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Medicine, Science, and Religion in Historical Context
Dealing with Darwin: Place, Politics, and Rhetoric in Religious Engagements with Evolution (Medicine, Science, and Religion in Historical Context) by David N. Livingstone
Excellent Book
Hardcover
First published April 15, 2014
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About the author
David N. Livingstone
31 books10 followersDavid Noel Livingstone is a Northern Ireland-born geographer, historian, and academic. He is Professor of Geography and Intellectual History at Queen's University Belfast.
Educated at Banbridge Academy and Queen's University Belfast (B.A., Ph.D.). Following graduation, he continued at Queen's as a Research Officer and Lecturer, becoming Reader and then full Professor. He has held visiting professorships at Calvin College, Michigan, University of British Columbia, University of Notre Dame, and Baylor University.
Educated at Banbridge Academy and Queen's University Belfast (B.A., Ph.D.). Following graduation, he continued at Queen's as a Research Officer and Lecturer, becoming Reader and then full Professor. He has held visiting professorships at Calvin College, Michigan, University of British Columbia, University of Notre Dame, and Baylor University.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 5, 2022
As with most collections of essays, this is a bit uneven with some really good and useful scholarship. In this case, Livingstone concentrates on the geographic contingency of Darwinian evolution's acceptance among religious folks. So the likelihood that nineteenth century evangelicals would accept Darwinism differed based on where and when they were, and what else was going on at the time.
In particular, two chapters – one on the Columbia Seminary controversy in South Carolina, and another on a virulent rejection of Darwinism in Belfast – show how important other, less obvious contextual factors played into the ultimate outcomes of these engagements. In the first case, questions about race and unresolved issues from the Civil War influenced perspectives on evolution and its relationship to the biblical narrative. In the second, particularly aggressive anti-theist rhetoric from scientists led to a religious backlash not found in other Irish cities.
Overall, a good collection of perspectives, even if some tread over by-now familiar ground in the science-and-religion scholarship.
In particular, two chapters – one on the Columbia Seminary controversy in South Carolina, and another on a virulent rejection of Darwinism in Belfast – show how important other, less obvious contextual factors played into the ultimate outcomes of these engagements. In the first case, questions about race and unresolved issues from the Civil War influenced perspectives on evolution and its relationship to the biblical narrative. In the second, particularly aggressive anti-theist rhetoric from scientists led to a religious backlash not found in other Irish cities.
Overall, a good collection of perspectives, even if some tread over by-now familiar ground in the science-and-religion scholarship.
Displaying 1 of 1 review