Darwin's God: Evolution and the Problem of Evil

"In Darwin's God, biophysicist Cornelius Hunter argues that the theory of evolution, from its origins with Charles Darwin up to its present-day proponents, is motivated at bottom by theological concerns." "Behind the scientific story is the story of Charles Darwin's grappling with questions about God, reality, and the nature of the universe. Ultimately, Hunter shows how Darwin's inability to reconcile his understanding of a benevolent God with the cruelty, waste, and quandaries of nature led him to develop the theodicy called evolution." "Importantly, the tale Hunter has to tell is not merely historical. He demonstrates how today's theory of evolution continues to rely on Darwin's metaphysics." "Contemporary Darwinists such as Kenneth Miller, Mark Ridley, Niles Eldredge, and Stephen Jay Gould rely on Darwin's God to justify evolution as much as Darwin did. Ironically, we discover that the theory that supposedly made God unnecessary is predicated upon dearly held beliefs about the very nature of God."--Jacket.