Faith & Science Icon Faith & Science
Intelligent Design Icon Intelligent Design

Twenty Intelligent Design Resources: A Christmas Shopping List

Christmas-Resources-ENV-3.gif

It’s never too early to start shopping. What do you get for the person who has everything — everything, that is, except for a complete library of intelligent design-related resources in various media? Behold, the answer to your question, grouped by categories:

For a big surprise: Science & Faith: Friends or Foes? Alaska Cruise, July 26th – August 2nd, 2014. If you know someone who is passionate about the study of intelligent design and the debate over Darwinian evolution, this is the perfect Christmas gift to surprise them with.

Discovery Institute Cruise

Science

Darwin’s Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design, by Stephen C. Meyer. Landing at #7 on the New York Times bestseller List, Darwin’s Doubt had an explosive debut this summer. Expanding on the compelling case he presented in his last book, Signature in the Cell, Meyer argues that the theory of intelligent design is ultimately the best explanation for the origin of the Cambrian animals. If you haven’t picked up the seminal work on ID in 2013, this is a must-have on your Christmas wish list.

Discovering-ID.pngDiscovering Intelligent Design, by Gary Kemper, Hallie Kemper, and Casey Luskin. This highly anticipated curriculum for homeschoolers and private school students was greeted with enthusiasm by parents and educators alike when it was released in May of this year. The multimedia curriculum — complete with textbook, workbook with learning activities, and corresponding DVD — explores various facets of intelligent design including the origin and development of the universe, the origin of biological complexity, the fossil record’s dearth of unambiguous evidence for universal common descent, and the broader cultural debate over ID. The curriculum is recommended for middle school ages and up. The textbook by itself is a great introduction to ID for a general audience.

science-&-human-origins.pngScience and Human Origins, by Ann Gauger, Douglas Axe, and Casey Luskin. This book challenges the claim that undirected natural selection is capable of building a human being. The authors confront the idea that humans and apes are related through common ancestry, and debunk recent claims that the human race could not have started from an original couple. This book is great for anyone interested in fossils and genetics as they relate to human history.

Nature’s Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe, by Michael Denton. A follow-up to Michael Denton’s groundbreaking Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (published in the late 1980s) Nature’s Destiny demonstrates how the cosmos is uniquely fit for life and was designed with the emergence of mankind as its primary purpose. This book offers a unique case for intelligent design, largely focused around biochemistry. It is highly recommended for those interested in biology as well as natural philosophy, and for anyone gaining a sense of awe about the universe.

Understanding Intelligent Design: Everything You Need to Know in Plain Language, by William Dembski and Sean McDowell. This compact guide lays out the basics of intelligent design: the central theory of ID, why ID is a valid science, why scientific evidence increasingly conflicts with evolutionary theories, and more. This is a great primer on ID and is especially appropriate for high school and college students, and for students of life.

Faith and Worldview

God and Evolution: Protestants, Catholics, and Jews Explore Darwin’s Challenge to Faith, edited by Jay Richards. This volume addresses the issue of whether one can coherently maintain theistic beliefs and still hold to robust Darwinism. God and Evolution is ideal for use in small groups and adult Sunday School classes, and each chapter comes with discussion questions and downloadable video clips to facilitate educational use. Visit the website for these resources, where a free discussion/study guide is also available for download.

True U: Does God Exist?, featuring Stephen Meyer. Dr. Meyer uses design arguments to make a case for the existence of God. It’s aimed at training high school students for the rigorous challenges to their faith that will come on the college campus, particularly in the biology classroom. Recommended for high school and college students, and for anyone who ever wanted to have Dr. Meyer as his or her professor.

Science & Faith: Friends or Foes?, by C. John "Jack" Collins. Many people worry that science undermines faith. Instead of fearing scientific discovery, Dr. Collins beautifully demonstrates that we should delight in the natural world and study it. This book is for anyone looking for an introduction to Christian engagement with science.

Westminster Conference on Science & Faith DVDs. The Westminster Conference on Science & Faith is a series co-hosted by Westminster Theological Seminary and Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture. Held in greater Philadelphia area in the spring each year, this annual event explores cutting-edge themes at the intersection of science and faith. Each DVD features over 10 hours of conference presentations. Previous years’ DVDs are offered at a steep discount.

The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions, by David Berlinski. This is a brilliant, incisive, and funny book that explores the limits of science and the pretensions of those who insist it is the ultimate touchstone for understanding our world. In response to the wave of vocal new atheists in recent years, Berlinski delivers a biting, entertaining defense of religious thought.

History, Culture, and Philosophy

The Magician’s Twin: C.S. Lewis on Science, Scientism, and Society, edited by John G. West. Best-selling author C.S. Lewis was a prophetic critic of the growing influence of scientism in modern society and the misguided effort to apply science to areas outside its proper bounds. In this wide-ranging collection of essays, contemporary writers probe Lewis’s warnings about the dehumanizing impact of scientism on ethics, politics, faith, reason, and science itself. Issues explored include Lewis’s views on bioethics, eugenics, evolution, intelligent design, and what he called "scientocracy." A must-have for fans of C.S. Lewis and science.

A Meaningful World: How the Arts and Science Reveal the Genius of Nature, by Benjamin Wiker and Jonathan Witt. In this book, Wiker and Witt reveal a cosmos charged with both meaning and purpose. Their journey begins with Shakespeare and ranges through Euclid’s geometry, the fine-tuning of the laws of physics, the periodic table of the elements, the artistry of ordinary substances like carbon and water, the intricacy of biological organisms, and the irreducible drama of scientific exploration itself. In their exploration of the cosmos, Wiker and Witt find all the challenges and surprises, all of the mystery and elegance one expects from a work of genius. This book is for the artist and the artist at heart.

A Rat Is a Pig Is a Dog Is a Boy: The Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement, by Wesley J. Smith. A Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism, Smith spells out the ethical implications of blurring the human-animal distinction, showing the truth of human exceptionalism and why "animal rights" (not to be confused with animal welfare, which is humane and good) pose a threat to human rights. Highly recommended for anyone interested in bioethics and controversies in science.

Alfred Russel Wallace: A Rediscovered Life, by Michael Flannery. This is the story of how the co-founder of the theory of evolution, who actually prompted Charles Darwin to publish the Origin of Species, came to articulate, embrace and defend intelligent design. Darwin defenders would rather that you not hear this story, which is exactly why you should read it!

Knowledge & Power: The Information Theory of Capitalism and How it is Revolutionizing our World, by George Gilder. Bestselling author and Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth, Poverty, and Morality, George Gilder recently published what has been hailed as a "game-changer" in the field of economics. Drawing deeply on information theory, Gilder breaks away from the supply-side model of economics to present a new economic paradigm: the epic conflict between the knowledge of entrepreneurs on one side, and the blunt power of government on the other. The knowledge of entrepreneurs, and their freedom to share and use that knowledge, are the sparks that light up the economy and set its gears in motion. This book is for those who are fascinated by the power of information, not just in the cosmos, but in our familiar world of daily life, and wealth and poverty.

Films

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. This one has become a cult classic for a good reason. With dry-witted Ben Stein at the helm, Expelled documents the plight of scientists and scholars who dare to question the claims of Darwinian evolutionary theory. This movie is ideal for rebels and champions of academic freedom.

darwins-dilemma.pngThe Magician’s Twin. A new documentary examining C.S. Lewis’s views on science, evolution, and intelligent design. The DVD has just been released in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Lewis’s death on November 22, 2013. The full documentary can be purchased online, or viewed in segments at CSLewisWeb.com.

Flight: The Genius of Birds,Metamorphosis: The Beauty & Design of Butterflies, and Darwin’s Dilemma: The Mystery of the Cambrian Fossil Record. Illustra Media continues to put out top quality films on intelligent design. Their latest production, Flight, is a breathtaking look into the world of birds — their development, their ability to fly, their migration patterns — offering compelling evidence for design in animal biology. In the same vein, Metamorphosis examines butterflies, creatures that have fascinated scientists and artists alike with their profound mystery and beauty. Flight and Metamorphosis are great intelligent design primers for your less science-oriented friends, as anyone with a pulse can appreciate birds and butterflies. Darwin’s Dilemma digs deep into fossil history to explore the mystery of the Cambrian explosion, the geologically sudden appearance of dozens of major complex animals without any trace of gradual transitional steps (in contrast to what Charles Darwin predicted). Where did the information come from to build all these life forms? This is a perfect introduction or companion to Stephen Meyer’s book Darwin’s Doubt. A handy discussion guide for Darwin’s Dilemma can be found at the DVD’s associated website.

Janine Sofelt

Janine (Dixon) Solfelt is an Educational Outreach Coordinator with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. She has a BA in political science and an emphasis in business, and she has been working in development and outreach at Discovery Institute since 2006. Before coming to Discovery Institute, she worked with the National Association of Evangelicals in Washington, DC.

Share

Tags

Science