I was born in Indianapolis in 1917, but grew up in Vermillion, South Dakota, where my father taught French at the University of South Dakota. After graduating from that institution I began graduate work in history at Harvard, obtaining my Ph. D. in 1952.

Through my thesis topic, "Geology and Religion in the United States 1820-1860," I became interested in the rise of evolutionary ideas in the Western world in the period from Newton to Darwin, a topic which I developed fully in my first book, The Death of Adam: Evolution and Its Impact on Western Thought (1959). There followed a series of books--Darwin and the Modern World View (1963), Science, Ideology and World View (1981),Debating Darwin (1999), American Science in the Age of Jefferson (1984) --as I taught in several Mid-western universities, then settled down at the University of Connecticut (1966-1987).

In the course of the years I became Secretary, then Vice President, then President of the History of Science Society (1975-1977) and enjoyed visiting appointments at the University of California-Berkeley, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University, and Louisiana State University. Now retired, I reside at Canterbury Woods, Pacific Grove, California, and do my best to keep up with flood of books on Darwin and Darwinism and contribute an occasional book review or essay

For many years, I have been a corporate consultant with extensive experience in the behavioral sciences and in services that resolve interpersonal conflicts. A leader, coach, and trainer, I have written several general management-training seminars and a Communication Profile System based on DISC behavioral theory.

During the last five years my spiritual retreat work and environmental educational programs for the Episcopal Church have grown more important than my corporate consulting. During 2001, I began to travel to the twenty dioceses of Province IV to assess the ongoing "Environmental Ministry: Care for Creation" programs and to determine how programs could be expanded and initiated. By the end of 2004, I will have visited and/or worked with leaders from every diocese in this province.

I encourage the diocesan Environmental Coordinators to work with other groups including Christian Education, Spiritual Formation, Stewardship, Outreach leaders, ECW, STF leaders or other groups. Working with other groups enables us to promote the integrity of creation in a collaborative manner. Coordinators invite people in all diocesan parishes, missions, schools, offices, camps and conference centers to live more clearly the deep spiritual significance of our relationship with the earth. Each diocese has a copy of the Environment Ministry Starter CD-ROM Starter Kit that I developed and produced. Much of the data on the CD was used in the National Episcopal Ecological Network Starter Kit. I have helped develop materials for the website of Episcopal Ecological Network and national fact sheets and brochure.

While leading Environmental Ministry retreats and workshops during the last few years, I have learned much about my own and others' yearning for more ways to balance the spiritual "journey inward" and the "journey outward"--realizing the inter-relatedness of these. My examination of inner/outer journey has revealed some myths about balance as well as deep hunger for better "connections" between personal and professional lifestyles that enhance inner peace and dynamic servant leadership. I have begun the formation process of The Third Order of Society of St Francis, which is helping me with the connections and balance I seek as my Environmental Ministry Leadership roles and responsibilities expand.