On this page we will try to discuss this big topic, the relationship between modern evolutionary biology and the creation beliefs of Jews, Christians and also Muslims.
In short, we can already indicate here that it is of the utmost importance to distinguish between purely biological question of the history of life, its origin and development or evolution, including that of man, on the one hand, and “revealed truth” about God as creator of heaven and earth and of man “in his image and likeness.” These are two completely different approaches to one and the same phenomenon: life on earth (and in the cosmos). Biology focuses on the material and energetic reality in time and space, the processes that occur there and the laws that can be established in them, such as those of heredity, photosynthesis, reproduction and more.
As far as biological evolution is concerned, one has yet to distinguish the ‘fact’ of this phenomenon from ‘the mechanism’ of biological evolution. The ‘fact’ of biological evolution can be ‘verified’ to a large extent on the basis of fossil finds in various layers of the earth, dating techniques, kinship studies, and – since the last decades – the knowledge that the hereditary material (DNA) provides about it. Of a different order are the theories relating to the ‘mechanism of action’ that give rise to biological evolution. Charles Darwin made a huge contribution to this when he proposed the hypothesis of the accidental mutations, natural selection and survival of the most adapted individuals within a population of a species. While there is a lot of biological evidence about the ‘fact’ of the evolution of life, there is a great deal of uncertainty about the workings of biological evolution, especially when it comes to the questions surrounding the orientation of that biological process, the role of chance and the emergence of intelligent, self-conscious and religious life: man.
In theology, the science that has the Judeo-Christian (and Islamic) monotheistic faith as an object of study, it is primarily about the interpretation of the ‘Holy Scriptures’ (the Bible) and in particular the texts in it that seem to give an account of the creative action of God (Genesis 1-2). The theologian is particularly interested in the relationship between God and man, as a ‘crown’ of creation’ and ‘created in his image’. The Bible is not a biology textbook, it contains elements that can be understood as a more or less historical account of those events. Here faith and science meet, and theology seeks to address what God really wanted to say to man through those texts.
Biology and theology are both rational exercises of man to better understand (the history and evolution of) life, but in a very different way and from very different starting points, respectively the living nature and the interpretation of biblical revelation. They must therefore be clearly distinguished: without confusion between biological and theological arguments that are often aimed at reconciling faith and science (concordism) and without separating the two as irreconcilable (discordism). It is this thinking that we are particularly presented with in Dominique Lambert’s book.
It is philosophy that intervenes here to form the bridge between natural science and faith, to the extent that both use reason as a criterion of their thinking and speaking (and acting!). If biology and theology make true statements, it is impossible that these two truths would contradict each other. After all, we cannot imagine a reality within which there could be two “truths” that would conflict with each other. Thus, if there are “conflicting opinions” between science and faith, it can only be the result of apparent contradictions, misconceptions on one or both sides of the spectrum. By clarifying the arguments in a spirit of dialogue, such paradoxes can be resolved. Thus, science can rid theology of “myths” and theology the science of philosophical assumptions that do not belong to its expertise. It can save the believer from an overly simplistic conception of god’s creative act, as a kind of “wizard,” and the scientist of unfounded atheism, the rejection of a “god” in which theologians do not believe either.
- In this context, we will also discuss popular schools of thought such as ‘creationism’ and ‘the intelligent design movement’.
- For messages about evolution and creation on this website – including radio broadcasts – click here.
- We particularly recommend – if you speak French – to read the book ‘Sciences et théologie – figures d’un dialogue’, by philosopher of science and physicist Dominique Lambert (University of Namur). There are plans to publish this book in Dutch.
- Another ‘gold mine’ is the Acta of the Congress Biology evolution: facts and theories, held at the Pontifical University Gregoriana in Rome, on the occasion of the Darwin year 2009
- We also recommend the reading of Pope John Paul II’s speech to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (1996)
- as well as a passage from Pope Pius XII’s encyclical (‘circular’) Humane Generis on ‘evolutionism’
- A special page for the French evolutionary biologist and priest Teilhard de Chardin
- Evolution & altruism (after an article in the journal Streven)
Last edit: 7 December 2015
