Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Theology of Theistic Evolution 101
Red State Rabble has never found theology to be particularly rewarding field of inquiry. It's one of those subjects, intensely interesting to some, that we just don't get, and at this late stage of life probably never will.
Even so, we're willing to entertain the notion that the deficiency is in us.
Perhaps it's a failure of imagination on our part. Perhaps we were born without the God gene. Perhaps it's just a failure to apply ourselves properly.
Whatever.
On the other hand, we work in the movement to defend science with a number of perfectly intelligent and highly dedicated people who are intensely interested in the subject. People who give lie to the charge that you can't be religious and accept the findings of modern science at the same time.
To us, these activists -- they form the backbone to the opposition to teaching creationism and intelligent design in public schools here in Kansas -- seem utterly at home in their faith and their understanding of science.
For those readers able to accomodate both faith and science we offer this review of Francis Collins' book The Language of God by Catherine H. Crouch, an assistant professor of physics at Swarthmore College.
Crouch has a more subtle understanding of the nuances of theology than is usually found at either pole in the political and cultural debate over evolution. And, while RSR doesn't subscribe to the notion that all who embrace evolution must abandon their faith, she has a keener grasp of what it means theologically to be a theistic evolutionist than we.
We're not saying we agree with her. Just that readers who are convinced that knowing James Dobson, Ted Haggard, or Pat Robertson -- not in the biblical sense, of course -- is to know all there is to know about religious faith, may find this review to be an eye opener.
Even so, we're willing to entertain the notion that the deficiency is in us.
Perhaps it's a failure of imagination on our part. Perhaps we were born without the God gene. Perhaps it's just a failure to apply ourselves properly.
Whatever.
On the other hand, we work in the movement to defend science with a number of perfectly intelligent and highly dedicated people who are intensely interested in the subject. People who give lie to the charge that you can't be religious and accept the findings of modern science at the same time.
To us, these activists -- they form the backbone to the opposition to teaching creationism and intelligent design in public schools here in Kansas -- seem utterly at home in their faith and their understanding of science.
For those readers able to accomodate both faith and science we offer this review of Francis Collins' book The Language of God by Catherine H. Crouch, an assistant professor of physics at Swarthmore College.
Crouch has a more subtle understanding of the nuances of theology than is usually found at either pole in the political and cultural debate over evolution. And, while RSR doesn't subscribe to the notion that all who embrace evolution must abandon their faith, she has a keener grasp of what it means theologically to be a theistic evolutionist than we.
We're not saying we agree with her. Just that readers who are convinced that knowing James Dobson, Ted Haggard, or Pat Robertson -- not in the biblical sense, of course -- is to know all there is to know about religious faith, may find this review to be an eye opener.
