Dean H. Kenyon
Encyclopedia
Dean H. Kenyon is Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University
and an intelligent design
proponent. He is also the author of Of Pandas and People
, a controversial book on intelligent design.
from the University of Chicago
in 1961 and a Ph.D. in biophysics
from Stanford University
in 1965. In 1965-1966 he was a National Science Foundation
Postdoctoral Fellow in Chemical Biodynamics at the University of California, Berkeley
, a Research Associate at Ames Research Center. In 1966, he started as an Assistant Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University
and became Emeritus
in 2001.
In 1969, Kenyon co-authored Biochemical Predestination with Gary Steinman. Chemist Stephen Berry explained Kenyon and Steinman's theory as "describing the following causal chain: the properties of the chemical elements dictate the types of monomers that can be formed in prebiotic syntheses, which then dictate the properties of the occurring polymers, which finally dictate the properties of the first eobionts and all succeeding cells." Kenyon's work was about virus production.
During the 1969-1970 academic year he was "on a fellowship at the Graduate Theological Union
in Berkeley, where he reviewed the contemporary literature on the relationship of science and religion." Then in 1974, he was a Visiting Scholar to Trinity College
, Oxford.
Kenyon's views changed around 1976 after exposure to the work of young earth creationists. In his own words,
In 1980, the San Francisco State University Department of Biology had a dispute over Kenyon's presentation of creationism
, then called "scientific creationism
" in Biology module 337 Evolution. At that time, Kenyon challenged anyone on the faculty to a debate on the merits of evolutionary theory versus "scientific creationism." According to SFSU biology professor John Hafernik, "There was much discussion in faculty meetings as well. Eventually the faculty voted (none opposed, seven abstentions) not to alter the description of Biology 337 to include creationism. The precedent set, in the context of the 1980 discussions, was that the Department did not support teaching creationism."
(who was displeased with the defense of the creationist position by the Arkansas attorney general Steve Clark), Kenyon left town just before he was to testify:
The Arkansas attorney general apparently threatened to sue Bird after this interference:
when it reached the Supreme Court) was decided by summary judgment
, and so never went to a full trial. Nevertheless, in written briefs and in his oral arguments, Bird relied heavily on an expert witness affidavit written by Kenyon. This affidavit is online at the TalkOrigins website. It was entered into evidence in the Kitzmiller
case as evidence that Kenyon was explicitly defending "creation science"—and advocating that it be given equal time in public schools and textbooks as the "only" alternative to evolution—while at the same time working on a public school textbook, which eventually became the first "intelligent design" book, Of Pandas and People
.
In 1987 in Edwards v. Aguillard
the Supreme Court
heard a case concerning a Louisiana Law that required "creation science" be taught on an equal basis with evolution in public schools. Anti-creationists argued that this was illegal on the basis that it violated the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution. Kenyon issued an affidavit
in that case, stating his support for creationism, and defining it thus:
, a creationist school textbook entitled Of Pandas and People
, which was published in 1989. After the Edwards decision, all references to "creationism" were replaced with "intelligent design
", with a reference to "creationists" being replaced by "design proponents". This is seen in the history of creationism
as the origin of the term intelligent design and the link between creationism and intelligent design.
In October 1992, Kenyon was told by the chair of the SFSU Biology Department to stop teaching creationism in introductory biology courses. He had been teaching creationism and intelligent design "for more than ten years," which received complaints from students and some faculty. Following the Chair's request, the faculty came out in support of Kenyon's academic freedom
and ability to teach what he wanted without administration controlling topics. After a hearing, Kenyon "won the right to teach his iconoclastic view of the evolution of life." Kenyon claimed objections to his teaching rested on a positivist view of what constitutes legitimate science.
Following the controversy, Kenyon entered talks with what became the Discovery Institute
, including Stephen C. Meyer
, Phillip E. Johnson
, William Dembski and Michael Behe
. He then became a Fellow of the Discovery Institute
, which he remains today. The Institute is the driving force behind the intelligent design movement
. In Winter 1996, Kenyon's co-authored paper, "The RNA World: A Critique," appeared in Origins and Design, a now defunct creationist journal where he was on the Editorial Advisory Board. He continued publicly arguing in favor of creationism, notably at the 1998 International Conference on Creationism. Currently, Kenyon is a speaker, writer, and board member for the Kolbe Center, a Catholic YEC group.http://kolbecenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82&Itemid=82 In 2009, Kenyon endorsed young Earth creationist book promoted by the Center.
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
and an 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...
proponent. He is also the author of 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...
, a controversial book on intelligent design.
Career
Kenyon received a BSc in physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1961 and a Ph.D. in biophysics
Biophysics
Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems...
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1965. In 1965-1966 he was a National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
Postdoctoral Fellow in Chemical Biodynamics at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, a Research Associate at Ames Research Center. In 1966, he started as an Assistant Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
and became Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
in 2001.
In 1969, Kenyon co-authored Biochemical Predestination with Gary Steinman. Chemist Stephen Berry explained Kenyon and Steinman's theory as "describing the following causal chain: the properties of the chemical elements dictate the types of monomers that can be formed in prebiotic syntheses, which then dictate the properties of the occurring polymers, which finally dictate the properties of the first eobionts and all succeeding cells." Kenyon's work was about virus production.
During the 1969-1970 academic year he was "on a fellowship at the Graduate Theological Union
Graduate Theological Union
The Graduate Theological Union ' is a consortium of nine independent theological schools, and eleven centers and affiliates. Eight of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962. It maintains the Graduate Theological Union Library, one of the most...
in Berkeley, where he reviewed the contemporary literature on the relationship of science and religion." Then in 1974, he was a Visiting Scholar to Trinity College
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, Oxford.
Kenyon's views changed around 1976 after exposure to the work of young earth creationists. In his own words,
- "Then in 1976, a student gave me a book by A.E. Wilder-Smith, The Creation of Life: A Cybernetic Approach to Evolution. Many pages of that book deal with arguments against Biochemical Predestination, and I found myself hard-pressed to come up with a counter-rebuttal. Eventually, several other books and articles by neo-creationists came to my attention. I read some of Henry MorrisHenry M. MorrisHenry Madison Morris was an American young earth creationist and Christian apologist. He was one of the founders of the Creation Research Society and the Institute for Creation Research...
' books, in particular, The Genesis FloodThe Genesis FloodThe Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications is a 1961 book by young earth creationists John C. Whitcomb and Henry M...
. I'm not a geologist, and I don't agree with everything in that book, but what stood out was that here was a scientific statement giving a very different view of earth history. Though the book doesn't deal with the subject of the origin of life per se, it had the effect of suggesting that it is possible to have a rational alternative explanation of the past."
In 1980, the San Francisco State University Department of Biology had a dispute over Kenyon's presentation of creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
, then called "scientific creationism
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...
" in Biology module 337 Evolution. At that time, Kenyon challenged anyone on the faculty to a debate on the merits of evolutionary theory versus "scientific creationism." According to SFSU biology professor John Hafernik, "There was much discussion in faculty meetings as well. Eventually the faculty voted (none opposed, seven abstentions) not to alter the description of Biology 337 to include creationism. The precedent set, in the context of the 1980 discussions, was that the Department did not support teaching creationism."
Court cases
Kenyon was recruited as an expert in two notable cases about "creation science" during the 1980s.McLean v. Arkansas
In 1981, Kenyon was recruited to be an expert witness for the creationist side in the McLean vs. Arkansas case that tested the constitutionality of Arkansas' Equal Time Legislation that mandated equal time for "creation science" and "evolution science." Kenyon flew to Arkansas to be deposed and testify during the trial. However, apparently under the influence of creationist attorney Wendell BirdWendell Bird
Wendell Bird is an attorney practicing in Atlanta, Georgia who concentrates primarily in litigation and in tax laws affecting exempt organizations. He is a senior partner at an Atlanta law firm....
(who was displeased with the defense of the creationist position by the Arkansas attorney general Steve Clark), Kenyon left town just before he was to testify:
- "The attorney general presented six science witnesses, two more than had testified for the ACLU, presumably on the grounds that quantity made up for evident lack of quality. There would have been more had not a serious case of disappearing witnesses set in as the second week wore on. Dean Kenyon, a biologist from San Francisco State University, fled town after watching the demolition of four of the state's witnesses on day 1 of the second week. And Henry Voss, a computer scientist from California, was rapidly withdrawn at the last minute when, in pretrial deposition, he too began to expound on things satanic and demonical."
The Arkansas attorney general apparently threatened to sue Bird after this interference:
- There were other witnesses for the defense who did not show up. Several scientists who had been listed as potential witnesses for the state, backed out because of what Clark termed "peer pressure."
- Another state witness, Dr. Dean Kenyon, a biophysicist at San Francisco State University, mysteriously disappeared on the eve of his day in court. He had flown into Little Rock on a Sunday evening, but when one of Clark's assistants went to take his deposition he could not find him. Kenyon had checked out of the hotel and flown back home. Bird had encouraged Kenyon not to testify, although Kenyon taught evolution theory for 16 years until three years ago when he became a creationist. Bird, who is general counsel to ICRInstitute for Creation ResearchThe Institute for Creation Research is a Christian institution in Dallas, Texas that specializes in education, research, and media promotion of Creation Science and Biblical creationism. The ICR adopts the Bible as an inerrant and literal documentary of scientific and historical fact as well as...
, said he attempted to get other defense witnesses not to testify after he perceived the trial as botched by Clark.
- Bird said he was not trying to sabotage Clark's effort. He said he merely had told several witnesses for the state that "I don't think you should jeopardize your reputation with the way [the trial] is being handled." Clark stated he was considering legal action against Bird, whose actions, he said, were "tantamount to tampering with justice."
Edwards v. Aguillard
Following the McLean ruling, which declared the teaching of "creation science" in public schools to be an unconstitutional establishment of religion, Louisiana's version of the "Equal Time" legislation was put to the test. This time, Wendell Bird was deputized by the state and ran the state's defense of the law. Dean Kenyon was advertised as the creationists' lead expert witness, however the case (which eventually became Edwards v. AguillardEdwards 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...
when it reached the Supreme Court) was decided by summary judgment
Summary judgment
In law, a summary judgment is a determination made by a court without a full trial. Such a judgment may be issued as to the merits of an entire case, or of specific issues in that case....
, and so never went to a full trial. Nevertheless, in written briefs and in his oral arguments, Bird relied heavily on an expert witness affidavit written by Kenyon. This affidavit is online at the TalkOrigins website. It was entered into evidence in the Kitzmiller
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...
case as evidence that Kenyon was explicitly defending "creation science"—and advocating that it be given equal time in public schools and textbooks as the "only" alternative to evolution—while at the same time working on a public school textbook, which eventually became the first "intelligent design" book, 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...
.
In 1987 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...
the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
heard a case concerning a Louisiana Law that required "creation science" be taught on an equal basis with evolution in public schools. Anti-creationists argued that this was illegal on the basis that it violated the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution. Kenyon issued an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
in that case, stating his support for creationism, and defining it thus:
Creation-science means origin through abrupt appearance in complex form, and includes biological creation, biochemical creation (or chemical creation), and cosmic creation. (...) Creation-science does not include as essential parts the concepts of catastrophismCatastrophismCatastrophism is the theory that the Earth has been affected in the past by sudden, short-lived, violent events, possibly worldwide in scope. The dominant paradigm of modern geology is uniformitarianism , in which slow incremental changes, such as erosion, create the Earth's appearance...
, a world-wide flood, a recent inception of the earth or lifeYoung Earth creationismYoung 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...
, from nothingness (ex nihiloEx nihiloEx nihilo is a Latin phrase meaning "out of nothing". It often appears in conjunction with the concept of creation, as in creatio ex nihilo, meaning "creation out of nothing"—chiefly in philosophical or theological contexts, but also occurs in other fields.In theology, the common phrase creatio ex...
), the concept of kinds, or any concepts from Genesis or other religious texts.
Recent work
During the Edwards v. Aguillard Kenyon was co-authoring with Percival DavisPercival Davis
See also Clifford Grey, whose real name was Percival Davis.Percival William Davis, also known as Bill Davis, is an American author, young earth creationist, and intelligent design proponent.-Education and career:...
, a creationist school textbook entitled 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...
, which was published in 1989. After the Edwards decision, all references to "creationism" were replaced with "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...
", with a reference to "creationists" being replaced by "design proponents". This is seen in 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...
as the origin of the term intelligent design and the link between creationism and intelligent design.
In October 1992, Kenyon was told by the chair of the SFSU Biology Department to stop teaching creationism in introductory biology courses. He had been teaching creationism and intelligent design "for more than ten years," which received complaints from students and some faculty. Following the Chair's request, the faculty came out in support of Kenyon's academic freedom
Academic freedom
Academic freedom is the belief that the freedom of inquiry by students and faculty members is essential to the mission of the academy, and that scholars should have freedom to teach or communicate ideas or facts without being targeted for repression, job loss, or imprisonment.Academic freedom is a...
and ability to teach what he wanted without administration controlling topics. After a hearing, Kenyon "won the right to teach his iconoclastic view of the evolution of life." Kenyon claimed objections to his teaching rested on a positivist view of what constitutes legitimate science.
Following the controversy, Kenyon entered talks with what became 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...
, including Stephen C. Meyer
Stephen C. Meyer
Stephen C. Meyer is an American scholar, philosopher and advocate for intelligent design. He helped found the Center for Science and Culture of the Discovery Institute , which is the main organisation behind the intelligent design movement. Before joining the DI, Meyer was a professor at...
, Phillip E. Johnson
Phillip E. Johnson
Phillip E. Johnson is a retired UC Berkeley law professor and author. He became a born-again Christian while a tenured professor and is considered the father of the intelligent design movement...
, William Dembski and Michael Behe
Michael Behe
Michael J. Behe is an American biochemist, author, and intelligent design advocate. He currently serves as professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and as a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture...
. He then became a Fellow 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...
, which he remains today. The Institute is the driving force behind 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...
. In Winter 1996, Kenyon's co-authored paper, "The RNA World: A Critique," appeared in Origins and Design, a now defunct creationist journal where he was on the Editorial Advisory Board. He continued publicly arguing in favor of creationism, notably at the 1998 International Conference on Creationism. Currently, Kenyon is a speaker, writer, and board member for the Kolbe Center, a Catholic YEC group.http://kolbecenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82&Itemid=82 In 2009, Kenyon endorsed young Earth creationist book promoted by the Center.
Works by Kenyon
- Kenyon DH, Steinman G. Biochemical Predestination. McGraw Hill Text (January, 1969) ISBN 0-07-034126-5.
- Davis PW, Kenyon DH. Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins. Foundation for Thought & Ethics; 2nd edition (September, 1993) ISBN 0-914513-40-0.
- Steinman G, Kenyon DH, Calvin M. The mechanism and protobiochemical relevance of dicyanamide-medicated peptide synthesis. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1966 Aug 24;124(2):339-50. PMID 5968904
- Smith AE, Kenyon DH. Is life originating de novo? Perspect Biol Med. 1972 Summer;15(4):529-42. PMID 5040075
- Smith AE, Kenyon DH. The origin of viruses from cellular genetic material. Enzymologia. 1972 Jul 31;43(1):13-8. PMID 5050651
- Smith AE, Kenyon DH. A unifying concept of carcinogenesis and its therapeutic implications. Oncology. 1973;27(5):459-79. PMID 4578174
- Smith AE, Kenyon DH. Acupuncture and A.T.P.: how they may be related. Am J Chin Med (Gard City N Y). 1973 Jan;1(1):91-7. PMID 4774360
- Kenyon DH. On terminology in origin of life studies. Orig Life. 1975 Jul;6(3):447-9. PMID 1187108
- Nissenbaum A, Kenyon DH, Oro J. On the possible role of organic melanoidin polymers as matrices for prebiotic activity. J Mol Evol. 1975 Dec 29;6(4):253-70. PMID 1542
- Kenyon DH, Nissenbaum A. Melanoidin and aldocyanoin microspheres: implications for chemical evolution and early precambrian micropaleontology. J Mol Evol. 1976 Apr 9;7(3):245-51. PMID 778393
External links
- Dean H. Kenyon from Discovery InstituteDiscovery InstituteThe Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
. - Kenyon's affidavit for Edwards v. AguillardEdwards v. AguillardEdwards 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...