In some circles of the church, one of the most divisive issues is that of creation vs evolution. Should Christians believe that God created the world in six literal days, just six to ten thousand years ago? Or should Christians accept Darwinian evolution, that all life has evolved from a common ancestor and that changes have happened due to natural selection?
Some may see this as a purely theological of scientific issue. It is just as much a historical issue.
The truth is that the conflict both within the church and between certain segments of the church and other parts of society is much more complex than people think.
There were historical forces at work that helped shape how people’s responded. While much attention is given to the “Scopes Monkey Trial,” that was only one chapter of many chapters in this ongoing conversation.
One of the best books I have read on this subject is Where Darwin Meets the Bible by Larry A. Witham.
I appreciated how the author presented the nuance of what has taken place since Darwin published On the Origin of the Species. People say it is creation vs evolution but in reality there is a wide spectrum within what we call creation and there is even much debate about certain aspects of evolution.
Witham presents the history of this conversation in a clear and respectful manner. He provides a glimpse on what has been going on in each of the camps, who the main players are, and how we have gotten to where we are now.
This book will provide the historical background of what has happened. The book itself is not a debate on the issues, nor does it argue that one specific group is right.
There is a bias, as there is in every book. The author does push for the teaching of evolution in schools without having creation added to it. And while he is very respectful toward theological interpretations, he is less sympathetic toward young earth creationists.
If you really want to understand the debate about how the church has addressed evolution, I can think of no better book that Where Darwin meets the Bible.
