This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 64.142.90.33 (talk) at 19:03, 4 September 2008 (reinstating another valuable portion of text that was summarily deleted by hrafn as part of his campaign to efface spirituality and New Thought pages). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 19:03, 4 September 2008 by 64.142.90.33 (talk) (reinstating another valuable portion of text that was summarily deleted by hrafn as part of his campaign to efface spirituality and New Thought pages)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Michael Dowd is a Christian preacher, itinerant "evolutionary evangelist" and advocate of what he terms evolution theology, the position that science and religious faith are not mutually exclusive, but that instead the scientific process is a tool for understanding reality, and at the heart of that reality is evolution. Dowd claims that his theology was inspired by the writings of cultural historian Thomas Berry, physicist Brian Swimme, and deep ecologist Joanna Macy.
Raised a Roman Catholic, Dowd describes himself as having been born again while serving in the United States Army in Germany in 1979, and for the next three years living within a fundamentalist culture that was strongly opposed to evolution. Thereafter he came under a more eclectic range of religious influences (including a friendship with a "Buddhist-Christian" former Trappist monk), that opened him up to first intellectual, and then spiritual, acceptance of evolution.
During the 1980s and 90s, Michael pastored three United Church of Christ congregations, worked with Unitarian Universalist, Jewish, Roman Catholic, Protestant, New Thought and Evangelical leaders across America on environmental, peace, and justice issues, and he managed government-funded Sustainable Lifestyle Campaigns on both coasts.
Dowd and his wife Connie Barlow, a science writer, travel the country teaching their "Gospel of Evolution." They present their case for "the marriage of religion and science" at events sponsred by a diverse group of denominations, including Christian, Unitarian Universalist, Unity Church, free thinker, New Thought, Religious Science, and secular humanism venues.
Dowd and Barlow use the phrase Evolution Theology to refer to a position on the science vs. religion controversy that tends toward reconciliation or synthesis. The term points broadly to those who do not see themselves on either side of the polarized debate as it is currently framed as (anti-evolutionary creationism and intelligent design on the one hand, or anti-religious atheism on the other). Theistic evolutionists, religious naturalists, evolutionary humanists, emergentists, pantheists, theosophists, and signers of the Clergy Letter Project may differ in how they integrate evolution and theology, but the fact that they do so is what is implied by the term "evolutionary theorlogy."
References
- Preacher says evolution and theology mix
- Science Meets Religion ... Amicably?
- America’s evolutionary Evangelist Michael Dowd in Sedona on Feb 7
- Evolutionary Theology: How to Love God and Science
- Dowd(2008) pp 1-6
- Leslie Palma-Simoncek (2208-08-10). "The Gospel of Evolution". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Past Speaking Itinerary of Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow
Further reading
- Dowd, Michael (2008). Thank God for Evolution. Viking. ISBN 1571782109.
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