In the epilogue to Can a Darwinian be a Christian?, Michael Ruse summarizes: "Can a Darwinian be a Christian? Absolutely! Is it always easy for a Darwinian to be a Christian? No, but whoever said that the worthwhile things in life are easy? Is the Darwinian obligated to be a Christian? No, but try to be understanding of those who are. Is the Christian obligated to be a Darwinian? No, but realize how much you are going to foreswear if you do not make the effort, and ask yourself seriously (if you reject all forms of evolutionism) whether you are using your God-given talents to the full."

The authors of Evolution from Creation to New Creation — one a theologian and pastor; one a biologist and philosopher — have again collaborated, producing (in NCSE executive director Eugenie C. Scott's words) "a useful synopsis of their thoughtful reflections on evolution and Christian theology that will be of considerable value to pastors, priests, and other religious professionals who have to wrestle with this contentious issue. Much can be done by the faith community to help resolve the conflict between evolution and (some) Christian religious views, and this book can help point the way to productive solutions."

Dismayed by the prospect of a chasm opening between evangelical Christianity and the deliverances of modern science, Falk wrote Coming to Peace with Science "to explore what science, especially biology, has to tell us about God's mechanism of creation." Loren Haarsma writes, "Theologically sound, scientifically accurate, understandable at the high school and early college science level, this is a superb book for evangelicals and other Christians who want to learn about the history of life that God is revealing to us in the book of his creation." The author is Professor of Biology at Point Loma Nazarene University.

“Writing against both biblical fundamentalists and militant secularists, Goodman hopes to show that religion is no threat to evolution and that Darwinism doesn’t mean that God is dead,” explains reviewer Arthur McCalla. “His grand theme is that proximate and ultimate causes need not be rivals and therefore that evolution and theism are complementary; God works in and through nature.” While appreciating the thoughtful approach Goodman takes in Creation and Evolution, McCalla suspects that it “will fulfill its goal of encouraging readers to develop their own models of reconciling Darwinism and religion only for readers who share its author’s religious interpretation of the world.”

Addressing primarily his fellow evangelicals, Denis Alexander argues, "Personal saving faith through Christ in the God who has brought all things into being and continues to sustain them by his powerful Word, is entirely compatible with the Darwinian theory of evolution, which, as a matter of fact, provides the paradigm within which all current biological research is carried out." Francis Collins writes, "Denis Alexander the scientist-believe argues convincingly and lovingly that a committed Christian need not fear evolution, but can embrace it as God's awesome means of creation." The author is the director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, St. Edmund's College, Cambridge University.

Reviewer David R. Vinson writes, “The title encapsulates succinctly what this substantive book is all about: Creation or Evolution: Do We Have to Choose? The answer that is palpable in every chapter is ‘No—that choice is unnecessary and runs counter to the evidence.’ Alexander’s tour de force of scientific, biblical, and theological argument provides a better way, one that is sure to be of great value to open-minded Christians who are puzzled by the frenzied debate and eager to find some well-informed, biblically-sensitive guidance out of the dichotomous snares and into a constructive reconciliation between faith and science.”

"Darwin's theory of evolution is a gift to science," Francisco Ayala argues, "and to religion as well." He explains why in Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion, hailed by John F. Haught as "a crisp summary and development of positions he has long held regarding the explanatory scope and limitations of the idea of natural selection" and by Michael Zimmerman as "a clear and concise précis of the current battleground between evolution and its creationist attackers." Ayala is University Professor and the Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine; he received the National Medal of Sciences in 2002.

Phillip Johnson, the law school professor who has written a series of anti-evolution books beginning with Darwin on Trial squares off against Denis Lamoureux, a University of Alberta theologian and biologist who studies dental development and evolution. In this book, Lamoureux brings his scientific knowledge to bear as he challenges Johnson's views on how Christians ought to respond to the theory of evolution. The written exchange between Johnson and Lamoureux is followed by essays from a number of scientists and theologians with varying perspectives, including Michael Behe, Howard Van Till, and Rikki Watts. A vivid reminder that the "evolution controversy" is very much a religious discussion, in which opposition to evolution is far from reigning supreme.

In Evolution from Creation to New Creation, theologian Peters and molecular biologist Hewlett team up to provide a detailed and astute examination of the continuum of positions on religious faith and biological evolution, as well as their own theological contribution to the debate. NCSE Executive Director Eugenie C. Scott writes, "There is much to ponder in this informed, informative, and thought-provoking book by a scientist and a theologian. I learned a great deal from this small, well-organized, and well-written book, and I strongly recommend it to theists or nontheists seeking to understand the rich taxonomy of Christian views on evolution."

According to the reviewer for Publishers Weekly, "Larson's first-rate history not only will entertain and engage lay readers but also is required reading for those seriously interested in Darwin, evolution, or these remarkable islands." But since Larson mixes his history of science with the history of religion as well, Evolution's Workshop is a good choice to recommend to those, including many members of the clergy, who have little background in the evolutionary sciences but a keen interest in the history and cultural dynamics involved in the interplay of science and religion. As in Summer for the Gods, Larson sustains the reader's interest with anecdotes, observations, and musings.

From the publisher: "In this provocative book, evolutionist and evangelical Christian Denis O. Lamoureux proposes an approach to origins that moves beyond the 'evolution-versus-creation' debate. Arguing for an intimate relationship between the Book of God's Words and the Book of God's Works, he presents evolutionary creation — a position that asserts that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit created the universe and life through an ordained and sustained evolutionary process. ... Lamoureux closes with the two most important issues in the origins controversy — the pastoral and pedagogical implications. How should churches approach this volatile topic? And what should Christians teach their children about origins?"

Subtitled "A scientist's search for common ground between God and evolution," Finding Darwin's God is a perennial favorite. Francisco J. Ayala writes, "Finding Darwin's God is an artfully constructed argument against both those who deny evolution and those using science to justify a materialist worldview. Yet it is a book for all readers. I know of no other that would surpass it in being mindful of different views, while still forceful. Miller has an uncanny gift for expressing profound ideas in clear and graceful prose." The author, who testified in Kitzmiller v. Dover, is Professor of Biology at Brown University and a Supporter of NCSE.

To those who follow the players in science–religion dialogues, Georgetown University's Haught needs no introduction. The central theme of his God After Darwin — "the God of vulnerable, self-giving love" revealed through evolutionary processes — is similar to Denis Edwards's The God of Evolution. Chapter titles like "Beyond design" and "Evolution, tragedy and cosmic purpose" remind us that Haught is nobody to shrink from the big questions. You know the scientific arguments against intelligent design. Now learn the theological ones.

From the publisher: "Stenger critically reviews the attempts of many contemporary theologians and some scientists to resurrect failed natural theologies in new guises. Whether these involve updated arguments from design, 'anthropic' coincidences, or modern forms of deism, Stenger clearly shows that nothing in modern science requires supernatural explanation. He offers naturalistic explanations for empirical observations that are frequently given theistic interpretations: for example, that information in the universe implies an intelligent designer, that a universe with a beginning requires a Creator, and that the elegant laws of physics suggest a transcendent realm. He shows that alleged spiritual, nonmaterial phenomena do not lie beyond the experimental reach of physics."

How We Believe explores how and why people maintain religious beliefs, examining psychological and social aspects of the question, and the relationship between religious belief and scientific thought. Shermer, founder of the Skeptics Society and a professor in the Cultural Studies Program at Occidental University, closes his preface by remarking that he hopes that this study "adds to our understanding of the human condition." How We Believe includes sections on "God and Belief" and "Religion and Science"; and appendices on "What Does It Mean to Study Religion Scientifically?" and "Why People Believe In God — The Data and Statistics". Philosopher Michael Ruse commented, "... [He] obviously cares about the issues on which he writes. I loved his discussions of God and of morality, and when I disagree I simply want to argue the more."

A condensed version of Lamoureux’s Evolutionary Creation: A Christian Approach to Evolution, I Love Jesus and I Accept Evolution is “a book that calls for evangelicals who view their theology as robust to accept no less in their science, and to recognize the theological resources within their own tradition that allow them to do so,” writes reviewer Dennis R. Venema. Theologically, “Lamoureux certainly knows the territory, and he goes chapter-and-verse with all comers”; his discussion of Paul is particularly noteworthy. Scientifically, the material is adequate, although “a stronger treatment of evolutionary genomics would have been a benefit.”

Containing “lectures and essays by eighteen British scholars working in various areas of religion and science,” and motivated in part by recent creationist inroads in British education, Intelligent Faith seeks to “offer an ‘intelligent faith’ from a Christian perspective that is built upon a sound, contemporary theology in dialogue with the modern scientific paradigm of cosmic and biotic evolution,” according to reviewer Robert J. Schneider. In “offering in toto a model of an intelligent faith while honoring Darwin’s revolutionary work,” he concludes, “I think they have largely succeeded.”

Reviewer Lisa H. Sideris explains, “Reg Saner’s book Living Large in Nature ... explores the concept of creation from a writer and nature lover’s perspective. The book is part memoir, part argument for the superior charms of a Darwinian view of life—not to mention the charms of the American West.” While praising the book as well-written and for its intriguing discussion of the atomic bomb, Sideris also faulted it as self-absorbed and self-congratulatory as well as adopting a simplistic view of both religion and science: “In the end, Saner’s book is a sermon to the converted.”

“Plenty of books claim to make sense of evolution,” writes reviewer George L. Murphy. “Haught’s wants to make sense of Darwinian evolution and belief in God together and to show that only in that way can the drama of life be fully appreciated.” While the book is unlikely to sway conservative Christians who will regard it as abandoning religious fundamentals, “it can be hoped that open-minded scientific naturalists, while perhaps not convinced of the truth of Haught’s construction, will recognize that there are coherent ways to understand Darwin and deity together.”

From the publisher: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) has generally been viewed by the public as anti-evolutionary in its doctrine and teachings. But official statements on the subject by the Church's highest governing quorum and/or President have been considerably more open and diverse than is popularly believed. This book compiles in full all known authoritative statements (either authored or formally approved for publication) by the Church's highest leaders on the topics of evolution and the origin of human beings. The authors provide historical context for these statements that allows the reader to see what stimulated the issuing of each particular document and how these stand in relation to one another."

With the aid of 75 illustrations, including 20 color plates, the distinguished medieval historian Norman Cohn explores the origins, development, and variety of interpretations of the familiar tale of the Noachian deluge. Writing in Nature, the historian of geology Martin Rudwick described Noah's Flood as "[a]n attractive brief survey of the fortunes and uses of the Flood story, ranging from ancient Mesopotamia to the equally alien territory of twentieth-century American creationism ..." and commended it to "anyone with an interest in the historical roots of modern scientific study of the Earth." The author is the Astor-Wolfson Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Sussex.

From the publisher: "According to the authors of this book, who explore evolutionary theory from a clear Christian perspective, the common view of conflict between evolutionary theory and Christian faith is mistaken. Written by contributors representing the natural sciences, philosophy, theology, and the history of science, this thought-provoking work is informed by both solid scientific knowledge and keen theological insight. The three sections of the book address (1) relevant biblical, historical, and scientific background, (2) the scientific evidence for an evolving creation, and (3) theological issues commonly raised in connection with evolution, including the nature of God's creative activity, the meaning of the miraculous, and the uniqueness of humankind." NCSE President Kevin Padian writes, "At last, a book written by evangelical Christians that shatters the myth of necessary conflict between creation and evolution. All Christians should read this book for instruction and perspectives on science that they can trust and think about. So should all scientists, Christian or not, who are interested in the practical rapprochement that is possible between science and religion."

In Religion and Science, Barbour actually provides more than just a little history. In fact, he presents a thorough historical theological treatment of major themes in science. This volume is not for the faint of heart or the casual reader, but it may be the definitive text for basic courses in science and religion. "For a generation to come, anyone setting out to explore the subtle relationships between science, religion, ethics, and technology will begin with Barbour as the guide," writes the reviewer for Religious Studies Review. Barbour was the recipient of the 1999 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion.

From the author of God after Darwin and Deeper than Darwin comes Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution, which distills his insights in a convenient question-and-answer format. "Too much time and energy is wasted trying to show that evolution is wrong," Haught writes, "when religious believers should be asking whether our understanding of God is might not be too small to accommodate Darwin's world." Phina Borgeson wrote in RNCSE, "for those who want the fruits of reasoned thinking on evolution and Christian theology that may be mined for succinct answers, this is the book of choice." Haught, who testified in Kitzmiller v. Dover, is Landegger Distinguished Professor of Theology at Georgetown University.

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Saving Darwin offers, in the words of the Washington Post 's reviewer, "two gifts: a cultural history of the anti-Darwin movement that details how its tenets, far from being the traditional doctrine of any church, were developed by a few cranks and fueled by larger, populist fears of secular culture; and an empathetic, comprehensible account of how the world looks if you believe in scientific creationism, as he once did." A professor of physics at Eastern Nazarene University, Karl Giberson is also the coauthor (with Donald A. Yerxa) of Species of Origins: America’s Search for a Creation Story.

Basically a textbook for a student audience considering how we know what we know, Fezer's book summarizes decades of his experience in teaching biology and advocating for evolution. He lays out the "principles that underlie all scholarly disciplines" and presents with clarity the limits of science as a way of knowing. There's a richness of resources here, thoughtful discussion questions, and helpful frameworks, such as "Twelve ways that people handle conflicts between science and their religious beliefs". Fezer was on the original board of directors of NCSE and edited Creation/Evolution Newsletter from 1984 to 1988.

While many volumes of science and theology are series of isolated contributions, this book from a conservative Christian press actually includes dialogue among the contributors. The perspectives represented are creationism (Wayne Frair and Gary D. Patterson), intelligent design (Stephen C. Meyer), independence (Jean Pond), and partnership (Howard J. Van Till). Christians who are already firm in their commitment to evolution will benefit especially from the responses of Pond and Van Till to the other writers. For congregations with a wide spectrum of approaches to the authority of scripture and theological method, the whole volume can stimulate critical and constructive conversations.

A comprehensive look at the interaction between science and religion from the standpoint of nonbelief, discussing philosophy, physics, biology, neuroscience, pseudoscience, religion as a social phenomenon, and morality and politics. "Overall, this is an excellent book for the layman and professional alike. Anyone interested in the subject would find this to be one of the few contemporary books that approaches these controversial issues with more light than heat," wrote the reviewer for Catholic Book World. Taner Edis is Associate Professor of Physics at Truman State University, author of The Ghost in the Universe and An Illusion of Harmony, and RNCSE's associate editor for physics and astronomy.

At a scant 144 pages, Science and Religion certainly fits in the Very Short Introduction series. Yet Thomas Dixon, a historian of science and religion at Queen Mary, University of London, manages to cram a lot of information and analysis in the scope of his brief book, including discussions of the controversies surrounding evolution, from Darwin through Scopes to Kitzmiller."“It is no part of my aim ... to persuade people to stop disagreeing with each other about science and religion — far from it," Dixon explains. "My hope is only that it might help people to disagree with each other in a well-informed way."

A stimulating collection of essays on science-and-religion topics — including the Big Bang and the origin of the universe, "intelligent design" and creationism versus evolution, the nature of the soul, near-death experiences, communication with the dead, why people believe in God, and the relationship between religion and ethics — by a stellar panel of contributors, including Steven Weinberg, Richard Dawkins, Arthur C. Clarke, Martin Gardner, Owen Gingerich, and NCSE's own Eugenie C. Scott. The reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement describes it as "strong stuff ... an important counterweight to the accommodationism that has dominated recent discourse."

Here Haught offers a way of considering key questions that arise when science and theology meet. Origins, reductionism, the meaning of human life, teleology, ecology, and other topics are addressed in a four-stage approach: conflict, contrast, contact, confirmation. The discussion of each is stimulating, and the model lends itself to application to other questions. Langdon Gilkey describes Science and Religion as "Not only readable and easily understandable ... but filled with genuine learning and thorough comprehension of contemporary natural sciences as well as of the major issue between those sciences and present-day religion."

From the publisher: "Park sides with the forces of reason in a world of continuing and, he fears, increasing superstition. Chapter by chapter, he explains how people too easily mistake pseudoscience for science. He discusses parapsychology, homeopathy, and acupuncture; he questions the existence of souls, the foundations of intelligent design, and the power of prayer; he asks for evidence of reincarnation and astral projections; and he challenges the idea of heaven. Throughout, he demonstrates how people's blind faith, and their confidence in suspect phenomena and remedies, are manipulated for political ends. Park shows that science prevails when people stop fooling themselves."

Did Darwin recant evolution on his deathbed, telling Lady Hope, "How I wish I had not expressed my theory of evolution as I have done"? No — yet the legend continues to circulate among creationists. In his monograph, Moore judiciously assessed the evidence for the story and pondered its significance, arguing that it is important to understand Darwin and his religious development on their own terms. Reviewing the book for RNCSE, Kevin Padian commented, "Moore undertook to write the book largely because he could not get away from questions about [the legend] every time he was interviewed about Darwin," adding, "Moore's book is excellent scholarship."

Published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The Evolution Dialogues strives, in the words of its prologue, to correct a host of "deep misunderstandings about what biological evolution is, what science itself is, and what views people of faith, especially Christians, have applied to their interpretations of the science." Rodger Bybee of the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study described it as "an excellent, positive contribution to a contemporary understanding of evolution and religion, and John F. Haught agreed that it "will prove to be very helpful to teachers and students of biology, especially where questions might arise about the scientific status of Darwin's theory and religious implications of evolution."

Edis argues that "[w]ith science, we have stumbled upon an excellent way of learning about the world, and the best of our scientific knowledge consistently undermines our hope that there is a God." The reviewer for Choice writes, "Well written and amply documented, Edis's book should be read by anyone who has even the remotest interest in science, religion, or both," and The Ghost in the Universe won the Morris D. Forkosch award for the outstanding secular humanist book of 2002 from the Council for Secular Humanism. The author is Assistant Professor of Physics at Truman State University and RNCSE's associate editor for physics and astronomy.

Edwards, a Roman Catholic theologian, has written a number of titles in the science–religion vein, including work on Christian environmental ethics. In this small, well-written volume, he brings insights from evolution into dialogue with trinitarian theology — the creating, self-limiting, and life-giving God — and also discusses the wisdom of God and the sinfulness of human beings. A good primer in how evolution informs contemporary Christian theology. Edwards is a Lecturer in the School of Theology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.

A hefty companion to a burgeoning academic field, The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Science includes sections on Religion and Science Across the World's Traditions, Conceiving Religion in Light of the Contemporary Sciences, The Major Fields of Religion/Science, Methodological Approaches to the Study of Religion and Science, Central Theoretical Debates in Religion and Science (including a section on Evolution, Creation, and Belief in God, with contributions by William B. Provine, Alister E. McGrath, and John F. Haught, and a section on Intelligent Design, with contributions by William A. Dembski and Robert T. Pennock), and Values Issues in Religion and Science.

Originally published in 1979, The Post-Darwinian Controversies contains three parts: a historiographical essay on the idea of the war between science and religion, a summary of the scientific debates over Darwin and evolution, and a novel analysis of the theological reactions to Darwin's ideas, centering on a detailed treatment of twenty-eight nineteenth-century theologians. Moore's book was described by Ronald L. Numbers in Isis as "one of the best [books] on the historical relations of science and religion and definitely the best on evolution and theology ... the most intelligent and most wide-ranging (both geographically and chronologically) study of evolution and theology to date."

Apparently taking students in high school or college as his primary audience, Martin is concerned to argue that there is no incompatibility in acceptance of evolution and belief in God. Reviewer Matt Young appreciates the defense of science, although he finds the discussion of science and faith inconsistent and the discussion of “theory” slightly muddled. Martin’s description of evolution scants the evidence for evolution; his description of “intelligent design” conflates it with old-earth creationism, but clearly explains that there is no evidence for “intelligent design”. Martin concludes with chapters on religion, the Bible, and what Christians ought to believe about evolution.

“This collection of essays by eleven authors, mostly representing the humanities, is a mainly British production embracing both Protestant and Catholic perspectives,” explains reviewer Daryl P. Domning. Among the authors are Denis Alexander, Francisco Ayala, Ellen Davis, Denis Edwards, David Fergusson, David Grumett, Amy Laura Hall, Neil Messer, and the two editors. “This book is a useful resource for anyone interested in its subject; I will probably use it myself as a source of readings in a planned course on evolution and its theological implications,” Domning added, despite expressing dissatisfaction with the inadequacy and inconsistency of its bibliographic material.

Murphy, who earned a PhD in physics before becoming a Lutheran pastor and seminary professor, offers an introductory course on science, theology, and ethics for the congregation, complete with thoughtful ideas for discussion and suggestions for further reading. Origins, evolution, and the church's role in promoting scientific literacy are among the issues he takes up in short focused chapters. "This comprehensive and readable work by a well-qualified and experienced scientist, theologian, and pastor fills a very important gap in the current literature regarding the new dialogue that has been emerging in recent years between science and religion", writes David E. Arthur.

A collection of historical case studies on conflict and cooperation between Christianity and science, edited by two leading historians of science, When Science and Christianity Meet includes a number of important articles relevant to the creationism/evolution controversy, such as David N. Livingstone's "Re-placing Darwinism and Christianity," Edward J Larson's "The Scopes trial in history," and Ronald L. Numbers's "Science without God: Natural laws and Christian beliefs." Reviewing the book for Isis, Peter J. Bowler wrote, "Taken together, these papers provide a comprehensive survey of current thinking on key issues in the relationships between science and religion."

In When Science Meets Religion, Barbour addresses a sampling of issues in the science-religion dialogue — the Big Bang, quantum physics, Darwin and Genesis, the question of genetic determinism, and the relationship between a free God and a law-bound universe — while modeling how further thinking and research might be approached. Like Haught in his Science and Religion, he offers four ways of considering each: conflict, independence, dialogue, and integration. It is in his discussion of the latter two that Barbour is most interesting and stimulating.

In his lively, ambitious, and engaging study, Pleins — Professor of Religious Studies at Santa Clara University — investigates the cultural significance of the story of Noah's flood, discussing the connections and conflicts among geology, archeology, myth, literature, the Bible, and popular culture. (A chapter is devoted to "Fundamentalist literalism and 'creation science'.") Michael Ruse writes, "This fascinating book opens up a completely new light on a topic about which we all think we know something and about which we learn we knew very little. One of the great myths of Western culture is seen in a completely fresh light, thanks to the labors of J. David Pleins."