John Haught

Dr. John (Jack) F. Haught is a Roman Catholic theologian and the Landegger Distinguished Professor of Theology at Georgetown University. His area of expertise is systematic theology, with a special interest in issues of science, cosmology, ecology, and reconciling evolution and religion. He graduated from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore and subsequently received his PhD in theology from The Catholic University of America in 1970Templeton Foundation. [http://www.templeton.org/humble_approach_initiative/Ultimate-God_Matter_Information/participants/haught.html Participant biography] . Accessed 8 Dec. 2006] and was the winner of the 2002 Owen Garrigan Award in Science and Religion and the 2004 Sophia Award for Theological Excellence. [http://www2.ncseweb.org/kvd/experts/haught.pdf Report of John F. Haught, PhD] . Expert Witness Pre-Trial Statement for Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. April 1, 2005.] He was the chair of Georgetown's theology department between 1990 and 1995. [ [http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/haughtj/?PageTemplateID=94 John F. Haught] . Georgetown University site. Accessed Dec. 8, 2006]

Haught, who established the Georgetown Center for the Study of Science and Religion, is the author of several important books on the creation-evolution controversy, including "Deeper Than Darwin: The Prospect for Religion in the Age of Evolution", "God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution", and "Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution". A theistic evolutionist, Haught views science and religion as two different and noncompeting levels of explanation, asserting "Science and religion cannot logically stand in a competitive relationship with each other." [Associated Press. " [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9543398/ Theologian says intelligent design is religion] ." Sept. 30, 2005]

He testified as an expert witness for the plaintiffs in the case of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District. His opinion was that the effect of the intelligent design policy adopted by the Dover School board would "be to compel public school science teachers to present their students in biology class information that is inherently religious, not scientific in nature." He also testified that materialism, the philosophy that only matter exists, is "a belief system, no less a belief system than is intelligent design. And as such, it has absolutely no place in the classroom, and teachers of evolution should not lead their students craftily or explicitly to ... feel that they have to embrace a materialistic world-view in order to make sense of evolution." [Transcript of Proceedings of Bench Trial. [http://www.aclupa.org/downloads/Day5pmsession.pdf Testimony of John F. Haught, PhD] . Sept. 30, 2005. p. 29]

God and the New Atheism

His eight chapter book, "God and the New Atheism: A Critical Response to Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens", critiques recent bestselling New Atheist works that disparaged all religion as the cause for many of the world's problems. Haught criticizes the arguments made by authors Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens as mere recyclings of centuries old antireligious arguments. To Haught, the arguments of the New Atheists are logically and philosophically inadequate and he contrasts them to those of philosophical atheists Nietzsche, Camus, and Sartre who considered as well the negative consequences such as nihilism that potentially result from the absence of diety. The book also criticizes Dawkins, Harris and Hitchens as ignoring theology, and for dismissing it as a product of religion not derived from science. Haught explores how and why theology is indeed valid in the discussion of atheism. He asserts that theology expands religion and presents reasoned arguments in defense which atheists often ignore instead of refute. Haught also responds to the concept of God as a hypothesis, ultimately asserting that the idea of God, theologically, cannot be reduced to a series of propositions which compete with science as proposed by Dawkins.

References

Books

*"The Cosmic Adventure: Science, Religion and the Quest for Purpose", 1984, Paulist Press, ISBN 0-8091-2599-4
*"What Is God?: How to Think about the Divine", 1986, Paulist Press, ISBN 0-8091-2754-7
*"Science & Religion: From Conflict to Conversation", 1995, Paulist Press, ISBN 0-8091-3606-6
*"Science and Religion: In Search of Cosmic Purpose", 2000, Georgetown University Press 2001 reprint: ISBN 0-87840-865-7
*"God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution", 2000, Westview Press 2001 reprint: ISBN 0-8133-3878-6:* 2nd Edition of "God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution", 2008, ISBN 0-8133-4370-4
*"Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution", 2001, Paulist Press, ISBN 0-8091-3989-8
*"In Search of a God for Evolution: Paul Tillich and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin", 2002, American Teilhard Association, ISBN 0-89012-088-9
*"Deeper Than Darwin: The Prospect for Religion in the Age of Evolution", 2003, Westview Press, hardcover: ISBN 0-8133-6590-2, paperback: ISBN 0-8133-4199-X
*"The Promise of Nature: Ecology and Cosmic Purpose", 2004, Wipf & Stock Publishers, ISBN 1-59244-945-X
*"Is Nature Enough?: Meaning and Truth in the Age of Science", May 2006, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-60993-3
*"God and the New Atheism: A Critical Response to Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens", December 2007, Westminster John Knox Press, ISBN 978-0664233044

See also

*List of science and religion scholars

External links

* [http://explore.georgetown.edu/faculty/index.cfm?Action=View&NetID=haughtj John F. Haught at Georgetown University]
* [http://www.meta-library.net/cqinterv/jh-frame.html Video interviews with Dr. Haught on science and religion]
* [http://meaningoflife.tv/video.php?speaker=haught&topic=complete Video interview of Dr Haught] by Robert Wright for [http://www.meaningoflife.tv meaningoflife.tv]
* [http://www.arn.org/docs/behe/mb_godafterdarwinreview.htm Review by Michael Behe of Haught's "God After Darwin"]

Testimony in Kitzmiller

* [http://www2.ncseweb.org/kvd/experts/haught.pdf Pre-trial statement]
* [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dover/day5pm.html#day5pm7 Direct examination]
* [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dover/day5pm.html#day5pm208 Cross examination]
* [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dover/day5pm2.html#day5pm850 Redirect examination]