Darwin, Gray Write Each Other on Stage

The Harvard Museum of Natural History hosted a play highlighting the relationship between Charles Darwin and Harvard Herbaria founder Asa Gray, a devout Christian who was one of the first to address the conflict between religion and evolution.

Craig Baxter’s “Re: Design” is a one-act play performed by the English theater group Menagerie that depicts Darwin and Gray’s discourse. Originally commissioned to honor Darwin, the play provides a fresh perspective when viewed in the context of the bicentennial celebration of Gray’s birth, according to History of Science Department Chair Janet Browne, who organized the event.

In the play, Darwin and Gray never exchange dialogue and instead discuss their beliefs by writing letters and handing them to each other.

“Gray’s main argument was that Darwin’s theories do not explain where all the variations come from,” Browne said. “How could chance produce such exquisitely designed organisms?”

The pair enjoyed a warm relationship, and Gray helped Darwin publish the American editions of his marquee work “On the Origin of Species.” But throughout his lifetime, Gray attempted to resolve the apparent conflict between evolution and religion.

Browne said that she appreciated Gray’s efforts to bridge the gap between the two theories, for she believes that evolutionary biology and faith in a divine power are not necessarily mutually exclusive. As such, Gray’s 200th birthday presents an opportunity to engage in healthy and constructive debates on “good relations between science and religion,” Browne said.

“There is plenty of room to maneuver in the middle ground,” she added.