Here’s a radio broadcast from some folks countering the Intelligent Design movement with Evolutionary Spirituality. Let me clarify, this movement doesn’t arise only in resistance to ID, but it does seem to come from the opposite end of the religious spectrum. I played it as I worked on the previous post. I found it interesting because the hosts, Connie Barlow & Michael Dowd, do engage in direct discourse with the ID folks. I find myself in agreement with many of their ideas but part of me recoils at the tone: it is proselytizing. (I guess their intent is “only” to evangelize but the line between the two is blurry.)
Tom Atlee sent the link and excerpt:
“Can evolutionary science and religious faith ultimately find common ground? And moreover, is it possible that evolution might not only be reconciled with religion, but in fact become the very foundation of a rich, new spiritual vision? For Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd, the answer is an unequivocal yes. For the past four years Connie and Michael have been traveling continuously throughout the U.S. and Canada sharing their passion for what they call evolutionary spirituality, with religious and secular audiences across the spectrum of belief. Michael Dowd points out, “Understanding a new directionality to the flow of evolution as a whole is leading to an emergence of greater complexity, interdependence, cooperation on a larger and wider scale.” In addition to being life partners and perpetual travelers, these evolutionary evangelists share a commitment to helping birth a hopeful new paradigm, in which science and spirit come together and give us the inspiration to transform the world. (Hosted by Craig Hamilton)
A biologist by training, Connie Barlow is best known as a writer of popular science books, including Evolution Extended (MIT Press 1995), GreenSpace/Green Time: The Way of Science (Copernicus 1997) and The Ghosts of Evolution (Basic Books 2002). Michael Dowd is a former pastor and the author of EarthSpirit: A Handbook for Nurturing an Ecological Christianity (Twenty Third Pubns 1991).”