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Cover image of Creationism in Europe
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Creationism in Europe

edited by Stefaan Blancke, Hans Henrik Hjermitslev, and Peter C. Kjærgaard
foreword by Ronald L. Numbers

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American creationists’ efforts to export their beliefs have succeeded in Europe beyond their own expectations, winning followers across creed and country.

For decades, the creationist movement was primarily situated in the United States. Then, in the 1970s, American creationists found their ideas welcomed abroad, first in Australia and New Zealand, then in Korea, India, South Africa, Brazil, and elsewhere—including Europe, where creationism plays an expanding role in public debates about science policy and school curricula. In this, the first comprehensive history of creationism in Europe...

American creationists’ efforts to export their beliefs have succeeded in Europe beyond their own expectations, winning followers across creed and country.

For decades, the creationist movement was primarily situated in the United States. Then, in the 1970s, American creationists found their ideas welcomed abroad, first in Australia and New Zealand, then in Korea, India, South Africa, Brazil, and elsewhere—including Europe, where creationism plays an expanding role in public debates about science policy and school curricula. In this, the first comprehensive history of creationism in Europe, leading historians, philosophers, and scientists narrate the rise of—and response to—scientific creationism, creation science, intelligent design, and organized antievolutionism in countries and religions throughout Europe.

Providing a unique map of creationism in Europe, the authors chart the surprising history of creationist activities and strategies there. Over the past forty years, creationism has spread swiftly among European Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Hindus, and Muslims, even as anti-creationists sought to smother its flames. Antievolution messages gained such widespread approval, in fact, that in 2007 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passed a resolution advising member states to "defend and promote scientific knowledge" and "firmly oppose the teaching of creationism as a scientific discipline on an equal footing with the theory of evolution."

Creationism in Europe offers a discerning introduction to the cultural history of modern Europe, the variety of worldviews in Europe, and the interplay of science and religion in a global context. It will be of interest to students and scholars in the history and philosophy of science, religious studies, and evolutionary theory, as well as policy makers and educators concerned about the spread of creationism in our time.

Reviews

Reviews

One of the more fascinating late releases in science books this year... Highly recomended.

This is a fascinating book... It takes what is a uniquely American phenomena and puts it into an entirely new context.

A significant contribution toward filling a major gap in the literature...

This science versus the Bible debate will not go away anytime soon. This book ought to be... essential reading for anyone involved in or concerned about the issues it raises.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
296
ISBN
9781421415628
Illustration Description
7 halftones, 4 line drawings
Table of Contents

Foreword, by Ronald L. Numbers
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Creationism in Europe or European Creationism?
Chapter 1. France
Chapter 2. Spain and Portugal
Chapter 3. United Kingdom
Chapter 4. The Low

Foreword, by Ronald L. Numbers
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Creationism in Europe or European Creationism?
Chapter 1. France
Chapter 2. Spain and Portugal
Chapter 3. United Kingdom
Chapter 4. The Low Countries
Chapter 5. Scandinavia
Chapter 6. Germany
Chapter 7. Poland
Chapter 8. Greece
Chapter 9. Russia and Its Neighbors
Chapter 10. Turkey
Chapter 11. Catholicism
Chapter 12. Intelligent Design
Chapter 13. The Rise of Anti-creationism in Europe
Afterword: Reclaiming Science for Creationism
A Note on Sources
List of Contributors
Index

Author Bios
Featured Contributor

Stefaan Blancke

Stefaan Blancke is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Philosophy and Moral Science at Ghent University.
Peter C. Kjærgaard
Featured Contributor

Peter C. Kjærgaard, Ph.D.

Peter C. Kjærgaard is a professor of evolutionary studies and director of the Centre for Biocultural History at Aarhus University.
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