Skip to main content

Faith in Evolution


As well as being the 500th Anniversary of the birth of John Calvin this year it is also the 200th Anniversary of Charles Darwin, and the 150th Anniversary of his publication of his "On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection" (a snappy title if ever there was one!).

A Methodist studying Calvin's Institutes may be a strange phenomenon, but some would believe that an evangelical studying Behavioural and Evolutionary Genetics, which was the the subject of my honours dissertation in my primary degree, is even more bizarre. I am increasingly dismayed by the tendency within evangelicalism (particularly in America and Northern Ireland) to hold to literal belief in the Genesis creation stories (even though the accounts in Genesis 1 and 2 are "literally" contradictory) and "scientific" creationism, as a touchstone of "soundness". Add to that the tendency of evolutionists such as Dawkins (whose "selfish gene" theory was core to my undergraduate studies) to see faith as the enemy of science, and I sometimes feel that I am standing in a metaphysical no-man's land, often feeling myself to have more in common with faith's harshest critics than with fellow evangelicals.

With that in mind it was a real joy to come across a programme in BBC 4s "Beyond Belief" series, wherein 3 thinkers from the main monotheistic faiths (including Belfast born and avowed evangelical Alister McGrath) reiterated the fact that historically literal creationism has not been a major feature of any of their respective faiths. It is a modern phenomenon, which has become exacerbated by a reaction to secularism in general and secular science in particular. But, again, the fact that this was an exercise in inter-faith dialogue would lead to a lot of despairing head-shaking among some of my more conservative colleagues.

If you would like to listen to the programme, however, it is available on BBC's "this programme will self-destruct in 7 days" iPlayer, but thankfully is also available in the Beyond Belief archive.



Labels:

Comments

ScatterCode said…
Yes, it was a good show. I was a bit dismayed to come across a letter in the Methodist Newsletter which seemed to be arguing for literal creationism... I'd compose a response, but it wasn't my copy so i don't have the full text of the original.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 4:44:00 AM
Virtual Methodist said…
Yes... Peter Mercer replied, but the subsequent "dialogue" was less than edifying. My tendency with anything like that which appears in the letters column of that illustrious publication (inluding most letters about alcohol, sexuality, and recent goings on in a church not a million miles from me) is generally to shake my head in despair, then console myself with the belief that the majority of the readership will not be with us much longer... Letters published there will rarely change minds... All they can do is flag up the fact that there is an alternative point of view...
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 9:21:00 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LentArt: Washing the Disciples' Feet

Today's #LentArt post is "The washing of the disciples' feet" by Ghislaine Howard, another piece from the wonderful Methodist Modern Art Collection. It has clearly struck a chord with a number of people, and I am delighted that tonight's guest blog is by my friend and fellow 4 Corners Director, Father Martin Magill, who, he will be embarrassed to have me say, is for me the epitome of a servant leader. Indeed it was interesting to have a friend and artist respond to my earlier post saying that this time last year she remembers having her feet washed by Martin... How much has changed in a year: This painting (completed in 2004) was inspired by these words from the gospel of John in today's lectionary:  Jesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God. So He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Living under the Empire... (2) Where is Babylon?

We were driving back from school last week, talking about books that we had been reading and my younger son, Ciaran, asked me "Where is Babylon?" I have to confess that my history is better than my geography, and I said that it no longer exists as an inhabited city, but its ruins were to the north west of the current capital of Iraq, Baghdad. When I checked however, I discovered that it is actually about 50 miles south of Baghdad and the modern town is the administrative centre of the province of Babil... But just as the modern city is but a shadow of the historic capital of 2 ancient empires, first under Hammurabi in the 18th century BCE and then the "Neo-Babylonian" empire (under Nebuchadnezzar etc) in the 6th century BCE, so the earthly Babylonian empire/s was/were fleeting in comparison to the enduring metaphorical idea of Babylon. The original Empire under Hammurabi was probably the ultimate origin of some of the early Biblical stories, including the ...
2 comments
Read more

A Woman of no Distinction

Don't often post other people's stuff here... But I found this so powerful that I thought I should. It's a performance poem based on John 4: 4-30, and I have attached the original YouTube video below. A word for women, and men, everywhere... "to be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known." I am a woman of no distinction of little importance. I am a women of no reputation save that which is bad. You whisper as I pass by and cast judgmental glances, Though you don’t really take the time to look at me, Or even get to know me. For to be known is to be loved, And to be loved is to be known. Otherwise what’s the point in doing either one of them in the first place? I WANT TO BE KNOWN. I want someone to look at my face And not just see two eyes, a nose, a mouth and two ears; But to see all that I am, and could be all my hopes, loves and fears. But that’s too much to hope for, to wish for, or pray for So I don’t, not anymore. Now I keep to myself And by that ...
3 comments
Read more