Chronology of the Evolution-Creationism Controversy

A unique chronology with entries describing the key events in the 3,000-year conflict between religion and science over the explanation and definition of life on Earth. Exhaustively researched and authoritative, Chronology of the Evolution-Creationism Controversy does what no other work does: it examines the conflict between the religious and scientific views of life on Earth in its full 3,000-year historical context, showing readers how this roiling debate has played out over the centuries. With hundreds of entries, Chronology of the Evolution-Creationism Controversy describes specific cultural, religious, and scientific events relevant to the evolution-creationism controversy from the first notions of creationism in ancient Egypt to the present. Within this historical approach, it identifies a number of recurring themes that have shaped the debate through the ages, including famous court cases, the recurrence of the "intelligent design" argument, disagreements over the age of the Earth, and the impact of technological advances on both the scientific and faith-based viewpoints. While approaching the subject globally throughout, the book's second half focuses on tensions between science and religious thought in the United States since the early 1900s. Comprises over 1,400 chronologically arranged entries on important political, legal, and social events in the ongoing controversy between science- and faith-based views of the Earth and life Offers a thorough bibliography spanning historical aspects of the controversy, creationist literature, and resources from evolutionary biology Includes a one-of-a-kind glossary for easy access to definitions of relevant terms used by both anti-evolutionists and scientists Provides an extensive index serving as a reference tool and as a way to explore recurring themes Presents detailed appendices on estimating Earth's age, the geologic timescale, major species of known Hominines, and key legal decisions involving the teaching of evolution and creationism