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Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
“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)
"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)
"This is a book anyone with an intelligent interest in the subjects discussed can read with interest and profit". (Church of England Newspaper , 15 April 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)
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Table of Contents
Preface xii
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction 1
Part I Conceptual Clarifications: On the meaning of terms 9
1 Natural Theology: A Deeper Structure to the Natural World 11
Natural Theology in the Classical Tradition 13
The Conceptual Fluidity of Natural Theology 15
The Eternal Return of Natural Theology 18
2 Darwinism: A Narrative of Evolution 27
Darwinism: A Defensible Term? 28
Darwinism as an Ideology 32
The Metaphysical Inflation of Evolutionary Thought 36
Conclusion to Part I 40
Part II Historical Exposition: Darwin and the English natural theology tradition 47
3 English Natural Theology of the Augustan Age, 1690–1745 49
The Emergence of English Natural Theology 50
Newtonian Physics and Natural Theology 53
The Protestant Assumptions of English Natural Theology 56
A Foundation for Consensus: The Doctrine of Creation 61
Physico-theology: The Appeal to Contrivance 63
Natural Theology and the Beauty of Nature 72
The Problem of Development within Nature 74
Assessing Evidence: Changing Public Perceptions 75
4 A Popular Classic: William Paley’s Natural Theology (1802) 85
Introducing Paley's Natural Theology 85
Paley's Source: Bernard Nieuwentyt's Religious Philosopher (1718) 88
The Watch Analogy: The Concept of Contrivance 91
Paley on Intermediary Causes within Nature 97
The Vulnerability of Paley's Approach 99
5 Beyond Paley: Shifts in English Natural Theology, 1802–52 108
The Impact of Geology upon Paley's Natural Theology 110
Henry Brougham: A Natural Theology of the Mind 112
Evidence, Testimony, and Proof: A Shifting Context 115
A New Approach: The Bridgewater Treatises 119
John Henry Newman: The Theological Deficiencies of Paley 127
Robert Browning’s "Caliban Upon Setebos": A Literary Critique of Paley 130
English Natural Theology on the Eve of the Darwinian Revolution 133
6 Charles Darwin, Natural Selection, and Natural Theology 143
The Development of Darwin's Views on Natural Selection 146
Problems, Prediction, and Proof: The Challenge of Natural Selection 150
Natural Selection and Natural Theology: An Assessment of Darwin’s Impact 155
Conclusion to Part II 171
Part III Contemporary Discussion: Darwinism and natural theology 183
7 A Wider Teleology: Design, Evolution, and Natural Theology 185
Directionality within the Natural World 187
Teleology: Introducing an Idea 188
Chance, Contingency, and Evolutionary Goals 191
The “Wider Teleology” of Evolution 194
The Inference of Design and Natural Theology 197
Suffering, Evolution, and Natural Theology 202
8 The Concept of Creation: Reflections and Reconsiderations 217
The Seventeenth Century: The Regnant Theology of Creation 218
Creation as Event and Process: Augustine of Hippo 222
Evolution and an Emergent Creation 230
God's Action within the Evolutionary Process 233
9 Universal Darwinism: Natural Theology as an Evolutionary Outcome? 247
The Darwinian Paradigm and Cultural Development 249
The God-Meme: Natural Theology and Cultural Replicators 254
Religion: Evolutionary Adaptation or Spandrel? 262
Natural Theology and Evolutionary Theories of the Origins of Religion 265
Conclusion to Part III 267
Part IV Conclusion 277
10 The Prospects for Natural Theology 279
Natural Theology and the Human Evolutionary Past 281
Natural Theology, Observational Traction, and the Best Explanation 283
A Community of Discernment: The Church and Natural Theology 285
In Quest of Meaning 288
Index 294