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A Brief Annotated Bibliography of
Books about Creationism

Ken Smith: June, 2007

This page is revised at rather irregular intervals.
Look later to see more books listed.

Introduction


This bibliography is intended merely as a starting point for anyone who wishes to delve into some aspects of the resurgence, since 1961, of what is commonly known as "creationism". It is confined to books which are available either in the University of Queensland libraries, indicated by "UQ" following the year of publication, or in the library at Chaplaincy Services, indicated by "CS".

The word "creationism" must be distinguished from the theological doctrine of "Creationism" (note the different capitalisation), which has its counterpart in "Traducianism": for these two see, for example, the corresponding entries in Cross, F. L. (ed.) (1997: UQ):-- The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church.

"Creationism", in this bibliography, is used in the sense of that expounded by the late Henry M. Morris (died 25 February 2006) in a number of his writings (see below for some of these): "strict young-earth, flood geology creationism". In other words, the idea that the universe is only a few thousand years old, was created over a period of six days of twenty-four hours each, that all living organisms were separately created, in essentially their present forms, during those six days, and that the fossil record can be explained as a consequence of Noah's Flood, sometimes referred to in creationism writings as a "global hydraulic cataclysm", in an attempt to make it appear as a scientific concept.
One reason for preparing this bibliography is that many of the books in libraries dealing with this form of creationism do not have "creationism" listed as a subject classification, and thus may not be easily identified as dealing with the topic.
The teachings of creationism have little in common with the Christian doctrine of "Creation", for which the book by Cross cited above should also be consulted. In fact it would be more correct to describe most writings by "creationists" as "anti-evolution". This, however, would mean that anti-creationist writings should be described by the cumbersome phrase "anti-anti-evolution" works. Thus this Bibliography is divided into Many of the books listed here contain a section headed "References" or "Bibliography" or "For Further Reading". These are grouped under the generic phrase "Contains XX pages of bibliography.", to provide some indication of the usefulness of the book in assisting further study.

Typographical conventions used


In order to make various points more easily identifiable, the following conventions are followed: the bulk of the annotations are in black type; names of authors are in blue type, while titles of books and journals are in slanted blue type; headings, cross references, and quotations are in red type. The layout of a typical entry is thus:

Author (year: library):-- Title
Annotations, including any quotations.

In some cases an important reference work, or several such, is listed first within each section of the bibliography. In general, however, books are arranged alphabetically by family name of the first author or editor, and chronologically for each particular author or editor.

Web sites

Information gets onto Web sites very much faster than into print, so for the latest developments about creationism try the Web. While there are a very large number of books around supporting creationism, and a not insignificant number which offer criticisms of creationism, on both religious and scientific grounds, these are far outweighed by Web sites, so some will be mentioned here.
One noteworthy fact is that while anti-creationist sites almost always include links to creationist sites, so that interested browsers can easily access both sides in the dispute, very few creationist sites have links to anti-creationist sites. The conclusion to be drawn from this does not need to be spelled out.


  1. Anti-Creationist Web Sites

    1. The National Center for Science Education (NCSE):
      CLICK HERE for http://www.natcenscied.org
      This site is intended for school teachers at all levels. The first part of the home page adequately describes the purpose of the site:
      "The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) defends the teaching of evolution in public schools. We are a nationally-recognized clearinghouse for information and advice to keep evolution in the science classroom and "scientific creationism" out. NCSE is the only national organization to specialize in this issue.
      . . .
      Contact NCSE if you need advice, information, or help in defending the teaching of evolution. We also work to increase public understanding of evolution and of the nature of scientific knowledge."
      Books dealing with the court case over the move to introduce "intelligent design" into schools in Dover, Pennsylvania, and the judgment ruling it unconstitutional, started to appear at the beginning of 2007, but are not yet (June 2007) available in easily accessible libraries. This site has a vast amount of information about the case: letters, information sheets, pre-trial briefs, . . . transcripts of the evidence (a lot of it, since the case lasted 21 sitting days), and the judge's decision, which was highly critical of the actions of those promoting ID. Anyone with little (or no) training in science or religion can profit by reading some of the resources on this site, by clicking on the above link.

    2. The No Answers in Genesis Archive:
      CLICK HERE for http://www.noanswersingenesis.org.au
      John Stear became so concerned about the anti-science rhetoric on the Answers in Genesis Web site (see below for a link to this) that he set up this Australian site. It contains many contributions from people in Australia, not all of them scientists, and links to files on a wide range of topics on other sites. NAiG (as it is commonly abbreviated) can be accessed by clicking on the above link.

    3. The Talk Origins Archive:
      CLICK HERE for http://www.talkorigins.org
      is the home of the archive of the talk.origins newsgroup, and contains a large number of files on all aspects of the dispute. Most of them attack creationists' scientific errors, but there are a number about the relationship between religion and science. The home page can be accessed by clicking on the above link.
      At one stage it was noticed that a disproportionate number of regular participants in discussions on talk.origins were named "Chris". This led to the setting up of the (virtual) University of Ediacara, where all the staff who were not already named "Chris" had this name bestowed on them. The name of the University is taken from the locality in the Flinders Ranges outside Adelaide in South Australia, where the first pre-Cambrian fossils were discovered in 1946 (see, for example, Glaessner, Martin J. (1984: UQ):-- The Dawn of Animal Life: A Biohistorical Study.)

    4. The Talk Design Archive:
      CLICK HERE for http://www.talkdesign.org
      A number of criticisms of "intelligent design" were on the Talk Origins Archive, but when those pushing it started to gain political influence it was thought that a separate site would be more useful. The home page can be accessed by clicking on the above link.


  2. Pro-Creationist Web Sites

    1. Institute for Creation Research (ICR):
      CLICK HERE for http://www.icr.org
      The Institute for Creation Research was set up by Henry M Morris and some of his followers in 1972, initially as part of Christian Heritage College, but an independent organisation from 1980. This site has downloadable versions of the monthly Impact series of leaflets, which present various aspects of creationist thought. Of particular note is number 85 (July 1980) "The Tenets of Creationism", by Henry M. Morris. In this Morris claims that "scientific creationism" places
      ". . . no reliance on Biblical revelation, utilizing only scientific data to support and expound the creation model." He then states, as the first of the nine tenets of "scientific creationism"
      "1. The physical universe of space, time, matter, and energy has not always existed, but was supernaturally created by a transcendent personal Creator who alone has existed from eternity. Morris seems to think that using the words "supernaturally" and "transcendent" is a legitimate part of science.

    2. Answers in Genesis (AiG):
      CLICK HERE for http://www.answersingenesis.org
      Answers in Genesis was set up in USA in 1994 by Ken Ham, formerly of the Creation Science Foundation in Queensland. Early in 2006 Ham separated his USA and UK organizations from the Australian one. AiG can be accessed by clicking on the above link.

    3. Creation Ministries International (CMI):
      CLICK HERE for http://www.creationontheweb.com
      This Australian group was formed in the 1970s, under the name Creation Science Foundation. In 1997, some time after Ken Ham moved to USA and set up Answers in Genesis there, the CSF changed its name to Answers in Genesis. In early 2006 there was a split, apparently at the instigation of Ham, between the USA and Australian branches of Answers in Genesis. The Australian group took the new name Creation Ministries International, and their Web site, under the name "creationontheweb", can be accessed by clicking on the above link.

Periodicals


There are many other ideas floating around in society which, like creationism, conflict with various well-established parts of science. USA is the home of many of these ideas, and it is there that they have received their greatest criticisms. One of the best ways to keep up with what is happening in USA and, given the fondness most Australians have for things American, will happen in Australia (or, as in the case of creationism, has already been imported to Australia) is to read periodicals. The following are some of those available in the University of Queensland libraries. They all, from time to time, have excellent short articles about some aspect of the creationist movement.
Skeptics Society (California) (UQ):-- Skeptic.
A quarterly publication.

CSICOP (Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims Of the Paranormal) (UQ):-- The Skeptical Inquirer.
Originally a quarterly publication (from 1966), with the increase of the number of pseudoscientific claims it expanded to bimonthly at the beginning of 1995.

The Australian Skeptics (UQ):-- The Skeptic.
Published quarterly. Apparently the University Library has only one issue.

Anti-Creationist Works


National Academy of Sciences: Committee on Science and Creationism (1984, 1999: UQ, GU):-- Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences.
The first edition (1984) is in UQ; the second, revised and expanded edition (1999) is in GU. A short booklet prepared as a response to creationism, and distributed to all state schools in USA. Has five main sections: The Nature of Science; Scientific Evidence on the Origin of the Universe and the Earth; The Scientific Standing of Biological Evolution; Human Evolution; The Origin of Life. Sympathetic to religious views, but not to creationism, as part of the conclusion (in the first edition) shows:
"Scientists, like many others, are touched with awe at the order and complexity of nature. Religion provides one way for human beings to be comfortable with these marvels. However, the goal of science is to seek naturalistic explanations for phenomena -- and the origins of life, the earth, and the universe are, to scientists, such phenomena -- within the framework of natural laws and principles and the operational rule of testability.
It is, therefore, our unequivocal conclusion that creationism, with its accounts of the origin of life by supernatural means, is not science. It subordinates evidence to statements based on authority and revelation. Its documentation is almost entirely limited to the special publications of its advocates. And its central hypothesis is not subject to change in the light of new data or demonstration of error. Moreover, when the evidence for creationism has been subjected to the tests of the scientific method, it has been found invalid."
In the second edition the wording of the conclusion is slightly modified, and an additional paragraph is added, reading:
"The claim that equity demands balanced treatment of evolutionary theory and special creation in science classes reflects a misunderstanding of what science is and how it is conducted. Scientific investigators seek to understand natural phenomena by observation and experimentation. Scientific interpretations of facts and the explanations that account for them must therefore be testable by observation and experimentation."
Has 1 page of References and Other Publications of Interest, expanded to 2 pages in the second edition.

Australasian Science, (2002: UQ)
There are six brief (two pages each) articles on science and religion in the April 2002 issue (vol. 23, no. 3) of this journal: "The Bible and the Rise of Science", by Peter Harrison; "Myth and Anti-myth", by Jonathan Clarke; "The Big Bang", by Mark Worthing; "The Evolution of Creationism", by David Young; "Evolution's Challenge to Theology", by Dennis Edwards; and "Is Technology Replacing God?", by Stephen Luntz.

Bridgstock, Martin and Ken Smith (1986--87: UQ):-- Creationism: An Australian Perspective.
This book arose out of a number of requests for printed material, following some talks at the University of Queensland on 22 March 1985 (see the videorecording BS651.C7 1985). It consists of a number of small articles criticising various aspects of creationism, and a few articles which treat some topics at greater length. There is a Reading List.

Eldredge, Niles (2000: UQ):-- The Triumph of Evolution . . . And the Failure of Creationism.
This is an updated, revised and enlarged version of the author's earlier book The Monkey Business: A Scientist Looks at Creationism (Washington Square Press, 1982). The titles of the chapters are: 1. In The Beginning: Religion, Science, . . . and Politics; 2. Telling the Difference: Science as a Way of Knowing; 3. The Fossil Record: Evidence of the Evolutionary History of Life; 4. What Drives Evolution? The Evolution of Evolutionary Theory; 5. Creationists Attack: I: Scientific Style and Notions of Time; 6. Creationists Attack: II: The Origin and History of Life; 7. Can We Afford a Culture War? These are followed by three Appendices: I. Creationism as Theater; II. The National Center for Science Education; III. Seven Significant Court Decisions on the Issue of Evolution versus Creationism. There are 24 pages of Notes, 7 pages of Bibliography, and a 6 page Index.

Frye, Roland Mushat (ed.) (1983: UQ):-- Is God a Creationist? The Religious Case Against Creation-Science.
Contains 11 articles by authors of a wide range of religious views -- Protestants ranging from evangelical to liberal, Catholics and Jewish -- all objecting to creationism on religious grounds. After an introductory `Overview' by Frye, the articles in the book are divided into 4 groups: Understanding the Misunderstandings; Rebutting Creationism; Affirmations, Scientific and Christian; Affirmations, Biblical and Theological. It closes with an `Epilogue' by Frye.

Gilkey, Langdon (1985: UQ):-- Creationism on Trial: Evolution and God at Little Rock.
Deals with the court case over the Arkansas "creation-science" law. Divided into two parts: Part 1: The Trial, and Part 2: Analysis and Reflection: The Implications of Creation Science for Modern Society and Modern Religion. Two appendices contain the law itself and Judge Overton's decision which declared it unconstitutional. Part 1 gives details of the experiences of the author as an expert witness (on the religious side) at the Arkansas trial. Has 24 pages of notes.

Godfrey, Laurie R. (ed.) (1983: UQ):-- Scientists Confront Creationism.
15 contributions by many different authors, mostly pointing out the scientific errors made by creationists, but also with some attention to religious aspects of the dispute. Written at a fairly readable level. Each chapter has appended a list of references, ranging from half a dozen to several pages in length.

Kitcher, Philip (1982: UQ):-- Abusing Science: The Case against Creationism.
A thoughtful account by a philosopher, stressing more the nature of science, and why creationism cannot be regarded as science. The last chapter, entitled "The Bully Pulpit", shows the way creationist speakers develop, and then play on, the fears of their captive audiences in churches. Has 2 pages of bibliography and 3 pages of References.

Miller, Keith B. (ed.) (2003: UQ):-- Perspectives on an Evolving Creation.
The origins of this book are adequately described by some sentences from the first paragraph of the Preface:
"This book developed as an expression of two quite different personal desires. As a geologist . . . I want to share the excitement and challenge of current evolutionary research. . . . Furthermore, I am convinced that science is not only a profession but also a Christian vocation, and part of that vocation is using scientific knowledge to deepen our understanding of God and of our calling as God's stewards. Secondly, having become deeply frustrated with the often fruitless and divisive nature of much of the "creation/evolution" debate within the evangelical Christian community, I hope to move the conversation in a more positive direction. The popular discussion of evolution has been carried out largely in ignorance both of the extensive body of scientific research, and of the scholarly Christian commentary on it. Productive interaction on the issues raised by evolutionary theory begins with becoming well-informed concerning current scientific practice and evidence."
The book consists of 21 essays by evangelical Christians who are experts in the various topics, and who are also, in many cases, holders of academic positions in high-class secular institutions. The essays are divided into three sections: I. Providing a Context, with five essays; II. Scientific Evidence and Theory, with eight essays; III. Theological Insights and Implications, with eight essays. Each of these has its own notes and references, usually as footnotes but sometimes at the end of the essay. The essays in the first two parts, which are highly critical of creationism in its various guises, would need only minimal editing to be suitable for publication in any secular periodical. In keeping with the evangelical stance of the authors, eight short devotional pieces (about two pages), using some aspect of scientific findings as a basis for worship, are scattered among the essays.

Miller, Kenneth R. (1999: UQ):-- Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution.
Miller, Professor of Biology at Brown University and a Catholic, in part of the Preface, quotes the well-known passage from Francis Bacon's Of the Advancement of Learning I.i.3, which Darwin placed opposite the title page of On the Origin of Species:
"To conclude, therefore, let no man out of a weak conceit of sobriety, or an ill-applied moderation, think or maintain, that a man can search too far or be too well-studied in the book of God's word, or in the book of God's works; divinity or philosophy; but rather let men endeavour an endless progress or proficiency in both."
Miller then continues:
"In no small way, my purpose in writing this book has been to argue that Darwin chose exceptionally well when he selected this quotation.
. . .
Lost in the fury is the hope that Darwin expressed in his epigraph -- that true knowledge could be found as much in "the book of God's works" as in the book of his word. I have written this book to make exactly that point, and leave it to the reader to judge if I have made it well."
The titles of the chapters indicate Miller's approach: 1. Darwin's Apple; 2. Eden's Children; 3. God the Charlatan; 4. God the Magician; 5. God the Mechanic; 6. The Gods of Disbelief; 7. Beyond Materialism; 8. The Road Back Home; 9. Finding Darwin's God. In chapters 3, 4 and 5 Miller criticises different varieties of creationism, while in chapters 6 and 7 he gets stuck into varieties of "scientism". There are 24 pages of Notes, a 7 page Bibliography, and a 14 page Index.

Montagu, Ashley (ed.) (1984: UQ):-- Science and Creationism.
The 21 essays in this book have such titles as "Scientific Creationism: the art of distortion" and "Scientific Creationism -- marketing deception as truth". There is also Kenneth Miller's devastating attack upon creationism, two eye-witness accounts of the Arkansas trial, and Judge Overton's decision. Mostly scientific, but some articles deal with philosophical or religious issues.

Pennock, Robert T. (1999: UQ):-- Tower of Babel: The Evidence Against the New Creationism.
"Creationism is evolving. Several new varieties of creationism have appeared recently and are competing to stake out a niche in the intellectual landscape."
So begins this book, which is one of the first to offer criticisms of attacks on science, which go under the names of "irreducible complexity", "intelligent design", or attacks on "naturalism".
The author is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin, and a Quaker. The "Babel" of the title refers to the very diverse views about creation held by Christians. The titles of the chapters are: 1. Creation and Evolution of a Controversy; 2. Evidence for Evolution; 3. The Tower of Babel; 4. Of Naturalism and Negativity; 5. Chariots of the Gods; 6. Deus ex Machina; 7. Burning Science at the Stake; 8. Babel in the Schools. These are mostly self-explanatory: chapter 1 lists the wide range of creationist views; chapter 4 covers the attacks lawyer Phillip Johnson has made on the methods of science; and chapter 8 covers attempts to get "intelligent design" into schools.
One of the most interesting chapters is 5, which covers the ideas of the Raelians. In essence this religious group follows other creationists in believing that living organisms are too complicated to have arisen through the process of evolution, and so, they conclude, must have been designed. However unlike other creationists, they believe that the designers are very clever extra-terrestrial scientists, called "Elohim", who are using the Earth as their genetic testing laboratory, not wanting to risk modified organisms escaping on their home planet. These scientists arrived here on UFOs. Raelian ideas are explained in detail in Vorilhon, Claude (1998: UQ):-- The Final Message, (Vorilhon took the name of Rael) but Pennock provides enough information for the average reader. Since these Elohim are only super-human, and not supernatural, they can make errors. In fact, all the examples of bad design which those promoting "intelligent-design creationism" have to face are overcome by simply saying that the extra-terrestrial designers are fallible, and make mistakes. Near the end of this chapter Pennock comments:
" At some point, bad science is the same as pseudoscience, and continuing to believe in it is to make it a religion. Whether the supposed `intelligent designer' is alien or divine, the conclusion is the same. . . . [intelligent design theory] is nothing more than the old creationism now dressed up in designer clothes."
The closing sentences of the book sum up Pennock's ideas and would be acceptable to nearly all scientists and thoughtful Christians:
"Science is neither God nor devil, but profoundly human. It is not infallible. It cannot answer every question. It reveals nothing of possible supernatural realms. It is simply the best method that we evolved, natural creatures have yet discovered for finding our way around in this natural world."
There are 20 pages of Notes, 13 pages of References, and a 17 page Index.

Pennock, Robert T. (ed.) (2001, GU):-- Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics: Philosophical, Theological, and Scientific Perspectives.
This book consists of a collection of articles, most of which have been published elsewhere, but are not, in many cases, easily accessible. The collection could have been entitled "Born-Again Creationism", or "Phillip Johnson on Trial", which are the titles of two of the articles. The book can be regarded, in one sense, as a companion volume to Pennock's Tower of Babel (MIT Press, 1999), which was the first book-length demonstration of the fallacies and inadequacies of the concept of "intelligent design". The 37 articles are divided into nine groups, each of which starts with a brief comment about the articles and how they relate to the group title. The groups are: I: Intelligent Design Creationism's "Wedge Strategy"; II: Johnson's Critique of Evolutionary Naturalism; III: A Theological Conflict? Evolution vs. the Bible; IV: Intelligent Design's Scientific Claims; V: Plantinga's Critique of Naturalism and Evolution; VI: Intelligent Design Creationism vs. Theistic Evolutionism; VII: Intelligent Design and Information; VIII: Intelligent Design Theorists Turn the Tables; IX: Creationism and Education. Each of the articles has its own references or bibliography, but there is no consolidated bibliography. There is a 7 page Index.
Several of the writers take care to point out that, because of the vast amount of stuff appearing under the label of "intelligent design", they are only responding to what they see as the most egregious errors, and that silence about other points must not be taken as any sort of acceptance, approval or endorsement.

Plimer, Ian (1994: UQ):-- Telling Lies for God: Reason vs Creationism.
This is a "boots and all" attack on creationism and creationists, mostly of the Australian variety, by a Professor of Geology. His style will not suit everyone, and occasionally his statements are unnecessarily vituperative. Following a Foreword and Preface, the book covers the ground in nine chapters: 1. Why it matters; 2. Science, the Bible and creationism; 3. Scientific fraud; 4. The great flood of absurdities; 5. Bearing false witness; 6. Disinformative doublespeak; 7. Gishing for God; 8. Why all the fuss? There are 10 pages of bibliography.

Price, Barry (1990: UQ):-- The Creation Science Controversy.
This book sprang out of the author's work for the Catholic Education Office. The full story of his efforts to make reliable information available to church schools is listed in the Acknowledgments pages. The book covers most of the errors made by creationists in sixteen short chapters, each dealing with one specific area. Many of the chapters also contain an appropriate Christian rejoinder. 1. An Overview of Creation Science; 2. Fundamentalism and Creation Science; 3. Hoaxes of Creation Science; 4. Gish the Debater; 5. New Worlds for Old; 6. The Bible as History; 7. How Did We Get Where We Are? 8. Creation Science and Dinosaurs; 9. Slow Down the Universe -- I Want to Get Off; 10. Some Laws Are Made Not to be Broken; 11. Some Current Issues in Science; 12. Creation Science in the Classroom: A Case Study; 13. Courts, Churches and Schisms; 14. Australian Creationism; 15. Churches and Causes; 16. Causes and Conclusions. These are followed by 7 pages of References.

Selkirk, D. R. and Burrows, F. J. (eds.) (1987: UQ):-- Confronting Creationism: Defending Darwin.
Expanded versions of papers presented at a symposium held in 1985. The articles present evidence for evolution, as well as evidence against creationism. The first paragraph of the foreword reads:
"Religious faith and science have no quarrel. Both are ways of trying to understand the universe and our place in it. Should either faith or science masquerade as the other the result is confusion."
Has a five page list of references at the end.

Strahler, Arthur N. (1987: QUT):-- Science and Earth History: The Creation/Evolution Controversy.
A very large book (552 pages, each 21 by 28 cm) giving the most comprehensive discussion available on creationists' errors in the geological area. The 54 chapters in the book are divided into 9 parts: Part I Science and Pseudoscience; Part II Creationism -- Its Roots and its Tenets; Part III Two Views of Cosmology and Astronomy; Part IV Two Views of Geology and Crustal History; Part V Two Views of the Origin of Landscapes; Part VI Two Views of Stratigraphy and the Fossil Record; Part VII Integrity of the Evolutionary Record Under Attack by Creationists; Part VIII The Rise of Man and Emergence of the Human Mind; Part IX The Origin of Life on Earth -- Naturalistic or Creationistic ?. Chapter 12, the concluding chapter of Part II, is entitled "Conservative Religious Alternatives to Recent Creation", and gives a brief outline of the views of some conservative Christians who do not support creationism. In the Introduction the author writes:
"Ordinarily, as over the past two centuries or so, the creationistic view has cohabited with the naturalistic view on the understanding that the former is a religious belief, whereas the latter is not based on religious belief. In other words, they exist in separate realms of reality. Under this cohabitation there would not even be the slightest suggestion that a religion -- Christianity or Buddhism, for example -- is a form of pseudoscience. But what has happened in recent decades is something quite different. Creationists whose views of the universe are based in religion are now claiming that their view is a scientific one. Peaceful cohabitation has been abandoned and the new breed, calling themselves creation scientists, seeks to evict traditional science from its house and to move in as the new occupant and owner. The counterclaim of the traditional scientists is that the creationist view of the universe, now labelled creation science, is in essence pseudoscience. What was formerly religious doctrine has now become a secular ism, i.e., creationism."
There is a 4 page Expanded Contents list which gives the detailed contents of each chapter. There are 8 pages of references (3 columns per page), and a 2 page name index and 13 page subject index (both 4 columns per page).

Wheeler, A. G. (1986: GU):-- The Other Quote Book: In Support of Evolution.
This booklet was produced as a response to The Quote Book produced by the Creation Science Foundation in 1984. The latter rapidly became notorious for the number of misquotations it contained. This booklet is adequately described by the blurb on the front cover:
"243 quotations demonstrating the widespread and confident acceptance of evolution as the best explanation for the origin of the species, and the unscientific, disreputable nature of creation science."

Wilson, David B. (ed.) (1983: UQ):-- Did the Devil make Darwin Do It? Modern Perspectives on the Creation-Evolution Controversy.
A collection of 15 essays, mostly by staff of Iowa State University, prepared for a course Perspectives on the Creation-Evolution Controversy offered at the University. Each has suggestions for further reading. The articles in the book are divided into four groups: The Nature of the Controversy; The Realm of Science; The Realm of Religion; Creationism in Public Education.

Pro-Creationist Works


These are all written by people who would describe themselves as "creationists".
Many of the annotations to items listed in this section include the phrase "McIver no. NNN": here NNN is the number of the entry in McIver's 1998 book Anti-Evolution: An Annotated Bibliography., which is listed in the History section below, and provides information about a vast number of anti-evolution writings up to about 1997. To save space on this page, for most of the books listed the only annotation is a cross-reference to McIver's book.
Ashton, John F. (ed.) (1999: UQ):-- In Six Days: Why 50 Scientists Choose to Believe in Creation.
The title of this book, and the way the word "creation" is used throughout, indicate how successful the creationist lobby has been in promoting their idea, that the only acceptable use of the word is to refer to the origin of the universe and all its contents over a period of six days of twenty-four hours each. This usage bears very little relation to the way the word is used in Christian theology, or the use of the word in science to refer to the origin of the universe. The contributions are arranged in two groups: Science and Origins, and Religion and Origins.

Baker, Sylvia (1977: UQ):-- Bone of Contention: Is Evolution True?
See McIver, no. 58.

Behe, Michael (1996: GU):-- Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution.
This book has been hailed by "intelligent design" advocates as a major break-through. However it is also one of the books which has led to the traditional "young-earth" creationists rejecting "intelligent design", as simply a sop to the "evolutionary establishment". On page 5 Behe writes
"Evolution is a controversial topic, so it is necessary to address a few basic questions at the beginning of the book. Many people think that questioning Darwinian evolution must be equivalent to espousing creationism. As commonly understood, creationism involves belief in an earth formed only about ten thousand years ago, an interpretation of the Bible that is still very popular. For the record, I have no reason to doubt that the universe is the billions of years old that physicists say it is. Furthermore, I find the idea of common descent (that all organisms share a common ancestor) fairly convincing, and have no particular reason to doubt it. I greatly respect the work of my colleagues who study the development and behaviour of organisms within an evolutionary framework, and I think that evolutionary biologists have contributed enormously to our understanding of the world."
It is obvious that these sentiments would not find favour with creationists. However later in the book Behe seems to cut the ground from under his own feet. On page 203 one paragraph starts:
"We must also consider the role of the laws of nature. The laws of nature can organize matter -- for example, water flow can build up silt sufficiently to dam a portion of a river, forcing it to change course. The most relevant laws are those of biological reproduction, mutation, and natural selection. If a biological structure can be explained in terms of those natural laws, then we cannot conclude that it was designed. . . . "
Behe apparently supports a "god-of-the-gaps" approach to science. If something cannot be provided with a scientific explanation, in our current state of knowledge, then we can conclude that it is due to the work of an "intelligent designer" (or "Designer"). He seems unaware of the number of gaps in our knowledge from earlier times which have now been satisfactorily explained by more recent work and discoveries. Any such "Designer" will quickly lose credibility as science inexorably fills in more and more gaps.

Coffin, Harold G. with Brown, Robert H. (1983: UQ):-- Origin By Design.
See McIver, no. 330.

Klotz, John W. (1970: UQ):-- Genes, Genesis, and Evolution.
See McIver, no. 915.

Morris, Henry M. (1977: UQ):-- The Scientific Case for Creation.
See McIver, no. 1128.

Morris, Henry M. (1980: UQ):-- King of Creation.
See McIver, no. 1128.

Morris, Henry M. (ed.) (1989: UQ):-- Scientific Creationism.
See McIver, no. 1130.

Morris, Henry M. and Rohrer, Donald H. (eds.) (1982: UQ):-- Creation: The Cutting Edge.
A collection of reprinted pamphlets from the Institute for Creation Research. See McIver, no. 1148.

Rendle-Short, John (1981: UQ):-- Man -- Ape or Image: The Christian's Dilemma.
See McIver, no. 1369.

Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (1985: UQ):-- Life -- How did it get here? By evolution or by creation?
The organisation which publishes this book is better known under the name Jehovah's Witmesses. This book is a revision of an earlier work from the same organisation, Did Man Get Here by Evolution or by Creation? (1967). These books have been widely distributed, and contain the usual creationist arguments about living organisms, but differ from most creationists in holding to an old earth (billions rather than thousands of years old). See also McIver, nos. 1716, 1719.

Whitcomb, John C. and Morris, Henry M. (1961: UQ):-- The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and Its Scientific Implications.
This is the work which was responsible for the rise of the modern creationist movement in the 1960s. The subtitle gives the game away at the start: rather than looking at the scientific evidence, and then comparing this with various interpretations of the Bible, the authors start with one particular interpretation and then see how scientific evidence can be distorted to fit the interpretation. For more background information consult Ronald Numbers' The Creationists. (1992: UQ). See also McIver, no. 1130.

Wilder-Smith, A. E. (1974: UQ):-- Man's Origin, Man's Destiny.
See McIver, no. 1774.

Works on the History of Creationism


The first book here is a very useful resource on creationist writings up to about 1987. The remaining books are mainly intended for those who wish to study the modern creationist movement at some depth, and gain some insight into the minds of typical creationists.

McIver, Tom (1988: UQ):-- Anti-Evolution: An Annotated Bibliography.
Following the 3 page Introduction there are 324 pages of bibliography. McIver must be admired for his perseverance in ploughing through most of the 1852 books, pamphlets, tracts and other literature listed. The book averages nearly six items per page, so some of the annotations are rather lengthy. Browsing through the longer ones gives an overview of the historical development of creationist ideas.
As McIver states in the Introduction he does not take a stance (even though he personally is anti-creationism), but presents the claims of each of the items; thus some discernment is needed in interpreting parts of his annotations. Following the Bibliography there is an 18 page Name Index, a 32 page Title Index, and an 11 page Subject Index.

Eisen, Sydney, and Lightman, Bernard V. (1984: UQ):-- Victorian Science and Religion - A Bibliography with Emphasis on Evolution, Belief, and Unbelief, Comprised of Works Published from c. 1900-1975.
 A helpful bibliographic tool for 20th century writing about 19th century ideas. Divided into three main parts:- A: Main Currents; B: Natural Theology, Geology, and Evolution; C: Religion -- Ideas and Institutions. Has 6267 entries, with author and subject indices.

Gillespie, Neal C. (1979: UQ):-- Charles Darwin and the Problem of Creation.
 A study of the relationship between Darwin's theory of evolution and his ideas about God and about science generally. Points out that some of Darwin's major objections to special creation are best classified as theological objections. Has 14 pages of Bibliography.

Larson, Edward J. (1989: UQ):-- Trial and Error: The American Controversy over Creation and Evolution.
This is described as an "updated edition". The author, a lawyer and an evangelical Christian, gives a history of legal actions about evolution in 6 separate chapters: 1. Scene of the Crime: Evolution in American Education Before 1920; 2. Outlawing evolution, 1920--1925; 3. Enforcing the Law, 1925--1960; 4. Legalizing Evolution, 1961--1970; 5. Legislating Equal Time, 1970--1981, and 6. Outlawing Creation: Legal Developments since 1981.
Has 39 pages of Notes, and a 3 page Bibliographic Note.
A third edition (not in UQ) was published in 2003. The Preface to this edition (dated January 5, 2002) reads:
"God may have created the universe in six days, but this slender volume evolved over two decades. I began studying the legal issues underlying the evolution teaching controversy in a 1978 seminar taught by the Harvard law professor Larry Tribe and, during the early 1980s, I broadened my research into the controversy under the tutelage of University of Wisconsin historian of science Ron Numbers."
Following a revised Introduction the first five chapters have relatively minor changes. Chapter 6 is changed to cover 6. Outlawing Creation, 1981--1990; followed by a new chapter 7. Mandating Evolution: The 1990s and Beyond. These are followed by a 4 page Conclusion, a 2 page Appendix listing "high-school life-science textbooks published between 1859 and 1920 and contained in the Library of Congress", 44 pages of Notes, a 4 page Bibliographic Note, and a 12 page Index.

Larson, Edward J. (1997: UQ):-- Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion.
Following a 6 page Introduction, the book is divided into three parts, each relating to one aspect of the trial. Part I, "Before . . . ", outlines the historical and cultural setting of the trial in three chapters: 1. Digging Up Controversy; 2. Government by the People; 3. In Defense of Individual Liberty. Part II, " . . . During . . . ", covers the legal proceedings immediately before and during the trial in four chapters: 4. Choosing Sides; 5. Jockeying for Position; 6. Preliminary Rounds; 7. The Trial of the Century. Part III, " . . . and After", deals with the aftermath of the trial: for the multitude of subsequent legal proceedings Larson's Trial and Error (1989: UQ) should be consulted. Chapter 8. The End of an Era, covers the few years immediately following the trial. Chapters 9. Retelling the Tale, and 10. Distant Echoes, discuss some of the events of the next half century or so, with particular emphasis on the way the very popular stage play and film Inherit the Wind have given many people a very misleading impression of the trial.
There are 39 pages of Notes, and a 12 page Index.

Livingstone, David N., Hart, D. G. and Noll, Mark A. (1999: UQ):-- Evangelicals and Science in Historical Perspective.
 Following the Introduction, the book is divided into five Parts, each of which contains one or more chapters, by different authors, on relevant topics. Part I, "Overview"; Part II, "Orientations"; Part III, "Theological Engagements"; Part IV, "Specific Encounters"; Part V, "Wider Domains". These are followed by an Afterword, giving a mythical conversation between Socrates, William Jennings Bryan and Thomas Jefferson.

Moore, James R. (1979: UQ):-- The Post-Darwinian Controversies: A study of the Protestant struggle to come to terms with Darwin in Great Britain and America, 1870-1900.
 By considering the views of twenty-eight Christian controversialists in Great Britain and America, Moore argues that Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection could be accepted in substance only by those whose theology was distinctly orthodox. The 58 page bibliography is very comprehensive, and includes almost everything written on the topic in the period under review.

Nelkin, Dorothy (1982: UQ):-- The Creation Controversy: Science or Scripture in the Schools.
 Adequately described by the blurb on the dust jacket: "A history of the struggle between creationists and scientists from the nineteenth century to the Arkansas trial". Has useful tabulations of the qualifications or, more accurately, lack of qualifications, of a number of American "creation scientists".

Numbers, Ronald L. (1992: UQ):-- The Creationists.
 A comprehensive study of creationists and creationism, concentrating on the period from the 1920s, but with brief mention of Victorian and early 20th century events. The chapter titles are: 1. Creationism in the Age of Darwin; 2. George Frederick Wright: From Christian Darwinist to Fundamentalist; 3. Creationism in the Fundamentalist Controversy; 4. Scientific Creationists in the Age of Bryan; 5. George McCready Price and the New Catastrophism; 6. The Religion and Science Association; 7. The Deluge Geology Society; 8. Evangelicals and Evolution in Great Britain; 9. Evangelicals and Evolution in North America; 10. John C. Whitcomb, Jr., Henry M. Morris, and The Genesis Flood; 11. The Creation Research Society; 12. Creation Science and Scientific Creationism; 13. Deception and Discrimination; 14. Creation Research Institutes; 15. Creationism in the Churches; 16. Creation Science Floods the World. Contains 88 pages of notes giving details of sources.
What is described as an "Expanded edition", with the subtitle From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design, was published in 2006, but is not yet (June 2007) available in an easily accessible library. The concluding paragraph of the Introduction to this edition starts
"This expanded version of The Creationists contains two new chapters, devoted respectively to the most striking developments of the past decade and a half: the rise of the intelligent-design movement and the global spread of antievolutionism. Except for making a few minor changes, I have left the text of the first edition unrevised. Had I chosen to rewrite the book, I could have benefited from a considerable amount of fresh scholarship." After mentioning some of the major studies about various aspects of creationism which have been published, Numbers concludes this Introduction with the sentence
"In view of the robust revolt against evolution that we are now witnessing, there is no reason to anticipate that interest in the topic will subside in the near future."

Numbers, Ronald L. (1998: UQ):-- Darwinism Comes to America.
 The Introduction to the book bears the title "Darwinism, Creationism and Intelligent Design", which gives a misleading impression, since "intelligent design" is mentioned only in the Introduction, and while modern creationism is mentioned throughout it is only discussed in detail in the last few pages. The book concentrates on the period from 1859 to the 1940s, and shows that many common ideas about the attitude of Americans to evolution are mistaken, and that things are rather more complicated than generally perceived.

Numbers, Ronald L. and Stenhouse, John (eds.) (1999: UQ):-- Disseminating Darwinism: The Role of Place, Race, Religion and Gender.
Most of the chapters in this book are edited versions of those presented at a conference "Responding to Darwinism" held in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1994. The topics of the title receive unequal treatment in the ten chapters. The role of place is considered in one chapter comparing the reactions of Presbyterians in Princeton, Belfast and Edinburgh, and four further chapters dealing with Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the American South. The role of race is essentially restricted to one chapter on American Blacks. In addition to the chapter already mentioned about Presbyterians, the role of religion is discussed in three further chapters dealing with American Protestants, Roman Catholics, and American Jews. And the role of gender is covered in one chapter on women. Notes, including references, are appended to each chapter.

Ruse, Michael (1982: UQ):-- Darwinism Defended: A Guide to the Evolution Controversies.
Mainly concerned with the confusion about gradualism versus punctuated equilibrium in evolution, but also very critical of creationism. Has a number of references to the Bible and to "design". The book is divided into five parts. Part I, Darwin Yesterday, contains chapters: 1. Charles Darwin Becomes An Evolutionist; 2. "On The Origin Of Species". Part II, Darwinism Today, contains chapters: 3. The Coming Of Mendelian Genetics; 4. The Evidence For Population Genetics; 5. Neo-Darwinism: The Total Picture. Part III, Darwinism Tomorrow?, contains chapters: 6. The Origin Of Life; 7. Population Ecology; 8. Animal Sociobiology; 9. The Challenge From Paleontology. Part IV, Darwinism And Humankind, contains chapters: 10. Missing Links; 11. Human Sociobiology; 12. Evolution And Morality. Part V, Darwinism Besieged, contains chapters: 13. Creationism Expounded; 14. Creationism Considered. Has 7 pages of Supplementary Reading, 8 pages of Bibliography, a 3 page Name Index, and a 4 page Subject Index.

Ruse, Michael (ed.) (1988: UQ):-- But Is It Science? The Philosophical Question in the Creation/Evolution Controversy.
A collection of articles, mostly reprinted from other sources, relating to the nature of science and the creation/evolution dispute. The book is arranged in four parts: Part One: The Nineteenth Century Background; Part Two: Evolution Today; Part Three: The Creationist Challenge; Part Four: The Philosophical Aftermath. The 27 chapters cover both scientific and philosophical aspects of the dispute. They range from a reprint of the first two chapters of Genesis (from the King James version) and extracts from Paley's well-known Natural Theology to Ruse's "Witness testimony sheet" prepared for the Arkansas creationism law trial, and the full text of Judge Overton's decision finding the law unconstitutional. Has a 2 page list of Further Reading.

Ruse, Michael (2005: UQ):-- The Evolution Creation Struggle.
This book draws together many of Ruse's thoughts after over twenty-five years of opposition to creationism, in books, articles, lectures and court appearances. His wide reading and experience with Christianity is shown by his quoting the hymn "When I survey the wondrous cross" at the start of chapter 1, and discussing the best-selling apocalyptic novels of the Left Behind series, which are based on a fundamentalist interpretation of the book of Revelation, in the last chapter. One paragraph from the Prologue (on page 2) outlines the major questions Ruse attempts to answer:
"Why, in one corner, do we have the evolutionists, particularly those who support some version of contemporary Darwinism, working away in full confidence that they are engaged in a forward-looking area of science? Feeling, indeed, that each day brings new triumphs of discovery and understanding. Why, in the other corner, do we have evangelical Christians who insist on a literal reading of the bible and on Genesis as a valid guide to world history? Why do the so-called intelligent design theorists affiliated with this group -- men with enviable academic qualifications -- argue so strenuously that modern science is on an altogether mistaken track? Why do so many people want to fight Darwinism tooth and nail? How can a theory that seems to one group of people so well confirmed as to be almost self-evident be so unacceptable -- indeed blasphemous -- to another group of people? How can this other group of people embrace enthusiastically arguments that seem to the first group to be so obviously false -- indeed ignorant?"
On pages 4 and 5 (in the Prologue) Ruse discusses at some length the confusion which arises because of different meanings which different people attach to the words "evolution" and "creation". These pages should be read carefully and absorbed before reading the remainder of the book.
Following the Prologue, the book is divided into twelve chapters: 1. Christianity and Its Discontents; 2. From Progress to Evolution; 3. Growth of a Pseudoscience; 4. Charles Darwin; 5. Failure of a Professional Science; 6. Social Darwinism; 7. Christian Responses; 8. Fundamentalism; 9. Population Genetics; 10. Evolution Today; 11. Nature as Promise; 12. Earth's Last Days? These are followed by a Conclusion. There are 10 pages of Notes, 19 pages of References and Reading, divided into groups for each chapter (and hence involving some duplications), and an 8 page Index.



This page last revised 8 June 2007