Abstract: This website proposes a third way, an alternative to Creationism and Intelligent Design on the one hand, and NeoDarwinism and Theistic Evolution on the other. In Christianity and Evolution: Discovering the Harmony of Science and Faith, this alternative is developed through close readings of both science and Christianity. This third way has growing edges, which the website explores. Some of the hard evidence for evolution is described, followed by an explication of the five theories of evolution that try to make sense of the data (or explain it away): Creationism, ID, NeoDarwinism, Theistic Evolution, and MetaDarwinism.
This website has four purposes:
The first purpose is to address the question of how God relates to all of life’s (Life) modifications during the course of evolution, the facts of which will be discussed (God and evolution). Does God create hands on, top down (Creationism versus evolution)? Does he intervene at times to alter Life’s course (Intelligent Design and evolution)? Or, is natural selection the creator, as time, like an ever rolling stream, bears away all but the fittest, to achieve the complexity we see today (Darwin’s theory of evolution, or NeoDarwinism)? Does NeoDarwinism invalidate Christianity (NeoDarwinism versus Christianity)? Or, can the two get along (Theistic evolution)?
Are there any alternatives to these four schools? Creationism, ID, NeoDarwinism, and Theistic evolution all regard Life as clay; God is the potter in Creationism and ID, and NS the creator in NeoDarwinism and Theistic evolution. There is indeed an alternative, a school that Fowler and Kuebler, in The Evolution Controversy, term MetaDarwinism. It is the school I subscribe to; more throughout the blog. In summary, this blog will address what are for present day Christians burning questions
The second purpose of the website is to give a synopsis of Christianity in Evolution to prospective readers. Christianity as a faith embodies the beliefs and experiences of believers and stems from the Bible and the doctrines of its churches. It has a cosmology written 3,000 years ago. If its declining worldwide attendance is an indication, the public is losing interest. On the other hand, biological and evolutionary science are the accumulation of verifiable and repeatable data and theories uniting the data. Science has led to tangible and spectacular technological advances. The public values this.
Christianity needs to show that it can make existential sense of all of science’s data. It needs to face the data and not discount or devalue it. Christianity needs to show that the data of evolution does not falsify it. Rather, the Church needs to realize that the data actually informs it and is consistent with its teachings.
I intend in the book Christianity in Evolution and in this blog to demonstrate that through close readings of the data of the sciences, particularly evolutionary biology, and the Scriptures, both Christianity and evolution inform each other.
The third purpose is to serve as a forum for the growing edge of Christianity in Evolution. Under categories beginning with ”The Growing Edge,” I’ll offer pages on “New Additions to the Growing Edge,” ”What is Life?”, “Life as Agent,” “Life and Conflict,” “Aspects of Christianity,” and “Book and Paper Reviews.” In these pages will be posted essays of recent scientific discoveries and the emerging opinions of persons, and commentary on how advances in science can shed light on theology, prayer, and the study of Scripture.
The fourth purpose, basically expanding on the first three, is to look closely at the evidence found in the fossil record and the advances in biology, evolutionary developmental biology, the neuro- and behavioral sciences, and genetics, and to then consider the five major schools of evolution: Creationism, Theistic evolution, Intelligent Design, NeoDarwinism, and MetaDarwinism. Newcomers to the evolution debate may find the sheer volume of information, opinion, and at times acrimony confusing and overwhelming; Hopefully, these discussions of science, fact, evidence, and opinion will give such readers needed perspective.
Ralph H. Armstrong Publications, at Christianityinevolution@gmail.com. (805)7584851
