The relationship between science and religion is a topic that runs rife with misconceptions, misunderstandings and debates. Are science and religion always in conflict? Is Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection atheistic? How does history shape current debates around science and religion? This book explores these questions in a neutral and balanced way, focusing on the Christianity-evolution relationship. It shows that two paradigms ¿ the world as an organism and the world as a machine ¿ have critically informed and guided the discussions. The author uses his deep understanding of the history and philosophy of science, particularly Darwinian evolutionary theory and its controversies through the past 150 years, to bring fresh ideas to the debate and to wider discussions such as environmental issues and hate. Understanding the Christianity-Evolution Relationship provides a lively and informative analysis and lays out multiple views so that readers can make their own judgements to increase their understanding.

Michael Ruse is Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph, Ontario and recently retired as the Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University, Florida. His research interests focus on Darwinian evolutionary theory. He is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Gifford Lecturer, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the recipient of four honorary degrees. He is the author/editor of over sixty books, including The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Darwin and Evolutionary Thought (Cambridge University Press, 2013), The Cambridge History of Atheism (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and Understanding Natural Selection (Cambridge University Press, 2022).

Preface; 1. Rival paradigms; 2. The mechanists' god; 3. The organicists' god; 4. Humans; 5. Environment; 6. Hate; Epilogue; Common Misunderstandings; Bibliography.