When it comes to the “evolution controversy,” many people first and foremost think of the debate between proponents on the one hand and opponents of the theory of evolution on the other. Evolution versus religion—that is the conflict that has been raging for more than a century and a half, a conflict that has long since ceased to be a nuanced examination of Darwin’s theory. Rather, it is about who has the final say in the question—one that affects all people equally—of the origin of our species and of life on the planet. And here’s another constant that has persisted for more than 150 years: In this sometimes highly controversial discussion, not all facets of the theory are ever taken into account. Instead, only certain elements are selectively highlighted, then exaggerated and incorporated into one’s own argument, while moderate positions or counterarguments are ignored.

The debate began in Great Britain in the 1860s, almost immediately after Darwin published his magnum opus in 1859. What is remarkable about this is that the controversy actually arose only in response to the theory of evolution by natural selection and not earlier in response to other theories about the origin of life that had emerged since the late 18th century. It was less surprising that in Darwin’s homeland—where the theory of evolution was very quickly discussed not only among experts but also by the broader public—the lines of division were initially far less clear-cut than the sharp demarcation suggested from today’s perspective. This was fueled primarily by the emergence of creationism in the United States, which over time established itself as a religious worldview decidedly opposed to Darwinism.

Similar controversies can also be observed in other countries. Despite differing circumstances resulting from decades of the suppression of religion from public life and a different religious background among the population, countries such as Russia and China are currently facing largely identical attacks from groups critical of evolution and creationist groups. In all these cases—which are played out both as legal disputes in court and as debates over interpretive authority in the media—the issue is either to limit the influence of evolutionary theory in the public sphere, such as in schools or universities, or, on the other hand, to keep creationist views—as matters of faith—out of the teaching of scientific knowledge.

Contents of the section in the book:

• Evolution or Creation? A Controversy from Darwin’s 
  On the Origin of Species to the present day 
  Thomas Junker
• Between Harmony and Conflict: 
  Evolution and Religion in Darwin’s Homeland 
  Michael Roberts
• Darwin in the U.S.: Science and Creationism 
  John Hay and Jeffrey H. Schwartz
• Evolution and Religion in Russia from the Tsarist Era to 
  post-Soviet society 
  Mikhail B. Konachev
• Creationism in Various Cultures and Countries 
  in the West and East Today 
  Chong-Fuk Lau

Image source: [Anonymous:] “Man Is But a Worm,” in: Punch’s Almanack for 1882, Dec. 6, 1881, no page number. Digital copy from the Heidelberg University Library: Punch’s Almanack for 1882, Dec. 6, 1881, no page number, in: Heidelberg Historical Collections – Digital, URL: http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/punch_ almanack1882/0013 (as of Oct. 16, 2017). The image was kindly provided by the Heidelberg University Library under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-SA 3.0 DE, URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/ (as of October 16, 2017).