The Lindsey Press, the publishing arm of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, has published a book on Creationism which shows understanding of the attractions of the concept while demonstrating its fallacies.
"Creationism: Design Errors and Cross-Purposes" is by Graham Richards, formerly Professor of the History of Psychology at the University of Staffordshire and Director of the British Psychological Society's History of Psychology Centre.
The book was prompted by disquiet at suggestions that Creationism and Intelligent Design should be taught in school Science classes as acceptable alternatives to the theory of evolution.
Graham Richards places the concepts of Creationism and Intelligent Design in their cultural contexts showing how they have evolved from the 17 century onwards as fundamentalist responses to rational scientific thinking, Biblical criticism, and the evolutionary account of the history of life on earth. He considers the social and psychological factors which have influenced their continuing popularity. He also considers their contemporary value to right-wing, especially American, politics. He exercises a philosopher's skill in examining the meaning of some of the terms which are associated with Creationism and ID such as 'design', 'complexity', 'law' 'cause' and 'faith'. He looks at some of the anomalies within the 'strong' Creationist camp including its inability to accept that the Cosmos is much more than 6,000 years old yet its readiness to refer to eternity. He comments on the enduring value of the Bible and other sacred texts for their moral and symbolic spiritual meaning rather than for their scientific insights.
The book points up the essential cross-purposes between material science and Creationism or Intelligent Design, the one exploring the mechanism and processes governing the physical world, the other trying to find human meaning in an apparently totally indifferent universe.
Graham Richards' well argued position is that 'given the immense timescales involved and our current knowledge of genetics and geology' the processes identified in evolutionary theory 'provide a basis from which a quite satisfactory, if still provisional scientific understanding of the material and efficient origins of today's planetary biosphere can be achieved' but that there are 'valid reasons for taking seriously the matters we presently call "religious" and "spiritual"'.
The author provides suggestions as to how Creationism and Intelligent Design can be approached within the school curriculum, offering understanding without endorsement.
The Lindsey Press is the publishing arm of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. Whilst Graham Richards is not a Unitarian, his book reflects a Unitarian ethos of drawing on reason and science as well as the Christian scriptures. Moreover his book refers to the Unitarian scholars Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) James Martineau (1805-1900).
The book is sold at £9 plus postage and is available from Essex Hall, Tel: 020 7240 2384.
23 April 2014