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Evolution and Theology

Evolution and Theology. James A. Van Slyke Azusa Pacific University . Evolution and Theism. Four Views Creationism Intelligent Design Theistic Evolution Evolutionary Naturalism Disagreement over the involvement of natural law and Divine action. Important Theological Doctrines.

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Evolution and Theology

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  1. Evolution and Theology James A. Van Slyke Azusa Pacific University

  2. Evolution and Theism • Four Views • Creationism • Intelligent Design • Theistic Evolution • Evolutionary Naturalism • Disagreement over the involvement of natural law and Divine action

  3. Important Theological Doctrines • Forms of Divine Action • Cooperative – God works in, with, and through the natural world • Immanent in nature • Special – God goes beyond the natural laws and processes; accomplishes what nature can not do • Miracles

  4. Important Theological Doctrines • Biblical Interpretation • Inerrancy • Free from error in all aspects • Theological • Historical • Scientific • Infallibility • Theological truth is free from error • Other truths interpreted contextually

  5. Creationism • Basic Principles • Sudden creation of the cosmos from nothing but Divine action • Insufficiency of evolution to explain development of all living beings • Changes occur only within fixed limits of originally created kinds of plants and animals

  6. Creationism • Basic Principles • No common descent; apes and humans have separate ancestry • Earth’s geology is explained by catastrophism, including a worldwide flood

  7. Intelligent Design • Follows many of the basic principles of evolution • But, macroevolution is ascribed to special divine action in natural history • Evolutionary theory provides an incomplete picture • Evolution leads to a Naturalistic philosophy

  8. Evolutionary Naturalism • All of life can be explained through evolutionary theory • Evolutionary theory unites the sciences under one major theoretical premise • Human behavior is a set of traits that are genetically based and subject to natural selection

  9. Evolutionary Naturalism • Evolutionary Science proves that God does not exist • Evolutionary science leads to a materialist philosophy • All of life can be explained through natural processes • Thus, there is no need to postulate the existence of a God

  10. Theistic Evolution • Evolution and Natural selection are theories that have sufficient evidence to be accepted • Progressive research program • Involves several areas of science and explanation of data

  11. Theistic Evolution • Scientific Creationism and Intelligent Design fail as theories of science • Insufficient support for their theories • Many views based on bad science or incorrect assumptions • Yet, the reasons for opposing Evolution as a philosophy are valid

  12. Theistic Evolution • Evolutionary Naturalism assumes a materialist philosophy that is not supported by the evidence • Evolutionary theory can be understood within a Christian theological framework • Theology becomes the metaphysics that helps to inform science and answers certain questions

  13. Theistic Evolution • Evolution is the way in which God chose to create life in the universe and on this planet • Evolutionary history is like an epic novel with human consciousness being the present chapter – Arthur Peacocke • Evolutionary history created the possibility for free will and was ultimately what God intended all along

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