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Thank God For Evolution
 
 

Thank God For Evolution (Hardcover)

by Michael Dowd (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product Description

Book Description

North America's Evolutionary Evangelist preaches an inspiring sacred vision of our shared creation story as revealed by science.

A movement has been growing over the past few decades that takes our shared creation story as revealed by science as the basis for an inspiring and meaningful view of our place in the Universe, individually and collectively. Reverend Michael Dowd, "North America's Evolutionary Evangelist," is at the forefront of this movement.

"Thank God for Evolution!" presents in a lively and accessible manner the reasons why it is now possible to view evolution as a spiritual process; how current science shows that evolution is not meaningless blind chance; practical methods for using evolutionary insights to achieve greater personal fulfillment; and how following 14-billion-year evolutionary trends can guide activists and others hoping to make our world a better place. As a Christian minister, Dowd especially addresses the concerns that Christians have about evolution, but this book contains insights that will appeal to all people of faith and of no faith. Fun and uplifting, Thank God for Evolution! goes beyond the current debate to offer up a whole new way of thinking about science and religion. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.



From the Publisher

Advance praise for "Thank God for Evolution!"

"Michael Dowd and his wife, Connie Barlow, have committed their lives to showing that you can be a true Darwinian and a truly spiritual person" -- Robert Wright, author of "The Moral Animal"

"That evolution is a divine force has not been well appreciated, or articulated, up till now." -- Kevin Kelly, Wired magazine Editor-at-Large

"For Catholics who are worried that evolution has nothing to offer them but random Godlessness, this is the book to get." -- Chris Corbally, S.J., Vice Director, Vatican Observatory

"Thank God for Michael Dowd and his passionate, purposeful integration of evolutionary science with revelation." -- Vicki Robin, co-author of "Your Money or Your Life"

"Michael Dowd's 'Thank God For Evolution!' eloquently argues that the bitter conflict between Darwinism and religion is completely unnecessary." -- Peter J. Richerson, Distinguished Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis

"This is a truly original book at the near edge of a deeply hopeful future." -- Tom Atlee, author of "The Tao of Democracy"

"Everyone concerned with the deepest questions of science, religion, who we are, and our place in the Universe absolutely should read this book!" -- Jack Semura, Theoretical Physicist, Portland State University

"[Dowd's] message is open to all faiths, including those who reject faith, and it is a message that is vital for the 21rst century." -- Richard Sosis, Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut and Hebrew University of Jerusalem

"This powerful and comprehensive book provides the basis for a new conversation about the relationship between reason and faith, science and spirituality." -- Juanita Brown and David Isaacs, Co-Originators, The World Cafe

"With the passion of a revival preacher, and with grounding in mainstream evolution, Dowd has written a visionary book." -- Rev. Jim Burklo, pastor of Sausalito (CA) Presbyterian Church and author of "Open Christianity"

"The re-visioning of world religions to reflect a cosmic evolutionary perspective is part of a great evolutionary event on our planet--the emergence of conscious evolution" -- John Stewart, author of "Evolution's Arrow: The Direction of Evolution and the Future of Humanity"

"'Thank God for Evolution!' is a seminal work." -- Barbara Marx Hubbard, President, Foundation for Conscious Evolution

"This is a book to read and re-read, but also to share with others and discuss." -- Jim Schenk, editor of "What Does God Look Like in an Expanding Universe?"

"Integrating breakthrough ideas from evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, physics, and evolutionary biology, Dowd makes a compelling case for why the spiritual and religious impulse is not erased but profoundly enriched by our ever-expanding knowledge of self, nature, and cosmos." -- Carter Phipps, Executive Editor, What Is Enlightenment? magazine

"As a pastor, I know the temptation may be to continue in a divided house--evolution versus religion--but Dowd skillfully redefines the terms of the relationship, creating hope and practical ways to awaken to the future of living as part of an integrated family that can tackle the challenges of today." -- Spencer Burke, creator of TheOOZE.com, a leading progressive evangelical website, and former mega-church pastor --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.


Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Is the religion versus science debate FINALLY over?? Can theists and atheists be friends??, Jan 25 2008
By Stephen Pletko "Uncle Stevie" (London, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
XXXXX

"CREATHEISM [pronounced "cree-uh-theism" or "cree-atheism"]: a concept introduced in the early 21ST century, grounded in a empirical [that is, based on experiment and observation] understanding of the nested [that is, a series of similar things, each fitting within the one next larger] emergent nature of divine creativity. For creatheists `God' is a holy name for Ultimate Reality--the all-encompassing Wholeness--that which includes yet transcends all other realities. Creatheism regards Nature as a revelation or expression of the divine--particularly in its EMERGENT CREATIVITY. Creatheism understands humanity as a self-reflective aspect of Creation that allows the Wholeness of Reality, seen and unseen, manifest and [not manifest]--i.e., God--to be honored in conscious awareness and to guide our own deliberate manifestations of that divine creativity."

The above definition is found in this amazing, well-written, revealing book authored by The Reverend Michael Dowd "one of the most inspiring speakers in America today."

This book resolutely bridges the gap between religion and science, resulting in the doctrine or movement defined above called Creatheism. Who will Creatheism appeal too? ANSWER: Anyone (theists, atheists, agnostics, etc.). WHY? Since it's based on what we know (through science), NOT what we believe.

The religious aspect of this book is superbly handled by Dowd (who has an impressive array of credentials) with the science aspects of this book being capably detailed by his present wife, the "acclaimed science writer" Connie Barlow (who did not want to be listed as coauthor). The final book is an effective synthesis of such disciplines as evolutionary psychology, ecology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, cosmology, and theology. What results from this synthesis? Answer: A new, exciting, humanistic field called evolutionary spirituality.

I have read similar recent books on this subject by scientists who profess to be believers. What these authors do is either (1) attempt to alter scientific facts or (2) ask the reader just to believe in the supernatural. Dowd's book does neither. He respects the intelligence of the reader.

A feature of this book is that it contains a wealth of quotations. My favorite quotation is as follows:

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true...science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger...is as good as dead...This...is at the center of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong to the ranks of devoutly religious [people]." (Albert Einstein)

At the back of the book is a section entitled "Who's Who." It lists names (I counted over 175 names!!) and briefly states who they are. (Yes, Einstein is listed.) These people are either quoted or mentioned in the main narrative of the book. I recommend that you photocopy this section instead of constantly flipping back to the book's end.

Finally, another feature of this book is that it contains stories (highlighted on a gray background). I counted almost 55 of them!! These stories are used by Dowd to make a point. My two favorites are entitled:

(1) Evolution: Theory and Fact

(2) "Finally, a God that makes sense!"

In conclusion, this is a unique book that may end the heated debate between science and religion. I leave you with Dowd's final paragraph of his acknowledgements section:

"Finally, I acknowledge the contributions of generation upon generation of scientists and evolutionary thinkers. I'm mostly an evangelist...[and] a storyteller. The real saints in this movement are those who labor in their labs or in the field, often without the public recognition they so rightfully deserve."

(first published 2007; author's promises; prologue; introduction; 5 parts or 18 chapters; conclusion; epilogue; main narrative 325 pages; 2 appendices; invitation; acknowledgements; resources; online resources; who's who; index; about the author)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars A desperate voice, Jan 8 2008
By Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
In a nation where nearly half the adult population denies or rejects the reality of Darwinian natural selection, Michael Dowd is a fresh voice. He's disturbed about that lack of acceptance of reality, so he applies the term in many forms to make his pitch. His cause is to incorporate various realities: deep time, the continuity of life, and the genetic underpinnings of our behaviour. All the while, however, keeping his "Christian" deity plugged into the equation. He wants, he says, a "marriage of Science and Religion". While he does this with enthusiasm, using prose skills honed in his travelling road show, the project ultimately fails. If nothing else, his desperation to convince his fellow unrealists shows through on every page. The result is rather like your Mum giving you bitter medicine in your orange juice. Looks good at first, but one swallow betrays the underlying reality of the dose.

Each chapter is preceded by an epigram, and the first - by John Haught: "Evolution is Darwin's gift to theology" - is sadly symptomatic. Haught, like Dowd, completely overlooks what led Darwin to abandon the need for the supernatural - 13 finch species on a scattering of East Pacific islands. What would prompt a deity to such "wasteful" divergence? Diversity, Darwin reasoned, rested on the notion of an ancient Earth. The time was required to allow the slow, incremental changes natural selection needs to produce the great variety of life-forms we see today. Dowd not only accepts this foundation, he insists on it. The book's opening deals with the vast story of the cosmos, while showing clearly that individual retains a role in such complex emptiness. The author wants his readers to accept the idea of "deep time" with all the variation it can produce as something to embrace. That puts the reader in the picture Dowd is introducing and pulls them through the remainder of the book. He justifies this by declaring the "universe is in a trajectory" carrying us along with it. Such a statement flirts with teleological concepts, which Dowd indirectly champions.

Dowd sets up a number of dividing lines which he feels will help the reader comprehend his message. Two are related to historical times - the Black Death's devastation of Western Europe challenged the notion of a "just" deity, leading to the beginnings of scientific investigation. The other, more amorphous, he calls the change from "Flat-Earth Faith" to "Evolutionary Faith". "Flat-Earth Faith" reflects a time when knowledge of the world was limited to experiences and beliefs of a given locality and time. "Evolutionary Faith" relies on awareness of all humans being interconnected through time within the vastness of the 14-billion-year-old cosmos. It's a significant leap for many, even today, but Dowd provides a one-man cheering section to encourage his readers to take that "leap of faith". The encouragement comes in the form of explanations of why things change, why change should be recognised and embraced, and why evolution is real. How Dowd can endorse natural selection without once mentioning the Galapagos finches that prompted it eludes this reviewer, but he manages the feat.

He manages it simply by ignoring it. For all his reading in cosmology, geophysics and the rest, the logic of natural selection has eluded him. He endorses deep time, but only as a wedge to insert his deity into the mechanism. Dowd pounds that wedge mercilessly with a constant reiteration of how his god is ultimately responsible for EVERYTHING. By the time we reach Section Four, Dowd's evangelical passion is at fever pitch. He's anxious to re-establish his credentials and lure his readership to his newfound cause. He even cites his wife's "conversion" and his own "gift of tongues" as obiter dicta in pleading his case. In a spoken form, this technique might work to a receptive audience. In print, it's wearying beyond measure. In the final analysis, this book is nothing more than another entry in the "Old Earth Creationist" collection. It offers little but enthusiasm and a deity that may - or may not, we remain blithely unclear on this - tinker with the universe and its living inhabitants. To what end, we remain unclear. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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