Modernity’s Warfare in Life and Religion:

A Meeting with Charles Darwin and the Bhāgavata Purāṇa

Abstract

The article "Modernity’s Warfare in Life and Religion: A Meeting with Charles Darwin and the Bhāgavata Purāṇa" by Jonathan B. Edelmann explores the intersection of Darwinian evolutionary theory and the theological vision of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. It contrasts Darwin’s concept of life as a “struggle for existence” with the Purāṇic notion of vairāgya-jñāna (renunciatory knowledge), arguing that while both recognize natural struggle, their spiritual implications diverge. Edelmann further critiques the “conflict” and “independent” theses in the science-religion debate, proposing a model of mutual enrichment between Western biology and Hindu theology.