Divine Action And Natural Selection

The debate between divine action, or faith, and natural selection, or science, is garnering tremendous interest. This book ventures well beyond the usual, contrasting American Protestant and atheistic points of view, and also includes the perspectives of Jews, Muslims, and Roman Catholics. It contains arguments from the various proponents of intelligent design, creationism, and Darwinism, and also covers the sensitive issue of how to incorporate evolution into the secondary school biology curriculum. Comprising contributions from prominent, award-winning authors, the book also contains dialogs following each chapter to provide extra stimulus to the readers and a full picture of this ?hot? topic, which delves into the fundamentals of science and religion.

From providence and miracles to resurrection and intercessory prayer, Edwards shows how a basically noninterventionist model of divine action does justice to the universe as we know and also to central convictions of Christian faith about the goodness of God, the promises of God, and the fulfillment of creation. Here is wonderfully lucid theology supporting an excitement of how God is at work in the universe.

This collection of twenty-two research papers explores the creative interaction between evolutionary and molecular biology, philosophy, and theology. It is the result of the third of five international research conferences co-sponsored by the Vatican Observatory, Rome and the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, Berkeley. The over arching goal of these conferences is to support the engagement of constructive theology with the natural sciences and to investigate the philosophical and theological elements in ongoing theoretical research in the natural sciences. Contents: An extensive introduction (Robert John Russell), two recent statements on evolution and Christian faith by Pope John Paul II, and an interpretive essay by the Director of the Observatory, George V. Coyne, S. J., Section One: Scientific Background--evolutionary and molecular biology (Francisco J Ayala and Camilo J. Cela-Conde) and the possibility of the evolution of extraterrestrial life (Julian Chela-Flores); Section Two: Evolution and Divine Action-philosophical analyses of teleology in light of biology from the perspectives of a scientist (Francisco J. Ayala) and a theologian (Wesley J. Wildman), assessments of the evidence for teleology by scientists (Paul Davies and William R. Stroeger, S. J.), and theological arguments on divine action and evolution focusing on special providence (Robert John Russell) and on process theism (Charles Birch); Section Three: Religious Interpretations of Biological Themes--critique of evolution-based arguments for atheism and of science-based religion (George F. R. Ellis), Darwin's relation to natural theology and a feminist perspective on metaphors in evolution (Anne M. Clifford), evolution from a naturalist perspective and the challenge to religion (Willem B. Drees), bicultural evolution and the created co-creator (Philip Hefner), continuity and emergence, propensities, pain, and death in light of evolution, and constructive Christology from and Anglican perspective (Arthur Peacocke), original sin and saving grace in light of evolution from a trinitarian perspective (Denis Edwards), divine kenosis and the power of the future from an evolutionary and process perspective (John F. Haught), and a comparison of models of God in light of evolution (Ian G. Barbour); Section Four: Biology, Ethics, and the Problem of Evil-an evolutionary model of biological and moral altruism (Camilo J. Cela-Conde and Gisele Marty), supervenience as a response to the reduction of Morality to biology (Nancey Murphy), ethical and theological issues raised by gem-line genetic therapy (Ted Peters), and the problems of divine action and theodicy in light of human sinfulness and suffering in nature (Thomas F. Tracy). This series of conferences builds on the initial 1987 Vatican Observatory conference and its resulting publication, Physics, Philosophy and Theology: A Common Quest for Understanding (1988), and on the previous Jointly-sponsored conferences and their publications, Quantum Cosmology and the Laws of Nature (1993) and Chaos and Complexity (1995). Future conferences will focus on scientific topics including the neuroscience's, quantum physics, and quantum field theory.

Darwinism and the Divine examines the implications of evolutionary thought for natural theology, from the time of publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species to current debates on creationism and intelligent design. Questions whether Darwin's theory of natural selection really shook our fundamental beliefs, or whether they served to transform and illuminate our views on the origins and meaning of life Identifies the forms of natural theology that emerged in 19th-century England and how they were affected by Darwinism The most detailed study yet of the intellectual background to William Paley's famous and influential approach to natural theology, set out in 1802 Brings together material from a variety of disciplines, including the history of ideas, historical and systematic theology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, sociology, and the cognitive science of religion Considers how Christian belief has adapted to Darwinism, and asks whether there is a place for design both in the world of science and the world of theology A thought-provoking exploration of 21st-century views on evolutionary thought and natural theology, written by the world-renowned theologian and bestselling author

Darwinism and the Divine examines the implications ofevolutionary thought for natural theology, from the time ofpublication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species tocurrent debates on creationism and intelligent design. Questions whether Darwin's theory of natural selection reallyshook our fundamental beliefs, or whether they served to transformand illuminate our views on the origins and meaning of life Identifies the forms of natural theology that emerged in19th-century England and how they were affected by Darwinism The most detailed study yet of the intellectual background toWilliam Paley's famous and influential approach to naturaltheology, set out in 1802 Brings together material from a variety of disciplines,including the history of ideas, historical and systematic theology,evolutionary biology, anthropology, sociology, and the cognitivescience of religion Considers how Christian belief has adapted to Darwinism, andasks whether there is a place for design both in the world ofscience and the world of theology A thought-provoking exploration of 21st-century views onevolutionary thought and natural theology, written by theworld-renowned theologian and bestselling author

By the mid 19th century academic theologians in America faced an unprecedented challenge. Once the sole proprietors of the nation's finest colleges, they now found themselves beleagered by an onslaught of secularism and empirical science. Darwin's Origin of Species, which challenged the notion of a Divine plan with an evolutionism based upon chance variation and natural selection, exacerbated this crisis and left theologians scrambling for an adequate response. Some joined Charles Hodge in attacking Darwin's views on scientific grounds. Others, such as James McCosh, Alexander Winchell, and Henry Ward Beecher embraced evolution as God's way of working out His purposes for the world. Others again, like Edward Hitchcock and James Woodrow, promoted a Kantian-type separation of the natural and the supernatural. And at the other end of the spectrum were free thinkers who welcomed Darwin's theory on its own terms, and pressed it into the service of humanism and naturalism.

The problem of God's action in the world is at the heart of debates today on the relationship between science and religion. By analysing the issue through the lens of analytic philosophy, Marek Slomka reveals how philosophy can successfully bridge science and theology to bring greater clarity to divine action. This book identifies essential aspects from various branches of theism, starting with traditional Thomistic approaches, through to their modified forms such as Molinism and contemporary varieties such as free-will theism and probabilistic theism. Analysing crucial elements of God's nature including omnipotence, omniscience, his relation to time and the tension between immanence and transcendence, Slomka reveals the difficulties in proposing a single conception of God through one theistic tradition. Instead of simplistically juxtaposing particular theistic trends, he highlights the value of pluralistic insights that also draw on important scientific theories, including Darwin's evolution, quantum mechanics and cosmology. By taking a renewed stance on theism that takes into account modern scientific knowledge, Slomka argues for a new presentation of the problem of God's action in the world.

Challenges theological models of divine action that locate God's activity in human mind. Emphasizes God's relationship with all of nature.