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And in fact, as noted above, that conflict is very much apparent in the elephantine language of the external review committee, which sounds more like the language of courtiers than the product of a robust intellectual community. (Note for example the two paragraphs early on—a substantial portion of the entire report—given to lauding the great tradition of the science faculty at Baylor, rather as one might flatter a medieval monarch.) How bizarre that the question of the "legitimacy" of Dembski's work "on the logical structure of mathematical arguments for intelligent design" should have to be adjudicated by such a committee in the first place! (And note the condescension that follows; the italics are mine: "the Institute should be free, if it chooses, to include in its coverage this line of work, when carried out professionally.") Having been rigorously peer-reviewed for publication by Cambridge University Press, Dembski's work is obviously "legitimate"—that is, professionally up to snuff—by any reasonable standard.

That doesn't mean his arguments will ultimately be vindicated. On that, the jury is out and probably will be for some time. But that isn't and never has been the issue at Baylor. Within any academic field at any moment there are many rival arguments on the table, many of which are mutually contradictory. What opponents of the Polanyi Center have sought to claim is that such work is simply beyond the pale, that it doesn't meet the requirements of the relevant academic disciplines. Hence the opening sentence of Dembski's offending e-mail, which we'll quote again: "The report marks the triumph of intelligent design as a legitimate form of academic inquiry."

Here is what it looks like, then. Dembski's opponents hoped that the external review committee would agree with the faculty senate's April 2000 resolution to disband the center. When that didn't occur, they contrived an excuse to get Dembski dismissed. Presumably the next step will be to ensure that the center goes in a different direction (and there is plenty of wiggle room for that in the committee's report).

What are they so afraid of?

John Wilson is Editor of Books & Culture and Editor-at-Large for Christianity Today.

Visit Books & Culture online at BooksandCulture.com or subscribe here.

See Baylor's official home pages for William A. Dembski and the Polanyi Center, as well as the school's press releases on Dembski's dismissal and the Polanyi Center Committee Report, and the report itself (in PDF format).

Press coverage of the controversy includes:

Baylor demotes director of Polanyi Center—Waco Tribune-Herald (Oct. 19, 2000)

'Intelligent design' leader demoted—Houston Chronicle (Oct. 19, 2000)

Polanyi official's e-mail concerns some faculty—The Baylor Lariat (Oct. 19, 2000)

Polanyi committee suggests compromise—The Baylor Lariat (Oct. 18, 2000)

Changes ahead for Polanyi Center, including new name—Waco Tribune-Herald (Oct. 17, 2000)

Dembski's controversial e-mail message, as well as one he posted about his dismissal from the Polanyi Center, are available in the Metanews archives

See our earlier coverage of the controversy, "Defending Faith and Learning | Baylor University's Polanyi Center comes under fire from the university's faculty." (Apr. 24, 2000)

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October (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44