Evangelicals and Evolution: Thomas Jay Oord

Last updated on: November 19, 2010 at 7:22 am by Scot McKnight

Evangelicals and Evolution: Thomas Jay Oord 2010-11-19T07:22:51-06:00 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.

From Thomas Jay Oord’s blog…

What do you think of his five major points? Would you add others, subtract some of these? Which books do you think are most important for those who want to think about this more intelligently?

Evangelicals Accept Evolution

I chose my blog title to acknowledge that a growing number of Evangelicals accept evolution as compatible with Christianity. I also chose my title to argue that Evangelicals should accept evolution as compatible with faith.

I spent a good portion of last week at a BioLogos meeting. I talked with leading Evangelical pastors, scientists, philosophers, and theologians. Our main goal was to help the Evangelical family realize that the general theory of evolution is not a threat to authentic Christian faith and not a threat to biblical authority.

A full explanation of the compatibility of biblical Christianity and evolution would require at least a book. Here I want to point quickly to five reasons why some of my fellow Evangelicals accept evolution as compatible with Christianity. These are the same reasons I think other Evangelicals should follow their example.

The Evidence Points to Evolution

The first point may be obvious, but it bears repeating. The evidence from a variety of sciences – but especially biology – points to evolution. Various dating mechanisms, the similarities of bone structures across species, fossil continuity, genetic sequencing, and more point to evolution as the general theory that best accounts for the emergence of life over a long period of time and the common descent of species.

The overwhelming majority of the scientific community – those people who study the data most carefully – affirms the general theory of evolution. There are certainly differences of opinions on the mechanisms and means for evolution amongst scientists. But the vast majority affirms the general theory.

We Evangelicals are adamant that we seek truth. Simply put, the general theory of evolution best accounts for the biological evidence we find in our world. Not accepting evolution means not accepting the best overall theory available to account for the data we find.

God Creates Through and Alongside Evolutionary Mechanisms

Some Evangelicals reject evolution, because they think it allows no place for God to be Creator. Unfortunately, they seem to be listening to a small but loud contingency of atheistic philosophers and scientists who claim evolution has no place for God. They want to force Evangelicals to choose between science and faith.

But Evangelicals can and should believe that God works through various evolutionary mechanisms as the initial and ongoing Creator of all things. There is no scientific reason to reject that God creates through evolution. I believe God works through or alongside natural selection, genetic mutation, self-organization, and other evolutionary mechanisms.

Unfortunately, many young Evangelicals feel like the church forces them to choose between their faith and the best that science has to offer. The stories of those rejecting faith in the face of evolutionary evidence saddens me. It’s time for the church to help those wrestling with these issues to see they can believe both in God as Creator and evolution.

The Bible is Consonant with Evolution

The Bible doesn’t talk about evolution. In fact, Genesis and other books assume a worldview that has little in common with contemporary science. Biblical authors typically assume an ancient view of the world, in which the earth is flat and a dome covers the earth. It makes little sense to try to read evolution or other contemporary scientific theories into the Bible when they simply aren’t there.

The key to seeing the Bible as consonant with evolution, therefore, is to ask about the purpose of Scripture. Evangelicals regard the Bible as reliable for revealing God’s will concerning salvation. They should do not consider the Bible a scientific textbook against which contemporary science – including evolution – be judged.

An old saying in Christian circles seems helpful on this issue: “The Bible tells us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.” My own more evolution-oriented saying is that the Bible tells us how to find abundant life, not the scientific details of how life became abundant. In short, Evangelicals should look to the Bible for theological truth.

New Creation, Transformation, and Evolution

The idea that creatures can undergo dramatic change is part of the Christian gospel. In fact, the Apostle Paul emphasized the importance of at least humans being God’s new creations.

I doubt the Apostle Paul affirmed evolution, of course. But the notion that something different can emerge from the created order fits the general evolutionary claim about the emergence of creation over time. We might even say the spiritual sense of new creation mirrors the physical sense of evolutionary creation.

It should make sense to Evangelicals that God is in the business of doing new things. The Bible tells us that God cares about establishing the kingdom, and God works to redeem all creation. God is doing and creating new things today! Hallelujah!

Free Creatures are Created Co-Creators

In the first verses of Genesis, we find God asking creatures to join in the work of creating. God tells them to “bring forth” others. In fact, we might call creatures “created co-creators.” This label does not mean that creatures are equal with their Creator. But it does mean that creatures make a real difference in shaping God’s creative and providential activity.

Many Evangelicals also believe that God lovingly gives freedom and agency to those God creates. This emphasis on creaturely freedom and agency fits well in evolutionary theories that are not deterministic.

This belief is part of why Evangelicals who affirm evolution also reject the view that evolution occurs entirely through absolute randomness. Both God and creatures have roles to play in the emergence of life as we know it. Evolution tells us a great deal about some of the creaturely roles in that evolutionary creation process.

In sum, Evangelicals should affirm the evidence for common descent and an ancient universe. They can do so while still affirming God’s creative and designing activity. And they can affirm that creatures in particular and creation in general possess agency, freedom, and purpose.

Evangelicals accept evolution.

Evangelicals: accept evolution!

Science and Faith

Previous Post

November 19, 2010

Good and Bad Ways 2

Next Post

November 19, 2010 Pat Downs?

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

Who was the mother of Samuel?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Sarah Rebekah Mary Hannah