In Science and Religion: Are They Compatible, Alvin Plantinga argues that proponents of naturalism - such as Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett - tell us that according to the theory of evolution, neither God nor any other agent designed or created the living world, and this development therefore clearly contradicts the central tenet of theistic religion (which Dennett calls "entirely gratuitous fantasy"). If what these experts say is true, and we need to understand evolution only in context. of naturalistic and unguided evolution, “then evolutionary theory is profoundly incompatible with theistic religion, whether Christian… or Jewish.” However, Plantinga points out that evolution does not need to be interpreted this way, and therefore religion does not need to be interpreted this way. be held in such opposition to science. Christian and Jewish proponents require only that "God intended to create creatures of a certain kind...intended that there should be creatures of that kind...and acted to accomplish that intention", and a Such a statement is clearly consistent with evolution. theory insofar as naturalism is not a necessary requirement of the theory itself. In this article, I will explore the positions of the Jewish and Muslim religions in relation to the question of evolutionary theory and, more explicitly, attempt to draw comparisons between Judaism and Christianity to determine whether popular religion is truly as fiercely opposed to evolutionary theory as popular religion is. Dawkins or Dennett suggest. If the works of Keith Ward, John Haught, and John Polkinghorne are to be used as a reference, my hypothesis is that evolutionary theory has been reconciled and adopted by many theologians and people of faith across the spectrum of religious tradition. .... middle of article...... Become a battleground between science and religion, "Jewish Action, 67, no. 1 (2006): 12-15, http://ou.org. s3.amazonaws. com/pdf/ja/5767/fall67/12-16.pdf (accessed May 4, 2014), “Torah and Madda? Jewish Tradition and the Challenge of Darwinism, eds. Geoffrey Cantor and Marc Swetlitz (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2006), 196. Joel Wolowelsky, “Teaching Evolution at Yeshiva High School,” Ten Da'at: A Journal of Jewish Education, 10, no. 1 (1997): 15, http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/english/education/evolution-1.htm (accessed May 4, 2014). AJC: Global Jewish Advocacy, “AJC Applauds Court Decision against Intelligent Design in Pennsylvania Schools.” Last edited December 20, 2005. Accessed May 4, 2014. http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx? c=7oJILSPwFfJSG&b=8479733&ct=12483169.