From the beginning; Darwin’s dangerous idea has been a snake in the garden; denounced from pulpits then and now as incompatible with the central tenets of Christian faith. Recovered here is the less well-known but equally long history of thoughtful engagement and compromise on the part of liberal theologians. Peter J. Bowler doesn’t minimize the hostility of many of the faithful toward evolution; but he reveals the existence of a long tradition within the churches that sought to reconcile Christian beliefs with evolution by finding reflections of the divine in scientific explanations for the origin of life. By tracing the historical forerunners of these rival Christian responses; Bowler provides a valuable alternative to accounts that stress only the escalating confrontation. Our polarized society; Bowler says; has all too often projected its rivalries onto the past; concealing the efforts by both scientists and theologians to find common ground. Our perception of past confrontations has been shaped by an oversimplified model of a “war†between science and religion. By uncovering the complexity of the debates sparked by Darwin’s theory; we might discover ways to depolarize our own debates about where we came from and why we are here.
#806486 in Books Harvard University Press 2006-02-28 2006-03-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.36 x .97 x 4.76l; .65 #File Name: 0674021932235 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. African Americans in Early American HistoryBy The BookwormThe Forgotten Fifth: African Americans in the Age of Revolution is a book; written by Gary B. Nash; which brings to light the history of one-fifth of the early American population: African Americans; who have been for the most part marginalized in American history. Now with powerful words and historical data about African Americans; Nash explores what the world was like for these people during the time of the American Revolutionary War. The book is divided into three chapters; each chapter maintaining somewhat different theses than the other. However; the author's general thesis for the book is mentioned in the preface: "My goal in writing history has not been to destabilize history but rather to bring attention to those forgotten Americans who have inarguably been part of constructing our society and our nation." Evidently; Nash wanted his readers to see a part of American history that has been long neglected by most American historians; and why reexamining the forgotten history of African Americans roles in the American Revolutionary War is vital for our understanding of early American history. The title of the book; The Forgotten Fifth; reflects the thesis because it's about rediscovering the forgotten fifth of the American population; the African Americans. The subtitle African Americans in the Age of Revolution; too; reflects the thesis. This is because the thesis is about African Americans and their role in the American Revolutionary War; the title and subtitle fitting perfectly well with the author's general thesis.Nash effectively reveals to his readers what many do not know about the American Revolutionary War. First; African Americans played an important part in the war-effort due to the fact that the American Revolutionary War was a "poor man's war." The majority of the men who fought were men from the bottom of the social ladder. These were poor farmers; urban poor; landless laborers. Among them--and many Americans do not know this--were blacks and slaves. For this very reason; the first chapter in this book is titled "The Black Americans' Revolution;" secondary to the fact that many blacks fought for both the British and the Americans. The American Revolution War created the perfect spark to what became known as the largest slave rebellion in American history. However; while there were many blacks fighting for the Americans; Nash brings up that there were many African Americans fighting for the British too. As the book quotes; "`[T]hey secretly wished that the British army might win; for then all Negro slaves will gain their freedom;' a belief that is almost universal among the Negros in America." Secondly; after the war; slavery could have been abolished; as argued by Nash. However; South Carolina and Georgia threatened to leave the union if slavery was abolished. However; "[b]y the late 1780s most southerners admitted privately that even the entire South could not make it on its own." Third; after Thomas Jefferson was elected; his racist ideology prevented the nation from going forward and becoming an equal society; and avoiding a future civil war. Therefore; by raising these three main points; Nash develops and elaborates his argument for his thesis.Nash used both primary and secondary sources to support his thesis. He tended to use more secondary sources like scholarly journals. The primary sources Nash used were diaries and pamphlets produced by abolitionists. By using many sources to reinforce his statements this book allows the reader to see the important part African Americans; though many of them were slaves; played in early American history. Consequently; it isn't a surprise that this book is a great book on American slavery.The Forgotten Fifth unquestionably does what not every book can do for the reader: it shows us a history that many have forgotten. Having read this eye-opening story has; without question; persuaded me that the author's thesis is correct. Nash's argument is to write history and not to destabilize history; he brings attention to those forgotten Americans who have inarguably been part of constructing our society and our nation (which is commendable). Overall; Nash accomplished writing a phenomenal book on American slavery that many people have forgotten.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good course material for the early national period in American history.By Laura McLemoreI used this in my course on the Early National Period (American history). Students really responded to it well.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The Unending HistoryBy NJGreat abbreviated history that is especially relevant in the rise of a new contemptuous racism and white supremacy epidemic in U.S. of America; since its inception.
