  life  to God  as  "creative  ethical 
requirement."  In the third and last section of the 
book,    "Evolution    and    Creation,"    another 
philosopher,   William  H.  Austin,  gives  a  very 
shrewd,  if  subdued,  critique  of  E.O.  Wilson's 
explanations for religion and morality.

The intermediate section,  "Creation," contains  an 
analysis of the theology of important Old Testament 
texts,    a   helpful   recasting   of   the   much 
misunderstood doctrine of creatio ex nihilo,  and a 
fairly    traditional   account   of   "particular" 
providences.   (The  author of the last article  is 
apparently  the  only  contributor  who,  like  the 
creation scientists, believes in the masculinity of 
God.)  These chapters,  as well as other  expressly 
theological commentaries on human nature,  original 
sin,  and  eschatology,  may be of less interest to 
the   readers   of  ISIS  than  the   two   lengthy 
contributions  by  historians and  philosophers  of 
science.

Philip Sloan makes Darwin's work the centerpiece of 
his  essay,  "The Problem of Natural Purpose."   He 
argues  that evolutionary objections  to  teleology 
and  theodicy  are  inconclusive when  creation  is 
understood,   not   as   "ordering,"  but   as   an 
"existence-giving"  act  that sustains  a  "fallen" 
world.   The  opening thus given to Augustinian  or 
neo-Scholastic  theology  is explored  rather  less 
tentatively by the editor,  Ernan McMullin,  in his 
encyclopedic introduction to the book, which traces 
"the long and complex interaction" of the ideas  of 
evolution  and  creation from the  Greeks,  through 
Augustine (who "knew better") and Aquinas,  to  the 
physico-theologians  and  Darwin.    He  appends  a 
useful  summary  of  the bearings of  evolution  on 
philosophy  and physics,  and he concludes with  an 
account  of  the  "tragedy"  of  creation   science 
politics,    which    has    rendered   the    term 
"creationist...unusable  by  ordinary   Christians, 
Jews, or Muslims in describing their own beliefs."

As  a  collective effort Evolution and Creation  is 
well rounded and full; as a conference-based volume 
it  is remarkably coherent.   Much more  of  course 
could be said on the subject,  and indeed has been.  
One  looks in vain for references to the  important 
works  of  Catholic scholars such as Raymond  Nogar 
and  C.  Centore  or for some guidance  to  further 
reading  beyond the extensive bibliographic  notes.  
The  latter  omission  will  not  assist   creation 
scientists, who however cannot be expected to crack 
the  book.   Evolution and Creation deserves rather 
to find a wide audience among believers in  selfish 
genes,  blind watchmakers,  and other secular gods, 
who  have  yet to discover that Christian  theology 
may  be pursued with the intelligence  and  dignity 
that they demand from students of science.