Description
Join us Thursday September 18th at 5:30 PM PST as we talk with our very own Chris Howell and his newly published book "Designer Science: A History of Intelligent Design in America"
Chris teaches on religion and has taught a course on C.S. Lewis at Duke University for the Religion Department. As a teacher, he has also taught undergraduate classes at Duke as well as English foreign language courses in Prague, Czech Republic.
He has also worked side jobs in video game development and sports radio. He has worked with the CS Lewis Foundation since 2010, filling various roles as Communications Associate, conference staffer, registrar, and event planner, and has worked conferences in England, Massachusetts, and California.
He has a Ph.D. American Religion (dissertation on the history of religion and science) from Duke University, a Master’s in Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School and a Bachelor’s in American history from the University of California, Riverside.
A little about the book: Though closely associated with creationism, the intelligent design movement has its own story. It is related to but different from the various forms of creationism, and it has a unique background in natural theology and conservative politics. Typically perceived today as defunct after its public defeat in the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover court case, intelligent design did not disappear, and this book makes the case that its legacy is far more significant than we might think. Though it failed to achieve its goal of remaking contemporary science, intelligent design played a crucial role in legitimizing a mindset of suspicion which has taken hold in discussions of climate change, COVID-19, and vaccine hesitancy. In today’s post-truth moment, where scientific expertise has become increasingly rejected, the volume showcases that the intelligent design movement’s most lasting effects may not be in its challenge to evolution, but in the way it influenced the public’s understanding of science and scientists. Designer Science makes the case that we are all grappling today with intelligent design’s legacy, and it offers a history of how we got here.
Date & Time
Thu, Sep 18, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM