Genesis, Evolution, and the Search for a Reasoned Faith

Collaborators Mary Katherine Birge, Rodica Stoicoiu, Ryan Taylor, and Brian Henning explore in four illuminating chapters the rich and complex history of the biblical creation accounts, the nature of science investigation, the ethical and philosophical significance of the theory of evolution, and the all-enveloping role of evolutionary theory in the deepening and broadening of faith. In the process, the authors expand readers' understanding of the compatibility between religion and science. Readers will learn that they need not choose religion over science or faith over reason, and that evolution does not threaten but rather enrichs faith.
The authors make it clear to readers that regardless of what religious or non-religious background they come from--regardless of their religious knowledge and experiences--they can discover that science and religion are not enemies, but are companions in the search for truth. The fresh and fascinating Genesis, Evolution and the Search for a Reasoned Faith explores both the nature of science and religion and the intelligent and intimate conversation that is necessary in the search for truth.

Sr. Mary Kate Birge, a member since 1982 of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, MA, teaches Scripture and theology at Mount St. Mary's University. She received her MA in the classics from Tufts University; an MA in theology from St. John's University, Collegeville, MN; and her PhD, with distinction, in biblical studies from The Catholic University of America. Her scholarly interests range among the areas of Pauline literature, Synoptic Gospels, feminist hermeneutics, biblical spirituality, and Ignatian studies. She has spent most of her working life in the classroom, high school and undergraduate, and finds the daily give-and-take with students one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching.

Dr. Brian G. Henning earned his MA and PhD in philosophy from Fordham University. He is currently associate professor of philosophy at Gonzaga University, in Spokane, WA. Henning is author of the award-winning book The Ethics of Creativity: Beauty, Morality, and Nature in a Processive Cosmos and the coeditor of Beyond Metaphysics? Explorations of A. N. Whitehead's Late Work. His current scholarship and teaching focus is on the interconnections among ethics, metaphysics, and aesthetics.

Dr. Rodica M. M. Stoicoiu received her MA in theology from the University of Notre Dame and her PhD from The Catholic University of America. She is currently assistant professor of theology at Mount St. Mary's University, where she teaches such courses as Foundations of Theology, Early Christian Thought, Sacraments, and Church Past and Present. Her writings include numerous articles on the theology of the Eucharist, the role of liturgy and social justice, and liturgical theology. Her current interests include the Catholic-Orthodox dialogue on liturgy and sacraments, and her current writing projects encompass the work of the dialogue and its effects upon the liturgical ecclesial nature of the Eucharist and Church Order.

Dr. Ryan Taylor received his MS in ecology from Florida International University and a PhD in evolutionary biology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is an assistant professor of biology at Salisbury University in Maryland. His research asks questions about animal communication systems and addresses the role that communication plays as a driver of evolutionary change. While he is broadly interested in evolution and animal communication, his current research uses the courtship of frogs as a model system to increase our understanding of evolution.