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Monthly Archives: November 2013
God, reason, science, proof
One of the bitterest points of contention between many TEs and ID supporters is whether God’s existence or activity can be detected by science, granted that it is real. The bitterness shows that there are ideological issues lurking behind what ought to be just an intellectual question. But I want to leave those aside to ask what Christian biblical teaching actually says on the matter.
Posted in Creation, Science, Theology
68 Comments
Ecology – slowly catching up with classical Christianity
Back in February I commented on a BBC programme about the ecological system of Yellowstone National Park, and how it had benefited after the re-introduction of wolves. I concluded firstly that the beautiful balance of such systems poses yet another layer of complexity and teleology for evolution to explain, and secondly that for TEs to pick and choose which bits of nature God governs is untenable. Well, recently I saw another film about Yellowstone with some more fascinating lessons.
Posted in Creation, Science, Theology
4 Comments
Shapiro, Evolution and Theology Part 2
In general I find Shapiro’s views very exciting and well worth disseminating as widely as possible. I think that his theory of Natural Genetic Engineering has the capability of finally unseating the rigid doctrinaire paradigm of neo Darwinism, with its overly simplistic and outdated view of the mechanism of evolution. If there is one universal rule that governs biology, it is that nothing is ever simple. Shapiro’s NGE is complex and chaotic enough to be true.
Posted in Science, Sy Garte, Theology
30 Comments
Shapiro, Evolution and Theology Part 1
James Shapiro is a microbiologist who has been advancing a new way to look at evolution for many decades. Jon Garvey has mentioned Shapiro a number of times on blog posts, and Shapiro’s ideas have been discussed by many evangelicals interested in faith and evolution, including followers of ID. Shapiro himself is not a theist, and is not interested in supporting ID or any other theological ideas. But his scientific ideas are interesting and somewhat controversial in biology (although they shouldn’t be). And, despite his own views on theism, Shapiro’s approach has highly significant implications for theistic evolution.
Posted in Science, Sy Garte, Theology
2 Comments
Models for a historic Adam – 7
And so we come to the last model for a historic Adam listed by population geneticist David L Wilcox in his ASA talk this year. Symbolic Head – Adam was a character in a story told to illustrate the human dilemma – we are sinners for some reason or other. But the story does not represent the origin of that state, only its nature as rebellion against God.
Posted in Adam, Creation, Science, Theology
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A History of Providence. Part One
A striking feature of current syntheses of Christian theism with evolutionary theory is an abandonment of the historic Christian doctrine of providence. It often seems as though we have a quasi-deist, hands-off God, who simply “lets things happen” without in any sense directing the outcome. The motivation behind this weak account of providence is, perhaps, a desire to “absolve” God from aspects of the evolutionary process and its products that many modern minds find problematic – e.g. animal suffering over geological time, species extinction, dysteleology (poor design).
Posted in Creation, James Penman, Theology
19 Comments
Models for a historic Adam – 6
David L Wilcox’s penultimate model for Adam is this: Experimental Head – Sin was already there, but we don’t know how – that’s why the garden was needed, the perfect environment. Adam was the experimental proof of the human condition – he showed we humans are all sinners by nature – that it is not environmental.
Posted in Adam, Creation, Science, Theology
4 Comments
God’s Existence Proven Beyond Doubt
One bright sunny day, the Lord God paid a visit to Earth. He arrived in a huge flaming chariot that was visible to millions of people as he circled the globe a few times. Behind the chariot was a banner that read “The Lord God, Creator of the Universe” in every human language. After a few circuits, the Chariot landed, and God stepped out. He looked a lot like Morgan Freeman, but with a beard.
Posted in Sy Garte, Theology
37 Comments
Models for a historic Adam – 5
Continuing my series on the various models for a historical Adam listed by David L Wilcox we come to: Cultural Head – Adam was the appointed race representative in the garden. He sinned. Sin passed on from Adam to all other people then (and now) alive by communication between people – especially in families. Human society suffered a gradual transformation as sin spread like an infectious disease.
Posted in Adam, Creation, Science, Theology
4 Comments
Models for a historic Adam – 4
With several of us writing now on The Hump, ongoing series like this one are going to be harder to link together. It’s not a problem I’m going to lose sleep about! But here is the third “theory” about Adam named by David L Wilcox, as introduced here. Tribal Head – Adam was the “head man” of a small tribe put in the garden. The tribe was put to the test, and they all followed Adam’s lead into sin. We are all descended from that tribe (alone?) and have inherited their sinful nature.
Posted in Adam, Creation, Genealogical Adam, Science, Theology
5 Comments