An Introduction to Theistic Evolution

During the 16th century, science began its rise to the reliable method of investigation it now enjoys. In the western world scientists of the day were clerics and philosophers, thereby religion became the soil through which the beginnings of scientific world beliefs germinated on Judea-Christian foundations. Not surprisingly, divine revelation rose to the exalted position of sole repository of truth. Previously, interpretations of new scientific findings and theories seldom conflicted with divine revelation. As new scientific knowledge based on reason began to increase, divine revelation's position as the only repository of truth began to wane. The spread of Darwin's Theory of Evolution became the eclipse that cast a long shadow on the once sacred position of divine revelation as the sole repository of truth. The scientific method was emerging as an effective means for discovering the mysteries of the universe. Investigators then began to seek answers to some new questions. In particular:

• Is God really necessary for the understanding of the evolution of life?

• What kind of God made the universe?

• Can science alone, that is mathematics and physics,
explain the properties of the universe?

These questions became important as topics of query in the intellectual community and as seed for the founding beliefs of new studies. Thoughtful investigators, who believed in a Creator of the universe, were forced to favor one of three beliefs about the origin of the universe: creationism, intelligent design and theistic evolution (TE) (also known as evolutionary creationism).

In his book, THE LANGUAGE OF GOD, Francis Collins, MD. PhD; leader of the Human Genome Project summarized these positions as: Faith over Science, Science Needs Divine Help, and Science and Faith in Harmony.

This paper focuses on theistic evolution, the least known of the three beliefs. In this brief introduction the attempt is to provide base information about this complex topic. Within slight variations, the core tenets of TE are:

1. The universe came into being out of nothingness approximately 14 billions years ago.

2. Despite overwhelming odds the properties of the world appear to have been precisely tuned to life.

3. While the precise mechanism of the origin of life on earth remains unknown, once life arose, the process of evolution and natural selection permitted the
development of biological adversity and complexity over very long periods of time.

4. Once evolution got under way, no special supernatural intervention was required.

5. Humans are a part of this process, sharing a common ancestor with the great apes.

6. But humans are also unique in ways that defy evolutionary explanation that point to our spiritual nature. This includes the existence of the Moral Law
(the knowledge of right and wrong) and the search for God that characterizes all human cultures throughout history. [1]

An examination of past essays on this subject identifies many scholarly men who were likely proponents of theistic evolution. Despite their strong leanings, only those who publicly declared themselves as proponents of TE are mentioned.

Pope Pius XII affirmed his affinity towards TE in his encyclical HUMANI GENERIS. There he declared that Roman Teachings do not forbid the belief that man's body was not a separate creation of God provided God is made the creator of man's soul. He wrote,

For these reasons the Teaching Authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred
theology, research and discussions, on the part of men experienced in both fields, take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it
inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter-for the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are
immediately created by God. [2]

In a message to the PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES:ON EVOLUTION, Pope John Paul II affirms the position of Pius XII but unequivocally emphasized that no theory of evolution that states the spirit of man is a natural byproduct of living matter is compatible with the truth about man. He wrote,

Pius XII underlined the essential point: if the origin of the human body comes through living matter that existed previously, the spiritual soul
is created directly by God (Humani Generis)

As a result, the theories of evolution which, because of the philosophies which inspire them, regard the spirit either as emerging from the
forces of living matter, or as a simple epiphenomenon of that matter, are incompatible with the truth about man. [3]

Although less known, the members of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) are declared proponents of TE. This affiliation of scientists and fellows from around the world adheres to Biblical salvation while working to reveal the truth of the origin of the universe through scientific means. ASA maintains a website,
http://www.asa3.org, for all to view its insightful debates on topics of the origin of the universe. It invites membership and contributions to its rich debate.

Conclusion: Theistic evolution (also known as evolutionary creationism) is the opinion that science and divine revelation are compatible. Its proponents believe that:

• The God of Creation set in motion a plan leading to biological adversity and complexity of life.

• This God allows His creation to march forward subject to a process of evolution and natural selection within a finely tuned universe designed for a for life.

• The God of Creation set aside a special specie, the human species, which He distinguished from others in three nonmaterial ways. First He inclined the human specie to seek and develop a special relationship with Him. Second, He endowed the human specie with the ability to tell right from wrong. Third, He made available to the human specie the tools and gave it the capacity to discover the mysteries of the universe.

[1] Francis S. Collins, THE LANGUAGE OF GOD (Free Press, New York, 2007), 200.

[2] Pope Pius XII, HUMANI GENERIS. Aug. 1950.

[3] Pope John Paul II, MESSAGE TO THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES: ON EVOLUTION, Oct. 1996.