Understanding Intelligent Design: Everything You Need to Know in Plain Language

by William A. Dembski; Sean McDowell; Josh McDowell

Publisher:

Harvest House Publishers

, 2008

This compact guide lays out the basics of Intelligent Design, popularly known as ID. William Dembski, the dean of the intelligent-design movement, and Sean McDowell especially target readers whose understanding may have been confused by educational bias and one-sided arguments and attacks.

Commonsense and no-nonsense, with pointed examples, the authors explain

• the central theories of ID, showing why the presence of information and meaningful complexity require the involvement of intelligence
• why ID adheres to the scientific method and is a valid field of scientific inquiry
• why scientific evidence increasingly conflicts with evolutionary theories
• how both evolutionary theory and ID have religious/philosophical underpinnings, and why this causes so much controversy
• how both systems of thought have radical implications for our culture—and what readers can do about it

Clarifying crucial issues, this key resource gives nonspecialists a solid grasp of one of today's foundational religious-scientific-cultural concepts.

Contents

Top Highlights

“The fossil record is even more at odds with Darwin’s theory now than it was when he first proposed it.” (source)

“Why is it so important to challenge Darwinism? The problem isn’t just that Darwinism is false—lots of things are false that nobody worries about. The problem is that Darwinism is no longer merely a scientific theory, but an ideology. An ideology is an all-encompassing worldview that attempts to explain everything, often on the basis of a single principle (such as natural selection). Moreover, it demands complete obedience from our hearts and minds.” (source)

“Stephen J. Gould wrote, ‘Biology took away our status as paragons created in the image of God.’⁹ Humans are merely an accident of natural history, the result of the mindless process of evolution. We are the result of a world that creates itself. This is our origin.” (source)

“Total Truth, Nancy Pearcey defines a worldview as a mental map of reality.” (source)

“To do science, you have to believe that the world is dependable and logical.” (source)

Praise for Understanding Intelligent Design

"In my book Godless, I showed that Darwinism is the hoax of the century and, consequently, the core of the religion of liberalism. Like John the Baptist, Darwin foretold one of the key tenets of the left’s worldview: that humans are accidental descendants of earthworms, not the unique creations of an all–powerful God. Liberals respond to critics of their religion like Cotton Mather to Salem’s ‘witches.’ With this book, two more witches present themselves for burning: Sean McDowell, whose gift is communicating with young people, and Bill Dembski, often called the Isaac Newton of intelligent design. I think Dembski is more like the Dick Butkus of intelligent design. His record for tackling Darwiniacs is unmatched. This book gives young people all the ammo they need to take on Darwinism and understand the only viable scientific alternative to Darwinism: intelligent design. Every high school student in America needs a copy of Understanding Intelligent Design.”
—Ann Coulter, author of Godless: The Church of Liberalism

"This book is long overdue! Finally, an understandable, engaging, and well–written introduction to intelligent design. Understanding Intelligent Design is the best book of its type.”
—J.P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Biola University, author of Kingdom Triangle

"Bill and Sean have written a superb book that I wish I had when I was in high school—it would have spared me decades of believing in Darwinism! This book presents a crystal–clear overview of the most important and exciting development in science in our lifetime—the growing recognition that life and the cosmos reveal clear scientific evidence for design by a Mind.”
—Michael Egnor, professor and vice–chairman, department of neurosurgery, State University of New York at Stony Brook, featured in Ben Stein’s movie Expelled

"Written especially for young people, this is a lucid presentation of the philosophical and scientific factors that contribute to the debate about origins. It is a ‘must–read’ for Christian teenagers!”
—Caroline Crocker, executive director, IDEA Center, featured in Ben Stein’s movie Expelled

"Understanding Intelligent Design provides a magnificent introductory explanation of the most significant intellectual controversy of our time. I highly recommend it.”
—Phillip E. Johnson, author of Darwin on Trial

"’Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.’ So runs a quote often attributed to Einstein. Using clear and easily read prose, Dembski and McDowell do exactly this in painting a powerful and wonderfully coherent case for intelligent design.”
—Robert J. Marks II, distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering, Baylor University, featured in Ben Stein’s movie Expelled

"Intelligent design is often rejected, but rarely understood, especially by those who incessantly tell the rest of us to keep an ‘open mind.’ This is an age when sophisticated academics do not flinch at requiring public school students to watch ‘sex education’ demonstrations that involve bananas and condoms. Yet these same intellectuals insist that our children be shielded from any literature that may cast doubts on materialism. This is why ID advocates would face less resistance in our more cerebral venues if someone somewhere would just label it as pornography. But, alas, that has not happened. So, you’ll just have to discover by your lonesome self what gets Richard Dawkins’ panties in a bunch. Start by reading this book and learning something. If you wind up disagreeing with portions of it or even the whole thing, that’s okay, for many of us (me included) have issues with and questions about ID as well. But some of us are far more suspicious of the thought–police that want to protect you from this new boogeyman.”
—Francis J. Beckwith, professor of philosophy and church–state studies, Baylor University

"I once asked a juvenile felon why he chose a life of crime. His response was chilling: ‘Joel, if this is all there is, why not?’ Understanding Intelligent Design takes a great first step toward correcting such attitudes. Our schools indoctrinate young people into thinking that they are nothing more than products of time plus chance plus natural selection. ID, by contrast, shows that purpose must be added to this equation. This automatically gives young people a meaning to their existence, something to live for and something to seek after. For anyone who is struggling to understand our place in the cosmos or knows a young person who is, give them Understanding Intelligent Design.”
—Joel Borofsky, worldview blogger

Product Details

• Title : Understanding Intelligent Design: Everything You Need to Know in Plain Language
• Authors:
  • Dembski, William A.
  • McDowell, Sean
  • McDowell, Josh
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
• Publication Date: 2008
• ISBN: 9780736982979

About the Authors

William A. Dembski, PhD, speaks worldwide on intelligent design and is frequently featured in newspaper articles and on radio and TV shows, among them ABC’s Nightline and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. A mathematician, philosopher, and research professor, Dembski has published widely and is the author/editor of more than a dozen books, including The Design Inference and No Free Lunch. He lives in Texas.

Sean McDowell (PhD) is the author, coauthor, or editor of numerous books, including A New Kind of Apologist. He is an associate professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University, is an internationally recognized speaker, and blogs regularly at www.seanmcdowell.org.