Phillip Johnson’s popular work, Darwin on Trial, has helped both creationists and evolutionists refocus their arguments in their ongoing debate.  This is due to the fact that Johnson’s intent was to simply analyze the so-called evidence for evolution from the standpoint of the legal profession.  As a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley, Johnson is perfectly suited to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each particular argument.

        This volume is a welcome addition to the mountainous amount of tomes that have been offered on this topic because it provides an interesting and new viewpoint on the debate.  For the most part, Johnson intentionally avoids jumping into either the scientific or theological frays by staying focused on the strengths or weaknesses of the arguments already promulgated by the evolutionists.  This fresh new approach to the creation vs. evolution debate is a welcome development.

Darwin on Trial is one of the defining works of the rapidly growing Intelligent Design movement.  Johnson himself was recently praised as one of the fathers of this movement.[1]  For those seeking extra-biblical affirmation of divine creation, this book will not disappoint; however, Johnson should not be confused with a biblical creationist.

Johnson attempted to hold a neutral position but his biases occasionally show through.  For example, Johnson stated that he had no interest “in any claims that are based upon a literal reading of the Bible.”[2]  He went on to write, “If an omnipotent Creator exists He might have created things instantaneously in a single week or through gradual evolution over billions of years.”[3]  These remarks were made in the context of showing the erroneous judgment made by Judge Overton in the 1981 Arkansas case.  Johnson correctly pointed out that naturalistic evolution is just as much of a belief system as creation is.  The problem with Johnson’s view is that he accepts the very same philosophical naturalistic assumptions in geology and astronomy that he spends the entire book refuting concerning biology.  The vast geological and astronomical ages for the earth and universe are based on the same type of assumptions so clearly demolished by Johnson.

Christians need to be wary of aligning with Johnson and the Intelligent Design movement.  While many in this movement are born-again believers, there are many who hold different beliefs.  Mormons, Muslims, and Roman Catholics have no difficulty in believing in an Intelligent Designer but refuse to believe that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ.[4]  The goal of evangelism is not to lead someone to belief in divine creation but to lead a sinner to the Savior.  Denying the Biblical account of creation or twisting it to fit with man’s theories will serve to undermine the authority of God’s Word.  Christians need to understand that the God of the Bible created everything recently while the leaders of the Intelligent Design movement believe that He created billions of years ago.  This can only lead to confusion and eventually the doubting of God’s Word.

In the book’s later chapters, Johnson illustrates the religious nature of the belief in evolution and the fervor with which its adherents endorse it.  The tenth chapter documents this religious mentality by quoting numerous Darwinists bent on propagating their faith.  Some, such as Teilhard de Chardin have proposed a mixture of evolution and Christianity while others hold an unswerving devotion to naturalistic evolution.  The eleventh chapter is devoted to the methods evolutionists have used in an attempt to ensure that only their particular viewpoints are taught in schools.

Johnson’s book closes with an epilogue in which he responds to the critics of the first edition.  While trying to distance himself from Biblical creationists, he stated, “I am interested in what unbiased scientific investigation has to tell us about the history of life....”[5]  Throughout the epilogue he criticized the antisupernatural bias that exists among so many scientists, especially in the field of biology.  Strangely enough, Johnson is either uninterested, unaware, or worse yet, willingly ignorant of the fact that mainstream geology and astronomy are also based on naturalistic biases and assumptions.  As such, these fields are open to the same reasonable attacks that Johnson employed in this book.

Darwin on Trial is an excellent book for those interested in learning the weaknesses of Darwinian evolution.  However, from theological and scientific perspectives, the book lacks conviction.  Since Johnson attempted to avoid making theological judgments, his book may leave the reader confused as to whether or not there really is a Creator.  On several occasions Johnson made it clear that he has no trouble in accepting the vast ages proposed by secular geologists.  In doing so, he essentially attacked the Bible’s historical accuracy and weakened his own case against Darwinian evolution.