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Series:   Elements in the Problems of God

Evolution and Christianity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 December 2022

Michael Ruse

Summary

This Element discusses the relationship between Christianity and evolutionary theory, with special emphasis on Darwinian evolutionary theory (Darwinism). The Creationists argue that the two are incompatible and it is religion that is the truth and Darwinism the falsity. The New Atheists argue that the two are incompatible and it is religion that is the falsity and Darwinism the truth. Through a careful examination of both Darwinian theory and Christianity, it is shown that both extremes are mistaken. It is accepted that there are difficult issues to be solved, for example the problem of evil - which some think is exacerbated by Darwinism - and the necessarily appearance of Homo sapiens - which is problematic if evolutionary theory does not guarantee progress and the evolution of humans as the apotheosis. It is argued that there are ways forward, and Christianity and evolutionary thinking can be shown compatible.
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Keywords

ChristianityDarwinismwarfareindependenceintegration

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Series: Elements in the Problems of God
Online ISBN: 9781009268974
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 05 January 2023

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