Main description:

Embryology has evolved from myth in early cultures, who knew little about the details of conception and pregnancy, to the height of modern scientific knowledge. Thomas Weihs argues persuasively that new scientific understanding of embryology could engender a new mythology, and that, in fact, science and myth are complementary aspects of the study of new life. He explores the correspondence between the creation story in Genesis, and other creation myths, with the development of the human embryo, and also discusses how the intuitive heart-felt values we associate with pregnancy and birth can be reconciled with the science of our age.

Contents:

Foreword by John Davy Introduction From Mythos to Science 1. The story of creation 2. A brief history of embryology Current Thinking in Biology and Embryology 3. Mendel and Darwin 4. The beginnings of experimental embryology 5. The discovery of genes 6. The search for the origin of form From Science to Mythos 7. Embryogenesis and Genesis 8. Embryonic form development and cosmos Biology and Spirit 9. Embryogenesis and the Gospels 10. Form and individuality