CHANGING MAN

Some time ago, Christian Century magazine published a series of articles which was, in fact, a dialogue between five scientists and five theologians on the interrelationship of evolutionary theory and Christian faith. This book is a collection of those ten essays, which set out, without polemics, the views of the scientists and theologians on the points at issue. Though the book can hardly be said to be ""unified"" in the sense that the individual pieces are wholly responsive and complementary to one another, it is, nonetheless, a successful introductory study, or primer, to the various problems that play a part in the exchange between evolutionary principles and Christian theology today. Of particular interest are Dr. Hefner's general ""The Churches and Evolution"" and Ian Barbour's ""The Significance of Teilhard,"" while Leroy Augenstein's ""Shall We Play God?"" is a polished exposition of an unusual theme: man as the inventor of do-it-yourself evolution. One or two of the scientific essays Langdon Gilkey's development of the freedom-determinism dilemma, for example--make for more difficult, though not for less rewarding, reading. On the whole, this is a superior collection on an important theme, ideal as supplemental reading for theological students.