“God restricted his interference to two creative acts. First he created the inorganic world, mere dead substance, to which alone the law of energy applies, working blindly and aimlessly in the mechanism of material things and the building of the mountains; then god attained intelligence and communicated it to the purposive intelligent forces which initiate and control organic evolution.”

“Modern science is daily concerned with unraveling the mysteries of life. And yet the example of Johannes Reinke shows that there is great agreement between natural science and religion. The life of the German botanist Johannes Reinke (1849-1931) is an example for the conflict between natural science and beliefs at the turn of the 20th century, under the influence of Charles Darwin and Ernst Haeckel. Reinke represented a philosophy in which the unity of natural science and religion was prominent and vital, to both liturgy and to earning a living. Two previously unknown writings of the botanist, professor, writer, politician, philosopher and Lutheran protagonist Johannes Reinke are republished in this volume.”