THE BIG ACCOMODATIONISM DEBATE

In January 2009 Edge presented a special event: "Does The Empirical Nature of Science Contradict the Revelatory Nature Of Faith" a Reality Club conversation on Jerry Coyne's New Republic piece "Seeing and Believing. The never-ending attempt to reconcile science and religion, and why it is doomed to fail'. In the piecem Coyne reviewed two books, Saving Darwin: How to be a Christian and Believe in Evoluion by Karl W. Giberson, and Only A Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America's Soul by Kenneth R. Miller.

Participating in the conversation were Lawrence Krauss, Howard Gardner, Lisa Randall, Patrick Bateson, Daniel Everett, Daniel C. Dennett , Lee Smolin, Emanuel Derman, Karl W. Giberson, Kenneth R. Miller, Sam Harris, Steven Pinker, and Michael Shermer.

The conversation has now shifted to what is now being called "accomodationism". Coyne writes:

The Big Debate continues about whether faith and science are compatible and whether scientists should criticize those religious people who agree with them about matters like evolution. Several people, however, have complained that discussion is spread out among so many places — and people — that it’s confusing to follow, especially now that Jason Rosenhouse, Kenneth Miller, "Erratic synapse" (somebody please tell me who he/she is), and the indefatigable P. Z. Myers have weighed in. I believe that John Brockman is going to post all this stuff on the Edge website, but until then here are the links in chronological (and philosphical) order. I think I’ve gotten them all.

Ken Miller has posted a robust riposte to my critique of accommodation (link below), which is cited in a new post by Mooney; I will respond to both of these in due time. In the meantime, P. Z. has written an equally robust response to Miller, and Jason has weighed in again.

Here are the relevant links:

Jerry Coyne: Does The Empirical Nature of Science Contradict the Revelatory Nature Of Faith

Coyne: Seeing and Believing. The never-ending attempt to reconcile science and religion, and why it is doomed to fail.

Coyne: Truckling to the Faithful: A Spoonful of Jesus Helps Darwin Go Down

Chris Mooney: Atheists for Common Cause With the Religious On Evolution

Coyne: Accommodationism and the nature of our world

Mooney: Civility and the New Atheists

Coyne: Chris Mooney and Barbara Forrest love the faithful more than me

Mooney: Why Evolution is True, But Coyne is Wrong About Religion, Part I: The "Shut Up" Canard

Mooney: Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself

Mooney: Why Evolution is True, But Coyne is Wrong About Religion, Part II: Lessons of Dover Discover

"Erratic synapse" at Daily Kos: On "new atheists" and religious moderates, Mooney is wrong.

Coyne: Did Chris Mooney tell me to shut up?

Jason Rosenhouse: Mooney on Dover

Coyne: Rosenhouse vs. Mooney

Mooney: Why Evolution is True, But Coyne is Wrong About Religion, Part III: Understanding the Limits of Methodological Naturalism

Rosenhouse: Methodological Naturalism

Coyne: More on Mooney and accommodationism (with a note on Rosenhouse)

Mooney: Ken Miller: "Why Jerry Coyne is Wrong"

Ken Miller: Thoughts of an "Ardent Theist," or Why Jerry Coyne is Wrong

P. Z. Myers: Theistic evolutionist beats hasty retreat

Rosenhouse: Miller Joins the Party

Russell Blackford: NOMA no more - the great accommodationism debate [...]

Jerry Coyne: Brown + Ruse vs. Myers: Are atheists responsible for creationism? [...]

PZ Myers: A little sympathy for the snookered [...]

Coyne: Science vs. theism: a debate with Kenneth Miller. Part II: Out of context [...]