Can a Darwinian be a Christian? the relationship between science and religion

Just reading "Can a Darwinian be a Christian? the relationship between
science and religion" by Michael Ruse.

Ruse lays out the ground by exploring the Darwining paradigm, with all its
variation (from Dawkins to Gould), and Christianity, with all its variation,
noting that Creationist fundamentalism actually only forms a small and very
late distinctive variant (even if a vocal American one) to Christianity. He
notes that from at least the time of Augustine that the Genesis stories were
taken as mythical rather than literal (he missed Jerome on that one), and
that was the position long before Darwin. Exploring in particular the ideas
of Augustine and Aquinas (although he is also up to date with later thinkers
such as Karl Barth, Rowan Williams, Keith Ward, John Polkinhorne), he shows
how well these dovetail in with evolution; there are really not that many
contradictions, some theological ideas mesh better than others, some
patently have problems: "Some areas require still a great deal of thoughtful
work and discussion. The notion of original sin, and its origin in the light
of Darwinian evolutionary theory, is an issue on which no final word has yet
been spoken."; however, the problem areas he considers not fatal, but as an
area for exploration.

Ruse states his position clearly: he is an atheist. Yet he does not see that
there is any inherent contradiction between Christianity and the theology of
evolution, unless you are a Creation Scientist / fundamentalist, but he
knows from his reading of history that is a late development, and not
representantive of Christianity as a whole. It is a balanced and fair
appraisal by a thinker who presents arguments (rather than Richard Dawkin's
brand of rhetoric), and it is a shame that this book, rather than "The God
Delusion", is not in the best-seller lists. It engages with real issues, and
not "straw men", and Ruse is equally aware that, like Christianity,
Darwinism covers a spectrum of different positions, all of which have
arguments to comment them.

John Habgood, writing in the Sunday Times, noted that "By concentrated
argument around a number of themes -- the origin of life, the soul, design,
miracles, pain, ethics, social Darwinism etc -- he manages to throw real
light on the complexity of the issues, while suggesting how different
standpoints might be re- conciled. Ruse's grasp of the subject, clarity of
exposition, fair-mindedness and light touch make it a thoroughly stimulating
exercise"