Between Nasr and Ateş:
What understanding of
evolution do science
educators want?
Taner Edis
Department of Physics,
Truman State University
A successful creationism
• Muslim populations are
reluctant to accept evolution
(Hameed etc).
• Uneven presence of evolution
in education. State-sponsored
creationism (Turkey >80s).
• Globalized, postmodern,
media creationism. (Harun
Yahya)
2009
2
US creationism less successful
• Large public support. (Gallup
since 1980: 45% YEC, 45%
guided evolution, 10%
naturalistic evolution.)
• Creationism and ID
unacceptable in intellectual
high culture.
• Little penetration into public
education (informal, private).
2009
3
Consensus compatibilism
• Alliance between scientific
community and liberal religion.
• “Separate spheres” for
science and religion widely
accepted. Fundamentalists
and some nonreligious
scientists (Dawkins) disagree.
• Politically useful.
2009
Religion
Science
4
Guided evolution
• Appealing compromise,
outside science.
• Academic theology:
metaphysical gloss.
• Liberal churches: usefully
vague.
• Common descent OK,
naturalistic mechanisms
less so. (~ID)
2009
5
Portable to Islam?
• Scientists seek allies among
religious liberals; avoid
confrontation (Turkish
defenses of evolution).
Independent of US example.
• Some Pakistani biology
textbooks lead with Quranic
quotation. (Preemption?)
2009
6
Nonhuman guided evolution
• Many religious scholars
accept guided evolution.
• They often exclude
humans from evolution.
• 24:45 “And God created
all animals from water. . .”
• Similar to Quran-inscience apologetics.
2009
7
Does this help science?
• Interpreting polls: many Muslims who
affirm “evolution” have a guided, nonDarwinian process in mind. (~ID)
• Guided evolution does not overtly
challenge science education. But it is
not an accurate reflection of modern
science.
• Is it a politically useful compromise?
2009
8
Süleyman Ateş
• Turkish theologian.
• Modernist, moderate.
Defends evolution.
• Headed Directorate of
Religious Affairs.
• Prominent public figure,
spokesman for Turkish
official Islam.
2009
9
Ateş and pseudobiology
• Guided evolution ~ ID.
• Ancient Greek “biology”
defending “weakness” of
women, gender roles.
• Ambivalence about
human evolution.
• Typical of modernist
Turkish theologians.
2009
10
Could be worse
• Not as bad as Harun
Yahya or the creationism
of Islamists in Turkey.
• Hardly an affirmation of
evolution as biologists
understand it.
• Embedded in nonscientific view of nature.
2009
11
Seyyed Hossein Nasr
• Well known thinker
about Islam and
science, influential in
West and among
Muslim intellectuals.
• Opposes crude
puritan Islam and
special creationism.
2009
12
Nasr and pseudoscience
• Mostly accepts common
descent, strongly
opposes naturalistic
evolution.
• No natural creativity;
revive God-centered,
medieval view of
science.
2009
13
Could it be worse?
• To Nasr, secular, Darwinian
science is the worst threat.
• He has favorably cited ICR
works.
• Opposes efforts to reconcile
evolution with the Quran.
• Top-down picture of nature
demanded by religion. (~ID)
2009
14
Guided evolution in Islam
• Not the same thing as with
US Christians.
• Somewhat accommodating
toward evolution, but more
like generic ID.
• It does not represent full
acceptance of modern
science.
2009
15
Science education
• What should science
education try to achieve
in a Muslim context?
• Even in US, it’s unclear
whether liberal
compatibilism is a
success. Creationism is
still strong.
2009
16
Just the science, ma’am?
• Alternative: just teach
the science, don’t worry
about cultural
considerations? (Coyne)
• What works in an
Islamic environment,
where natural science is
institutionally weak?
2009
17