The Christian faith and evolution: An evolving, unresolved debate
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Date
2018
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
AOSIS
Abstract
This article sketches how the debate on Christian faith and evolution has evolved. Seven
challenges are identified and described in the debate, namely, regarding a recognition of deep
(geological) time (challenging the historicity of the biblical creation narratives), understanding
the role of chance in natural selection (posing questions about the nature of divine action, e.g.,
providence), human descent (challenging presumed human distinctiveness), a recognition of
natural suffering (challenging the benevolence of the Creator), identifying the evolutionary
roots of evil (challenging Christian views on the fall of humanity), a recognition of natural
disselection (challenging notions of divine election) and, finally, evolutionary explanations of
the emergence of morality and of religion (reiterating the challenge of atheism). It is argued
that with each of these challenges, some of the underlying problems were provisionally
resolved, only to reappear later in an even more challenging form.
INTRADISCIPLINARY AND/OR INTERDISCIPLINARY IMPLICATIONS: The contribution describes shifts in
Christian discourse on evolution and challenges the tacit assumption that any one aspect of
the debate has been fully resolved by articulating some of the questions that have been resolved
and others that remain unresolved.
Description
Keywords
Christian faith, Evolution, Faith, Debate
Citation
Conradie, E.M. (2018). The Christian faith and evolution: An evolving, unresolved debate. Verbum et Ecclesia 39(1): a1843.