Creationism's Trojan Horse
Encyclopedia
Creationism's Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design is a 2004 book by Barbara Forrest
and Paul R. Gross
on the origins of intelligent design
, specifically the Discovery Institute
's Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture and its wedge strategy
. The book is highly critical of what it refers to as intelligent design creationism and the authors document the intelligent design movement
's fundamentalist Christian origins and funding.
The book grew out of an essay, The Wedge at Work: How Intelligent Design Creationism Is Wedging Its Way into the Cultural and Academic Mainstream which Forrest wrote for the book Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics (2001) edited by Robert T. Pennock
. It is published by Oxford University Press
and has a foreword
by Steven Weinberg
.
It can be seen as carrying on the history of creationism
from where Ronald Numbers
's treatise The Creationists
(1992) on the "creation science
" movement, left off.
called the book "chilling", saying that "It lets one see how totalitarian religious thought can begin to take hold even of a multi-cultural free society." Karl Giberson
, editor-in-chief of the Templeton Foundation's Science & Theology News
chose it as the July's Editor's Choice and described it as a "remarkable analysis". Allan H. Harvey reviewed the book for Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, the journal of the American Scientific Affiliation
and criticized the authors' understanding of Christian theology
, but wrote that "its thoroughness makes Creationism's Trojan Horse worth reading for those who are concerned about the movement's influence on public opinion and science education."
There were also positive reviews in the scientific literature
, from Steve Olson
in Science
, by Rudolf A. Raff in Evolution & Development
, by Barry Palevitz in Bioscience and by Lawrence S. Lerner in Physics & Society.
Chris Mooney reviewing the book for his CSICOP column and used it to compare ID creationism with young earth creationism
. Biologist Bruce Grant
described the authors as "heroes", saying their work was "the most thorough introduction to that enemy [intelligent design creationism]".
The book also had endorsements from Richard Dawkins
, E.O. Wilson, Ursula Goodenough
, Massimo Pigliucci
, Eugenie C. Scott and Steven Pinker
.
, was however highly critical of Creationism's Trojan Horse. Jonathan Witt of the Discovery Institute
wrote a review in the theology journal Philosophia Christi published by the Evangelical Philosophical Society
and said that it had "erroneous reasoning" and that "on every page of the book, there is a tone of paranoia."
Witt and John G. West
of the Discovery Institute also had an article published in November 2004 edition of Science & Theology News
entitled "Unraveling The Threads of Darwinist Paranoia". A month later, Forrest and Gross wrote in Science & Theology News
, with a reply by Witt and West. Ian Musgrave contributed a letter to the editor in the February 2005 edition replying to West and Witt's reply.
for the plaintiffs at the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
intelligent design trial, in which intelligent design was ruled to be religious creationism and not science
, and thus could not be taught as science in public school classrooms of Dover, Pennsylvania
because of the Establishment clause of the US Constitution.
During the trial, pre-publication drafts of the textbook at the center of the controversy Of Pandas and People
were uncovered which revealed its creationist origins and how it had changed from using creationist terminology to using intelligent design terminology as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Edwards v. Aguillard
. This formed an important part of Forrest's testimony.
A few days before Forrest's testimony, the Discovery Institute published its own "brief history of the scientific theory of intelligent design" by Jonathan Witt, in which he attempts to diminish the importance of Edwards v. Aguillard, claiming instead that the origin of intelligent design was much older.
Barbara Forrest
Barbara Carroll Forrest is a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. She is a critic of intelligent design and the Discovery Institute.- Biography :...
and Paul R. Gross
Paul R. Gross
Paul R. Gross is a biologist and author, perhaps best known to the general public for Higher Superstition , written with Norman Levitt. Gross is the University Professor of Life Sciences at the University of Virginia; he previously served the university as Provost and Vice-President...
on the origins of intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
, specifically the Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
's Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture and its wedge strategy
Wedge strategy
The wedge strategy is a political and social action plan authored by the Discovery Institute, the hub of the intelligent design movement. The strategy was put forth in a Discovery Institute manifesto known as the Wedge Document, which describes a broad social, political, and academic agenda whose...
. The book is highly critical of what it refers to as intelligent design creationism and the authors document the intelligent design movement
Intelligent design movement
The intelligent design movement is a neo-creationist religious campaign for broad social, academic and political change to promote and support the idea of "intelligent design," which asserts that "certain features of the universe and of living things are...
's fundamentalist Christian origins and funding.
The book grew out of an essay, The Wedge at Work: How Intelligent Design Creationism Is Wedging Its Way into the Cultural and Academic Mainstream which Forrest wrote for the book Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics (2001) edited by Robert T. Pennock
Robert T. Pennock
Robert T. Pennock is a philosopher working on the Avida digital organism project at Michigan State University where he has been full professor since 2000. Pennock was a witness in the Kitzmiller v...
. It is published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
and has a foreword
Foreword
A foreword is a piece of writing sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the writer of the foreword and the book's primary author or the story the book tells...
by Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg is an American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his contributions with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Glashow to the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles....
.
It can be seen as carrying on the history of creationism
History of creationism
The history of creationism relates to the history of thought based on a premise that the natural universe had a beginning, and came into being supernaturally...
from where Ronald Numbers
Ronald Numbers
Ronald L. Numbers is an American historian of science. He was awarded the 2008 George Sarton Medal by the History of Science Society for "a lifetime of exceptional scholarly achievement by a distinguished scholar".- Biography :...
's treatise The Creationists
The Creationists
The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design is a history of the origins of anti-evolutionism, first published in 1992 by Ronald Numbers as The Creationists: The Evolution of Scientific Creationism...
(1992) on the "creation science
Creation science
Creation Science or scientific creationism is a branch of creationism that attempts to provide scientific support for the Genesis creation narrative in the Book of Genesis and disprove generally accepted scientific facts, theories and scientific paradigms about the history of the Earth, cosmology...
" movement, left off.
Contents
- Introduction
- How the Wedge Began
- The Wedge Document: A Design for Design
- Search for the Science
- Paleontology Lite and Copernican Discoveries
- A Conspiracy Hunter and a Newton
- Everything Except Science I
- Everything Except Science II
- Wedging into Power Politics
- Religion First—and Last
Reviews
Michael Cavanaugh, President of the Institute on Religion in an Age of ScienceInstitute on Religion in an Age of Science
The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science is a non-denominational society that promotes and facilitates the ongoing dialectic between religion and science. Both members of IRAS and non-members congregate at the IRAS conference held annually at Star Island in New Hampshire.-History:IRAS...
called the book "chilling", saying that "It lets one see how totalitarian religious thought can begin to take hold even of a multi-cultural free society." Karl Giberson
Karl Giberson
Karl Willard Giberson is a physicist and scholar specializing in the creation-evolution debate . He has held a teaching post since 1984, written several books, and been a member of various academic and scientific organizations.-Education:Giberson holds two Bachelor's degrees from the Eastern...
, editor-in-chief of the Templeton Foundation's Science & Theology News
Science & Theology News
Science & Theology News was a monthly international newspaper of the Templeton Foundation that focused on science and religion and dialogue between them, specifically the point of view that both are worthwhile and compatible endeavors.Harold G...
chose it as the July's Editor's Choice and described it as a "remarkable analysis". Allan H. Harvey reviewed the book for Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, the journal of the American Scientific Affiliation
American Scientific Affiliation
The American Scientific Affiliation is a Christian religious organization of scientists and people in science-related disciplines. The stated purpose is "to investigate any area relating Christian faith and science." The organization publishes a journal, Perspectives of Science and Christian Faith...
and criticized the authors' understanding of Christian theology
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
, but wrote that "its thoroughness makes Creationism's Trojan Horse worth reading for those who are concerned about the movement's influence on public opinion and science education."
There were also positive reviews in the scientific literature
Scientific literature
Scientific literature comprises scientific publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences, and within a scientific field is often abbreviated as the literature. Academic publishing is the process of placing the results of one's research into the...
, from Steve Olson
Steve Olson
Steve Olson is an actor who works for Blue Water Studios. He is best known for the voiceover as Stalker in G Gundam and Jamitov Hymem in Zeta Gundam. He also played Franklin Bidan, father of Kamille Bidan. He is currently a radio instructor at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary, Alberta.-Anime roles:*...
in Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
, by Rudolf A. Raff in Evolution & Development
Evolution & Development
Evolution & Development is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing material at the interface of evolutionary and developmental biology. Within evolutionary developmental biology, it has the aim of aiding a broader synthesis of biological thought in these two areas...
, by Barry Palevitz in Bioscience and by Lawrence S. Lerner in Physics & Society.
Chris Mooney reviewing the book for his CSICOP column and used it to compare ID creationism with young earth creationism
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
. Biologist Bruce Grant
Bruce Grant
Professor Bruce S. Grant is emeritus professor of biology at the College of William and Mary. He has a particular research interest in the peppered moth. He is a defender of the teaching of evolution and has criticized creationist Jonathan Wells, who has cited his work, as "dishonest."Grant has a...
described the authors as "heroes", saying their work was "the most thorough introduction to that enemy [intelligent design creationism]".
The book also had endorsements from Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, E.O. Wilson, Ursula Goodenough
Ursula Goodenough
Ursula W. Goodenough is a Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and author of the best selling book Sacred Depths of Nature...
, Massimo Pigliucci
Massimo Pigliucci
Massimo Pigliucci is the chair of the Department of Philosophy at CUNY-Lehman College. He is also the editor in chief for the journal . He is known as an outspoken critic of creationism and advocate of science education.-Biography:...
, Eugenie C. Scott and Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Steven Arthur Pinker is a Canadian-American experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, linguist and popular science author...
.
Response by the Discovery Institute
The main subject of the book, the Discovery InstituteDiscovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
, was however highly critical of Creationism's Trojan Horse. Jonathan Witt of the Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
wrote a review in the theology journal Philosophia Christi published by the Evangelical Philosophical Society
Evangelical Philosophical Society
Evangelical Philosophical Society is an organization devoted to the study of ethics, theology, and religion from an evangelical perspective. The organization is open to professional scholars with associate membership available to laypersons and students...
and said that it had "erroneous reasoning" and that "on every page of the book, there is a tone of paranoia."
Witt and John G. West
John G. West
John G. West is a Senior Fellow at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute , and Associate Director and Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs of its Center for Science and Culture , which serves as the main hub of the Intelligent design movement.-Biography:West received an undergraduate...
of the Discovery Institute also had an article published in November 2004 edition of Science & Theology News
Science & Theology News
Science & Theology News was a monthly international newspaper of the Templeton Foundation that focused on science and religion and dialogue between them, specifically the point of view that both are worthwhile and compatible endeavors.Harold G...
entitled "Unraveling The Threads of Darwinist Paranoia". A month later, Forrest and Gross wrote in Science & Theology News
Science & Theology News
Science & Theology News was a monthly international newspaper of the Templeton Foundation that focused on science and religion and dialogue between them, specifically the point of view that both are worthwhile and compatible endeavors.Harold G...
, with a reply by Witt and West. Ian Musgrave contributed a letter to the editor in the February 2005 edition replying to West and Witt's reply.
Research for Kitzmiller v. Dover
The research which Forrest in particular did led to her appearing as an expert witnessExpert witness
An expert witness, professional witness or judicial expert is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have expertise and specialised knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially and legally...
for the plaintiffs at the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
Tammy Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al. was the first direct challenge brought in the United States federal courts testing a public school district policy that required the teaching of intelligent design...
intelligent design trial, in which intelligent design was ruled to be religious creationism and not science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, and thus could not be taught as science in public school classrooms of Dover, Pennsylvania
Dover, Pennsylvania
Dover is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,007 at the 2010 census.-History:James Joner purchased in 1764 and laid out the town of Dover...
because of the Establishment clause of the US Constitution.
During the trial, pre-publication drafts of the textbook at the center of the controversy Of Pandas and People
Of Pandas and People
Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins is a controversial 1989 school-level textbook written by Percival Davis and Dean H. Kenyon and published by the Texas-based Foundation for Thought and Ethics...
were uncovered which revealed its creationist origins and how it had changed from using creationist terminology to using intelligent design terminology as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Edwards v. Aguillard
Edwards v. Aguillard
Edwards v. Aguillard, was a legal case about the teaching of creationism that was heard by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1987. The Court ruled that a Louisiana law requiring that creation science be taught in public schools, along with evolution, was unconstitutional because the law...
. This formed an important part of Forrest's testimony.
A few days before Forrest's testimony, the Discovery Institute published its own "brief history of the scientific theory of intelligent design" by Jonathan Witt, in which he attempts to diminish the importance of Edwards v. Aguillard, claiming instead that the origin of intelligent design was much older.
Editions
- Hardcover: 416 pages, Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (January 8, 2004) ISBN 0195157427 and ISBN 978-0195157420
- Paperback: 416 pages, Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (March 30, 2007) ISBN 0195319737 and ISBN 978-0195319736