Evolution and Ethics : Human Morality in Biological and Religious Perspective

Christians frequently resist evolutionary theory, believing it to be incompatible with the core values of their tradition. But what exactly are the tensions between evolution and religious faith in the area of human morality? Evolution and Ethics examines the burning questions of human morality from the standpoint of Christian thought and contemporary biology, asking where the two perspectives diverge and where they may complement one another.

Representing a significant dialogue between world-class scientists, philosophers, and theologians, this volume explores the central features of biological and religious accounts of human morality, introducing the leading theories and locating the key points of contention. Central to these discussions are the questions of whether human actions are ever genuinely selfless, whether there is something in the moral life that transcends biological function, and whether one can sensibly speak of an overall purpose to the course of evolution.

Certain to engage scholars, students, and general readers alike, Evolution and Ethics offers a balanced, levelheaded, constructive approach to an often divisive debate.

Contributors:

"Larry Arnhart
Christopher Boehm
Craig A. Boyd
Robert Boyd
Michael J. Chapman
Philip Clayton
Loren Haarsma
John Hare
S. Mark Heim
David C. Lahti
Thomas Jay Oord
Gregory R. Peterson
Joseph Poulshock
Peter J. Richerson
Philip A. Rolnick
Holmes Rolston III
Michael Ruse
Jeffrey Schloss
René van Woudenberg"

Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor of Theology at theClaremont School of Theology and professor of philosophyand religion at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont,California. He is also the author of Explanation fromPhysics to Philosophy: An Essay in Rationality andReligion (Yale) and the Templeton Prize?winning bookGod and Contemporary Science (Eerdmans).

Jeffrey Schloss is Professor of Biology at Westmont Collegein Santa Barbara, California.