Intelligent Design: William A. Dembski & Michael Ruse in Dialogue [Paperback]

Robert B. Stewart (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2007

The subject of intelligent design has been much in the news in recent months but is often treated in a piecemeal fashion or one-sidedly. This volume highlights points of agreement and disagreement between two leading intellectuals on the subject: William A. Dembski, senior fellow with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, and Michael Ruse, an internationally known philosopher of science. Each of the contributors presents his or her position in light of the other's, providing readers with a fair and balanced case for both sides and allowing readers to decide for themselves. The following noted scientists, philosophers and theologians then explore the many facets of this debate.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert B. Stewart is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he holds the Greer-Heard Chair of Faith and Culture and directs the annual Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum. He is the editor of The Resurrection of Jesus: John Dominic Crossan and N.T. Wright in Dialogue (2006, 978-0-8006-3785-9).

Product Details

• Paperback: 257 pages
• Publisher: Fortress Press (October 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800662180
• ISBN-13: 978-0800662189
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #838,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All of the diverse essays are respectful in tone and pay meticulous attention to detail., February 4, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Intelligent Design: William A. Dembski & Michael Ruse in Dialogue (Paperback)

Editor Robert B. Stewart gathers the insights of leading intellectuals William A. Dembski, Michael Ruse, and others in Intelligent Design, an examination of the hotly contested debate between proponents and deniers of the Intelligent Design theory. Intelligent Design strives to be as objective as humanly possible; essays address the tasks of finding a precise definition for ID, ID's history as an idea and body of thought, the most common objections to and defenses of ID, and much more. All of the diverse essays are respectful in tone and pay meticulous attention to detail. A bibliography and index round out this measured assessment of the standoff between evolution, creationism, and perspectives in between.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not a dialog, not science, February 6, 2012

By 

TR Livesey - See all my reviews

This review is from: Intelligent Design: William A. Dembski & Michael Ruse in Dialogue (Paperback)

If you are looking for a dialog concerning the merits of intelligent design vs. evolution, this is not the book for you.

Its not a dialog. There is one 30 page chapter of which about half is opening statements and the rest is a dialog between an ID'er and an evolutionist. There is also a chapter in which ID is demolished merely by recounting the facts of the Dover Pennsylvania court case. But beyond that, the rest devoted to arguing for ID.

And there is no science either. This is a book of philosophy, not science. Most of the essays are long torturous philosophical arguments filled with misconceptions and false assumptions which lead to the conclusion that life on earth must be designed. One author goes as far as to prove an atheistic philosophy is "suicidal" : "The world of rational discourse dissolves into the absurd chatter of firing synapses. Quite frankly, that cannot be right, and none of us believes it to be so." This kind of argument is typical. Plus, I found it strange that ID'ers are so big on using the film "Contact" in their examples.

Overall, I was disappointed. I am interested in science, and I was hoping to read some science. I'll let the theological philosophers argue how many angels can dance on a pinhead and other topics which fascinate them so.

34 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was banned in Dover, November 13, 2007

By 

Darwin Researcher (London) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Intelligent Design: William A. Dembski & Michael Ruse in Dialogue (Paperback)

"Intelligent Design: William A. Dembski & Michael Ruse in Dialogue" contains a goldmine of information about the Intelligent Design movement. Included are chapters by Francis Beckwith of Baylor University, Wesley Elsberry, John Lennox of Oxford University, Nicholas Matzke, Alister McGrath of Oxford University, Berkeley PhD Nancy Murphy, Hal Ostrander, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Martinez Hewlett, Sir John Polkinghorne of Cambridge University, Michael Ruse and others. All of the chapters are very useful in understanding this now hotter than ever controversy and most of the authors are well known scholars in their field. Most ironic is the extensive discussion of the Dover case and the fact that this book would not be allowed as a supplemental text in Dover, PA. One way around the judge's decision would be to cut the book up and allow students to read only the chapters opposed to Intelligent Design (ID) and remove those in favor of ID. I would be very interested if some brave soul used this book in a public school in USA and was challenged by the ACLU to see if it would pass constitutional muster in the United States. According to Judge Jones's ruling, as discussed in detail in this book, it would not. If the court ruled that this book would have to be cut up, I wonder what chapters would escape the knife. Many chapters discuss religion, including those against ID, and to be consistent they should also be cut. Fortunately, the public can read this "banned book" and decide for themselves, something the students in Dover are not allowed to do as students.