Where the conflict really lies : science, religion, and naturalism /

Plantinga (Univ. of Notre Dame), a prominent and distinguished advocate of Christian theism, attempts in this volume to reshape the dialogue concerning the relationship of science and religion. In this extension of his Gifford Lectures of 2005, Plantinga applies the tools of analytic philosophy to this dialogue and advances interesting if idiosyncratic arguments touching upon virtually all of the issues commonly raised. He insists that despite superficial conflict between science and theistic religion, deep concord between the two fields is also present. On the other hand, Plantinga rejects the notion that science rests upon acceptance of naturalism and claims that the superficial concord between these two masks a deep conflict. Theistic and Christian ways of thinking, he believes, are actually hospitable to science. The author advances carefully reasoned criticism of the views of "new atheists" and of religious fundamentalists who reject science. His insistence that science does not require acceptance of naturalism enables him to offer a sympathetic assessment of Michael Behe's "intelligent design" theory. Although few will be convinced by every argument advanced, this volume is an important addition to the literature on this topic and will have special appeal for its analytical approach. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers. S. C. Pearson emeritus, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

According to Plantinga, there is serious conflict out there in the world of science, religion, and naturalism just not where you might expect it. For starters, he surprisingly finds no serious conflict between science and religion. Rather, he believes the true conflict lies between science and naturalism, which posits no god, no heaven, etc. In the book's ample first section, Plantinga explains why most people believe there's serious conflict between science and religion primarily surrounding questions of evolution and divine activity/involvement in the world, but writes at length about why this conflict is superficial. The big ideas addressed here are the apparent fine-tuning qualities and design evidence present in the universe. The book concludes with several chapters on why most people believe science and naturalism are bosom buddies and why, in reality, they're not. Plantinga's dialogue partners include plenty of old-timers like Hume, Paley, and Darwin. Contemporaries are well represented, too: Michael Behe, Daniel Dennett, and Richard Dawkins. The tone of the book is only moderately academic, making it a good fit for both public and university collections.--Osburn, Wade Copyright 2010 Booklist