Joan Roughgarden, professor of biological sciences and of geophysics at Stanford University, has written a valuable book on “Evolution and Christian Faith.”
The daughter of Episcopal missionaries, Joan is a devout Christian who views evolutionary biology and Christian faith as complementary. She unapologetically couples lucid explanations of the facts of evolution with thoughtful exegesis of scripture. Her repudiation of the “selfish-gene” social Darwinism espoused by biologists like Richard Dawkins is unyielding. “Intelligent Design” also receives a succinct and devastating critique in this book.
Here’s my favorite quote:
This book is worthy of space on every thoughtful Christian’s bookshelf.
The daughter of Episcopal missionaries, Joan is a devout Christian who views evolutionary biology and Christian faith as complementary. She unapologetically couples lucid explanations of the facts of evolution with thoughtful exegesis of scripture. Her repudiation of the “selfish-gene” social Darwinism espoused by biologists like Richard Dawkins is unyielding. “Intelligent Design” also receives a succinct and devastating critique in this book.
Here’s my favorite quote:
For me the position that God created the world, and continues to create it, through natural processes is not a compromise. God created those very processes as part of nature, so why should he jump outside of them? The Bible offers no grounds to believe that God would rather work in ways inexplicable as natural processes, even though he could do so if he wished. Just the opposite – jumping outside natural processes would imply something inadequate in the ability of natural processes to carry out his design. When God saw his creation, he said “it was good.” (Gen. 1:12) You can’t be consistent with the Bible on this point and yet also say that natural processes are inadequate to achieve God’s design for his creation. [p. 35]Roughgarden provides additional insights from the biological sciences that are pertinent to ethical discussions regarding gender identity, sexuality, conception and cloning. Moreover, she does it all in an inexpensive, easy to read, pocket size book.
This book is worthy of space on every thoughtful Christian’s bookshelf.
5 comments:
The title of Roughgarden's book is an oxymoron. Evolution is incompatible with the Christian Faith. Evolution takes away the ultimate first cause and cannot be proven as fact. You cannot have death and disease and all of a sudden man and woman being created millions of years later. Unless, of course you hold to a liberal view of the first 11 chapters of Genesis. If you take Genesis 1-11 to be fable and not historically accurate, then you can have your billions and billions of years.
Intelligent Design is a good concept and is clearly taught in the Scriptures. Why is the concept of God creating the heavens and the earth so distastful to moderates and liberals? Hebrews 11 reminds us that true biblical faith leads us to believe that God created the world.
I have no problem with the first 11 chapters of Genesis. They are a part of God's Holy Word. I do have a problem with a person who tries to link evolution and the Christian faith. They are incompatible. Every thoughtful and faithful Christian should read this book with caution!
Evolution is perfectly compatible with Christianity, at least, that form that Christ practiced and urged others to follow. Neither of the creation stories of Genesis was intended to be science, nor is science incompatible with the faith story related, that God is the ultimate motivator.
Indeed, Rev. Gosse's attempt to describe creationism in the 19th century, Oomphalos, was rightly rejected by Christians of the day simply because it makes God out to be an ultimate deceiver. That is incompatible with Christianity.
Where do IDists get off telling God what God can't do? There is no verse of any scripture supportive of "intelligent design" as espoused by that tiny band of pseudo-science advocates who promote it as opposition to science.
God is not a deceiver, and studying God's creation is not a faith-contrary action. Creationists should quit pretending God is separate from the universe's design, and accept God's handiwork in the creation we have.
Jim Paslay says evolution cannot be proven as fact. He is wrong. There are mountains of evidence that evolution happens, evidence of many different kinds that each stand alone but also verify each other, that if it didn't happen then God the creator is a malicious prankster to plant so much evidence to suggest it did happen. Either your interpretation of Genesis is wrong, or Genesis is wrong. Take your pick. Evolution happens. Get over it.
The creation stories in Genesis are not compatible with science. Sorry, there is no empirical evidence, or any evidence at all, for the super-natural, or anything after death. Humans are not the purpose of life. We're merely hosts for bacteria - to facilitate their transportation from place to place. Maybe, bacteria are the purpose of creation???
Yes, Jim Paslay, every thoughtful and faithful Christian should actually think and analyse everything they read. We have intelligence for a reason.
Also, you can't prove anything empirically. That would require you too have all knowledge and every shred of evidence for all of time. You can only empirically disprove something. That's just basic logic. As a scientist, we want to filter everything through the lens of the scientific method, but is everything physical? What about metaphysics? Just because we can't prove something through observation and experimentation does not nullify it's existence. Don't misunderstand me, there is absolute Truth (to believe otherwise is foolish), it just can't be proven scientifically.
As for the compatibility (or lack there of) of the Bible/Genesis and science, if God's Word is without error, then it's Truth will stand the test of time and any fallacious argument thrown against it. God's Works (nature, therefore implying science), are the physical revelation of his character. If God's character is immutable and true, then His Words and his Works will be compatible. Truth cannot contradict itself. Science, the Bible, and thus the origin of the Earth must come together in some harmonious way. The question is not whether or not they are compatible, it is how are they compatible.
As for Roughgarden's book, I do recommend reading it. It is short, simple, and to the point (by no means exhaustive...in both sense of the word). It has it's strengths and weaknesses, as do all literary pieces, but it is a perfect stepping stone into discovering the perspective of a theistic evolutionist.
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