Evolutionary Creationism: An Introduction

Introduction

In my last article on this topic, I talked about my Journey out of the YEC (Young Earth Creationist) movement. Here, I would like to introduce the EC (Evolutionary Creationism) view. I will get specific about the definitions, history, and beliefs of this group, followed by concluding thoughts.

Creationist?

Many people are more familiar with the term Theistic Evolution (TE) than Evolutionary Creationism (EC). The term was coined in the 90s, whereas TE was used in the 1800s. That said, many prefer the EC label for a few reasons. Chief among them for me is the fact that the term Creationism is synonymous with Young Earth Creationism. I find this unfortunate and want to reclaim the term and help people understand the diversity that exists within that term. Furthermore, TE is often viewed as a deistic position whereby God creates and starts evolution but is unconcerned about the affairs of mortals. He steps away and allows things to occur. As one imagines, deism is incompatible with a God who becomes human for us. As a result, some of us do not use that term.

What do all these terms mean? Glad you asked! ECs are united by two claims. One is God as creator and sustainer of all things (Col 1:6-17, NIV). The other is “...evolution as the best scientific explanation we have for how life on Earth has changed over time” (Biologos, Para 1). I think evolution is also relevant to define because many people misunderstand it. Wilkins (2001) has a phenomenal discussion of the definition of evolution and the concepts packed into it. Evolution, in its broadest sense, is “descent with modification” (section: Issues in evolution). All kinds of living things change over time, and so do their descendants. This definition typically refers to biological evolution. However, there are other kinds of evolution, such as the evolution of stars and such. One scholar observes, “In theistic evolution, the "evolution" can mean a Complete Formative Evolution of all physical and biological features during the entire formative history of nature” (Rusbult, 2002, Section: What is Theistic Evolution (Evolutionary Creation)? — Part 1). Therefore, at its base, the claim is that God is the creator and sustainer of CFE (complete formative evolution). CFE is the method by which God made all.

History

It may be relevant to briefly mention antiquity. Though not as scientifically enlightened as we are today, it would be a mistake to start in the 1800s because we know that early Christian texts expressed ideas similar to TE. For example, Basil the Great, commenting on Genesis 1:20, says,

"Why do the waters give birth also to birds? Because there is, so to say, a family link between the creatures that fly and those that swim. In the same way that fish cut the waters, using their fins to carry them forward and their tails to direct their movements round and round and straightforward, so we see birds float in the air by the help of their wings. Both endowed with the property of swimming, their common derivation from the waters has made them of one family" (Homily 8)

There are several observations to make here. Firstly, Basil was right that there is a link between birds and fish. Furthermore, there is a common derivation from the water (UC Museum, n.d). Now he makes this connection because birds and fish sorta “swim” (Basil explains in his commentary here). That is incorrect but that does not change the fact that he is doing what we would call evolutionary science based on scripture. He makes an observation from the text and then observes nature, resulting in a conclusion that fits contemporary science. Given the fact that he affirms God as the creator, this is a primitive TE.

This does not mean he interpreted Genesis as an allegory or allowed for long ages. He seems to have a more literal hermeneutic on Genesis, including the days. Still, This is one of the best examples of a primitive TE view. Rowe (2022) has shown evidence of evolutionary theory in church history. Christians and Jews had similar ideas regarding Genesis 1:20. Augustine entertains ideas similar to evolution (Hart, 2022). There is also a broader conversation about how accepting of science certain fathers would have been given their understanding of Genesis. Now, what happened in the 1800s?

As far as we can tell, the first person to coin the term TE was Dawson in his 1877 book The Origin of the World, According to Revelation and Science (Davis, 2012). On page 225, he critiques the position on theological grounds. However, the concept of TE goes back further than him. Asa Gray and Charles Kingsley were TEs. The interview with Seth Hart (2022) did give me clarity on what happened. In it, he talks about Lamarck, who put evolution on the scene years before Darwin. He was a theist who believed God was the end point of evolution and what life was getting to. Early in Darwin's life, he thought that evolution showed the glory of God. In his view, nature is a closed system or a well-crafted machine that does not need constant tinkering from the divine, which shows God's glory. Naturalism, in this sense, is proposed to defend God.

Lamarck and early Darwin could be seen as TEs. Many of Darwin's early defenders were Christians. Disagreements with Darwin and others were often done for theological reasons, but typically not entire denial of evolution. Even the Great B.B. Warfield was a TE! Garvey (2013) notes,

"The heart of Warfield’s understanding of the theory of evolution is that it was entirely, and unproblematically, compatible with orthodox Christian belief, and even with full-blown biblical inerrancy, provided one held to the strong classical view of special providence. (Para. 9)

Later, people like the great CS Lewis was a Theistic Evolutionist. he “eschewed the creation OR evolution false dichotomy that so many of us grew up with” (Applegate, 2018, Para. 9).

Diversity

When you come across critiques of evolution, one of their fatal flaws is the assumption of what this movement is or says. ECs are like any other theological camp within Christianity in that there is no agreement in all areas. Were Adam and Eve real people? Is Genesis 1-11 a mythology (which does not mean untrue just nonhistorical)? Are the days in Genesis 24-hour days?

There is diversity among ECs so do not make the mistake of assuming what we believe or how we interpret. Especially disrespectful assumptions like “you don't believe the Bible” or “you choose a man over God” among other things. Many hold to the infallibility, inerrancy, and inspiration of scripture. We would also agree with classic Christian creeds. Just because our interpretation is different does not mean we reject what we are interpreting. Wanna know what someone believes? Respectfully ask!

I believe in the historicity of Genesis. There was a nonfictional Garden, God really walked on dirt, and so on. I also affirm inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy. As a Protestant, I affirm Sola Scriptura, though not all ECs are Protestant. There is unity among us on the essential premises of Creator and Evolution but how that works is disagreed upon.

Conclusion

In conclusion, evolutionary creationism sees God as the creator and evolution as how he created. This view has a rich history among theists and Christians, such that it was never strange to put the term theistic next to the term evolution like it is today. Great diversity exists among us through time, therefore generalizations are almost certainly false.

This article serves as an introduction to this theological tradition. The next several will cover the interpretation of Genesis and other texts. Since it was mentioned in my last article, I will start by discussing God's general revelation and its implications. It is an essential idea for Old Earth and Evolutionary Creationists.

References:

Applegate, K. (2018). C.S. Lewis on Science, Evolution, and Evolutionism. BioLogos. https://biologos.org/series/evolution-basics/articles/c-s-lewis-on-science-evolution-and-evolutionism

Basil the Great. (4th century). Hexaemeron, Homily 8. From https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/32018.htm

BioLogos. (2024). What is evolutionary creation? Retrieved from https://biologos.org/common-questions/what-is-evolutionary-creation

Davis, T. (2012). Theistic Evolution. History and Beliefs. BioLogos.

https://biologos.org/series/science-and-the-bible/articles/theistic-evolution-history-and-beliefs

Garvey, J. (2013). A Design History of Theistic Evolution (#3 of 6). The Hump of the Camel. https://potiphar.jongarvey.co.uk/2013/05/04/a-design-history-of-theistic-evolution-3-of-6/

Rowe, R. (2022). Early church fathers on evolution || John Calvin, Origen, Basil ft @sentinelapologetics. What Your Pastor Didn’t Tell You. From https://www.youtube.com/watchv=HI0eTOYkYX8

Rusbult, C. (2002). IS THEISTIC EVOLUTION (proposing evolutionary creation) THEOLOGICALLY ACCEPTABLE? American Scientific Association. https://www.asa3.org/ASA/education/origins/te-cr.htm

UC Museum of Paleontology Understanding Evolution. The origin of tetrapods. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://evolution.berkeley.edu/what-are-evograms/the-origin-of-tetrapods/

Wilkins, J. (2001). Defining Evolution. National Center for Science Education, 21:1-2. https://ncse.ngo/defining-evolution

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