Seeking Good Debate

“Original, theoretically rich, and potentially groundbreaking, this book brings serious empirical scrutiny directly to questions of religion, science, and deliberative democracy. Carefully investigating how people want deliberation to work, then how it actually works, Michael S. Evans successfully moves the debate forward a quantum leap.”—Andrew J. Perrin, Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

“Michael Evans moves the whole conversation about religion and science from one about conflict to one about what constitutes good debate in American society. As he well argues, ‘ultimately our shared commitment . . . offers hope for our shared future.’ Anyone who cares about good public debate should read this book!”—Elaine Howard Ecklund, Autrey Chair in Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology, Rice University

“The religion and science debate has long been central in the public imagination, but, incredibly, until now scholars have not examined the debate itself. In this wonderfully well-written book, Michael Evans takes the scholarship to the next stage. This is the most sophisticated treatment of religion and science in the public sphere available. A great accomplishment!”—John H. Evans, Professor of Sociology, University of California, San Diego