The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time

Jonathan Weiner wrote The Beak of the Finch amidst a fierce national debate that pitted evolution and creationism against each other as oppositional, mutually exclusive worldviews. Anticipating these preconceptions, Weiner avoids reinforcing this dichotomy in his characterizations of the scientists, of Darwin, and of evolution itself.

Weiner shows that creationism shaped Darwin’s thinking during his education as a divinity student and even as he developed his theory: “Darwinism is often spurned by the devout as a branch or prop of atheism. Yet […] it was precisely this tradition of natural theology that led Darwin to the most original and unconventional step in his argument, his theory of the importance of variations” (50). The author characterizes the Grants and their team of students as “shepherds” of the finches, highlighting a dedication akin to religious devotion. Weiner traces the debate around evolution after Origin of Species was published to show that it has always been a subject of controversy. He gives voice to the concerns of Darwin’s many detractors, but rather than cast them in a wholly negative light, he emphasizes how early advocacy for the theory relied, ironically, not on proof, but on a sort of faith in Darwin’s logic.