“Death creates an economy that makes life precious. One of the ways of naming that preciousness is friendship.”
Stanley Hauerwas


Michael Ruse

Professor Michael Ruse is an eminent philosopher of science, author of numerous books and a tenured professor at Florida State University.

He has spent a career observing and commenting on the cultural struggle between creationists and evolutionists. An avowed unbeliever, he nonetheless argues for a space for religion and science to engage in respectful, informed dialogue and for opponents to appreciate each other’s intellectual history.

Professor Ruse believes Christian faith can be reconciled with evolutionary theory, and as we found out, has some harsh criticisms for Richard Dawkins and the New Atheists.

Click on the links below to watch our interviews with him or listen to the full interview on our podcast.

Is there a scientific 'worldview'?

The trouble with Richard Dawkins

Ruse - 'Why I'm not a Christian.'

Darwinism: the 'bastard child of Christianity

Science and Christianity: 'missing links'

Culture Clash

Faith in an age of science


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15-Mar-2009 09:44 PM Anonymous 5 out of 5 stars
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22-Mar-2009 10:07 PM Roger Morris 5 out of 5 stars
As a budding Christian philosopher, the interview with this pleasant and respectful man reminds us all that the ability to offer rational and well-reasoned arguments in support of Christianity is one thing, but the Gospel is still foolishness to those who lack the Holy Spirit. Rational arguments may bring an element of respect from atheists, but it is the Holy Spirit alone who is able to bring these people to a saving knowledge of Christ.
03-Apr-2009 09:48 AM Anonymous 1 out of 5 stars
Hey Roger, don’t underestimate yourself. You may be just starting out as a Christian philosopher but you’ve scored a hole in one as far as their modus operandi goes. i.e. “Use reason and evidence wherever you can. But don’t panic if you run into a brick wall. You can always appeal that warm inner glow of self-confidence that you are right - regardless of how unpersuasive (if not downright bizarre) your arguments might appear to the vast majority of philosophers. Even better, that sense of ‘being right’ you have is not a mere delusion, jacked up by hubris. No, not at all. It’s provided by (the one third of) an invisible and immaterial (tripartite) Being that lives inside you and (sort of) speaks to you – a being to which, sadly, the opposition have no access. Which, of course, explains entirely why they don’t share your confidence.” Keep this up, Roger, and you’ll have a bright future at some American Christian university. They’ll be more than happy to exploit your PhD; and you'll be able to look back at your life, content in the knowledge that you’ll have wasted your best years defending an elaborate fairytale. Best wishes, Anon.
30-Mar-2010 07:32 PM Anonymous 3 out of 5 stars
Come now, Anon. How is it that Roger is wasting his life on a fairytale any more than the evolutionary scientist who spends his life defending the big bang? Neither the big bang nor creation are falsifiable using the scientific method, and why does Roger waste his life while, somehow, a scientist provides some sort of beneficial contribution? The only way Roger wastes his life atheism is true and there is no God or afterlife. The only way the scientist wastes his life is if Christianity is true and there is a God and an afterlife.

Why do non-believers and believers always tend to argue one way or the other? I'm beginning to agree with Ruse in that the debate is not really over the scientific evidence, but over the same old moral issues that have been argued about again and again. It's similar to the politicians. They get up on their platform during an election and no matter what party you belong to, you favorite politician promises to solve certain issues: health care, social security and taxation. The problem is, these have been the main issues at every election since I have been alive. Nothing changes and no one solves anything.

It is the same for the Creation/Evolution debate. They are not really arguing over bones in the dirt, they are arguing over 'belief systems' or competing 'worldviews'. This issue will never be resolved and will never be finished until 1) Christ returns and sends all evolutionists to hell or 2) Creationists all die out and the evolutionists start fighting each other again. Hey, that sounds like the history of Christianity. Maybe evolution is just the next world dominating religion of the new millennia! But, wouldn't that mean we were buddhist and subject to karma: what comes around goes around? Best wishes to you too, Anon. From heretic.
04-Aug-2010 06:55 AM JR Price 3 out of 5 stars
I think Roger is right although I think it is more hubris and pride that keeps people from submitting to the rational and well-presented arguments. Humility is the most precious and rare commodity among the learned. The phrase "I was wrong" is almost NEVER heard in academia.

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