‘Intelligent Design’: Is it Science or Theology? On the background of a Growing Controversy ‘Intelligent Design’: Is het Wetenschap of Theologie? Achtergronden van een groeiende controverse

This article presents an overview of American and Dutch discussions surrounding intelligent design (ID), a recent movement that criticizes the Darwinian account of evolution. It is argued that at least the American adherents of ID have strong theological and ideological agendas. Yet, although ID is historically related to creationist movements, it is false to simply equate ID with creationism, as is often done in antiID literature. In the Netherlands, so far discussions about ID have been rare. Moreover, Dutch exponents of IDideas tend to focus more on the status and validity of scientific claims than on religious issues.