Evolution and Fundamentalism

Last updated on: April 2, 2013 at 6:26 am by Scot McKnight

195 Comments

Evolution and Fundamentalism 2013-04-02T06:26:53-05:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Pastor (Park Street Church Boston) Daniel Harrell’s new book, Nature’s Witness: How Evolution Can Inspire Faith (Living Theology), is the book we need. Here is someone who can translate science into theology and theology into science, and do so in engaging, fun, and clear prose.

Here’s an opener: “What if, instead of getting all threatened and frightened by scientific advances, we viewed scientific advancement as new vistas for theological consideration, new mountains to explore?” (10) He concludes: “This may sound like a compromised theology. But it’s not. It is an adjusted theology, that’s nothing new” (132). And: “God is the God of both evolution and the Bible” (134).

Before we get to a basic summary of this book, let me sketch some of what has happened to me in this issue of how to affirm the orthodox faith and, at the same time, be unafraid of the discoveries of science — defeating as they do at times our treasured interpretations of the Bible. When I say this, I say it as one who remains sensitive to those who think evolution is dangerous and who believes holding on to God as Creator is fundamental for the Christian faith. But …

I learned to think and rethink what I believe from a college Bible teacher who was a rock-bottom fundamentalist and, truth be told, a modernist to boot. His constant refrain to me: base your views of what you believe about the Bible on evidence. He taught me a naked evidentialist approach to what to believe; go wherever the evidence led me.

Another Bible teacher. I took a class on the Pentateuch with him. There were four of us in the class. He asked us to read through Bernard Ramm’s A Christian’s View of Science and Faith, or something like that. I don’t remember all that much about the class but I (think I) remember Ramm’s epoch theory of the word “day” in Genesis 1 and it led me to accept an old earth and whatever date science might come up with and to expand the length of the days in Genesis 1.

The operating principle I came away with was this: “Go with the evidence, regardless of the tradition you learned.” This is a form of modernity, and one I embraced: find the evidence, examine the evidence, make up your mind so far as you are able. (At times, as in the deeper reaches of science, one has to rely on experts one trusts.) So, I did. This fundamentalist method, though, undercuts the fundamentalist view of Genesis 1-2.

My contention is this: embracing some theory of evolution is one of the logical outcomes of embracing a “go with the evidence” approach I learned from my fundamentalist Bible teachers.

Now, apply that principle to science and the Bible. Go with the evidence. Let it guide you. So, when I got to Genesis 1-11 the evidence led me to think that the interpretation of those texts, the tradition I had received that evolution is a hopper of hooey was wrong. A good long draft of Enuma Elish and Atra Hasis, two ancient texts about such matters, led me to say, “This is not about history as we would write it.” Scientists prove that either God made the world incredibly old (which makes it look like evolution) or God guided the creation of the earth through evolution. Either way you’ve got evolution. But, the first view makes God something close to a deceiver; the second one makes God a creator-by-evolution.

So, I’m quite happy to find a book about how evolution can help our faith, which is what Daniel Harrell offers us in Nature’s Witness. He introduces us to Aunt Bernice, who says all the right things for an anti-evolutionist, anti-intellectual, commonsensical Christian who thinks book learning makes a head grow too big. He also introduces us to Dave, his friend, who simply doesn’t think this concern with evolution and faith matter one bit. Harrell’s use of these characters makes the book better and more enjoyable. And funny at times. One chp takes the tack of Augustine: it’s a private conversation with God.

One of my favorite lines: “Faith allows for a perspective greater than human perception can muster, but this is never to deny the perspective that human perception can muster” (66). Or this one: “Theology’s beef is not with the things that science discovers but with the way some scientists interpret what science discovers” (83).

“As reliable witnesses of nature, we can only become more reliable witnesses to God” (137).

His new word sums it up: “Believolution.”

Science and Faith

Previous Post

October 23, 2008

Original Sin Returns 1 (RJS)

Next Post

October 24, 2008 Original Sin Returns 2 (RJS)

Recent Comments

195 Comments | Leave a Comment

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Isaiah say about Egypt's future in his oracles?

Select your answer to see how you score.

It would be conquered It would conquer Israel It would prosper It would rule Persia