Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T02:22:57.345Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 4 - Evolutionary Biology and Christian Responses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2024

Michael L. Peterson
Affiliation:
Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky
Timothy J. Pawl
Affiliation:
University of St Thomas, Minneapolis
Ben F. Brammell
Affiliation:
Asbury University, Kentucky
Get access

Summary

In the mid-nineteenth century, Darwin articulated his theory of evolution and thereby crystallized growing scientific suspicions that the diversity of organic forms – including humans – was produced by natural processes. Although tensions between science and religion since the dawn of modernity had been forcing thinkers in both disciplines to reassess their view of the status and meaning of being human, this new theory made our biological origins and development yet another occasion for religious response. Particularly orthodox Christians had to ponder whether humble animal origins were consistent with the high view of humanity as made in God’s image – and indeed what it would mean for God to have become a human being in the Incarnation. Darwinian theory was a seismic shift in our concept of the living world, one that has been augmented and confirmed many times over by advances in science. These matters are the subject of this chapter.

Type
Chapter
Information
Jesus and the Genome
The Intersection of Christology and Biology
, pp. 67 - 100
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×