Now that it’s out in paperback, Stephen Meyer’s book is getting more attention and a wider audience. Today Professor Anthony J. Sadar has a thoughtful review of Signature in the Cell in the Washington Times, where he writes:
In “The Blind Watchmaker,” atheist Richard Dawkins proclaimed, “Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.” Now, with the paperback release of Stephen C. Meyer’s “Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design,” theists can rejoin with, “Meyer made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled theist.” Indeed, in his book, Mr. Meyer begins the chorus by stating that “as a Christian theist, I find this implication of intelligent design ‘intellectually satisfying.’ “
But, to suppose that “Signature in the Cell” is a book that argues for intelligent design (ID) from a religious or even metaphysical perspective is to suppose badly. For this book makes a strong case for ID as a rigorous scientific argument for the origin of life – at least as rigorous and scientific as any purely materialistic explanation such as neo-Darwinism.
Here’s someone who gets the methodological equivalence of Darwinian evolution and intelligent design, and no wonder, for Prof. Sadar sees good pedagogy in teaching both sides:
On a practical note, this fall at Geneva College, I will be teaching a course on “ID and Evolution,” using the most accessible information available that makes the case for both ID and evolution. For course “textbooks,” I have selected “Signature in the Cell” for the ID perspective and Richard Dawkins’ latest book, “The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution,” to defend the evolution position. I expect the course will achieve what most if not all college courses hope to achieve: an opportunity for students to gain perspective on an important topic and use critical thinking skills to judiciously evaluate contemporary ideas.
Kudos to Prof. Sadar for exposing his college students to the full debate and letting them “gain perspective” and “use critical thinking skills.” Prof. Sadar’s class should be interesting; his review certainly is, and you can read the whole thing here.