Any good books on Theistic Evolution?

[Ramon96]

Hello,

I am a Orthodox Christian who believes in Theistic Evolution. However, I have never read any book geared towards defending the Scientific theory of Evolution from a Christian perspective, or from a non-Christian perspective, and debunking common YEC remarks. Any help?

In IC.XC,
Ramon

 

[Mallon]

There are many good books about evolutionary creationism out there. Here's a start:
An Evangelical Dialogue on Evolution: Ten Books and what they mean for Evolutionary Creationism

 

[Thegra]

I found Perspectives on an Evolving Creation to be excellent. It's the most comprehensive book on the subject I've seen. (It deals more with compatibility between orthodox Christian views and evolution though.)

 

[Sphinx777]

* Collins, Francis; (2006) The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

* Falk, Darrel; (2004) Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology

* Miller, Kenneth R.; (1999) Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution

* Miller, Keith B.; (2003) Perspectives on an Evolving Creation

* Page, John M.; (2009) The Genesis Code: An Inquiry Into The Possibility Of A Link Between Creation And Evolution

 

[Willtor]

Darwin's Forgotten Defenders by David Livingstone

It actually doesn't really go into the particulars of evolution but it addresses the history of the reception (and rejection) of evolution within the Church in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It's particularly good about addressing the main competing natural theologies and how they related to evolution. It's a good springboard (source-wise) and you'll probably get through it in a couple of afternoons.

 

[Ramon96]

Thank-you guys! You all been great help! God Bless you all!

In IC.XC,
Ramon

 

[ChristFollower2009]

Hmmm, I am going to have to check out some of these books at my local library!

 

[Papias]

Almost all of the books that I've seen on the subject are somewhat mealy-mouthed in that they treat Christianity & evolution as conflicting ideas in need of a half-way compromise that weakens both.

A much better approach appears to be Michael Dowd's bold assertion of an evolution-based Christianity, in his "Thank God for Evolution" book.

Papias

 

[AForestOfStars]

Yeah, I'll have to check these out as well. Out of those listed, I've only read The Language of God by Francis Collins. Excellent book, might I say: it explains how there can be harmony between faith and science; that science doesn't have to contradict faith, and vice versa. Collins also, of course, presents scientific evidence for evolution, as well as talk about his conversion from atheism to becoming a Christian, and there is also a fair amount of Christian apologetics in the book. I love it. Quite informative and insightful. A must for skeptical and/or seeking non-Christians, and for Christians who want to know a bit more about evolution and how God may have indeed used it to create.

On a side note: I don't quite agree with Collins' idea that once God set evolution into motion, that He wasn't involved any longer in that process of evolution (read about BioLogos to see what I mean), but I definitely for now believe in theistic evolution. Excellent book.

 

[Willtor]

On a side note: I don't quite agree with Collins' idea that once God set evolution into motion, that He wasn't involved any longer in that process of evolution (read about BioLogos to see what I mean), but I definitely for now believe in theistic evolution. Excellent book.

That's interesting. I didn't know that Collins thought that, and I find it a little disappointing.

 

[Willtor]

Oh, yes! Welcome to CF, AForestOfStars!

 

[AForestOfStars]

It's something along those lines, although I could be wrong, and not in Deist way. Check out BioLogos on wikipedia or his site or something, it should explain it.

 

[Willtor]

It's something along those lines, although I could be wrong, and not in Deist way. Check out BioLogos on wikipedia or his site or something, it should explain it.

I've got his "Language of God" somewhere, but I haven't read it, yet. The Wiki article on BioLogos is interesting, though.

 

[AForestOfStars]

Definitely worth a read though.

 

[gluadys]

It's something along those lines, although I could be wrong, and not in Deist way. Check out BioLogos on wikipedia or his site or something, it should explain it.

I have read Language of God and did not get that impression. But it's been a while and my memory is failing. But I wonder if Collins is really saying that God was not involved in evolution in a miraculous way. That is not the same thing as saying God was not involved at all. But many people seem to forget that God is sustainor as well as creator and assume that if God is not doing miracles, God is not involved at all.

Craig Rusbult (who interestingly is a progressive creationist, not a theistic evolutionist) has some thoughtful insights into God's natural-seeming action vs. his miraculous-seeming action.

Theistic Evolution - Is it Christian? (evolution & theology)

 

[Willtor]

I have read Language of God and did not get that impression. But it's been a while and my memory is failing. But I wonder if Collins is really saying that God was not involved in evolution in a miraculous way. That is not the same thing as saying God was not involved at all. But many people seem to forget that God is sustainor as well as creator and assume that if God is not doing miracles, God is not involved at all.

Craig Rusbult (who interestingly is a progressive creationist, not a theistic evolutionist) has some thoughtful insights into God's natural-seeming action vs. his miraculous-seeming action.

Theistic Evolution - Is it Christian? (evolution & theology)

The Wikipedia article on BioLogos leaves it a little ambiguous as to whether something more deist or something more "God as Lord of Nature" is meant -- which leads me to think the latter since the former is typically more explicit.

 

[AForestOfStars]

I was just reading Language of God last night, in fact, and came across Collins saying that he does believe God IS indeed involved; it's just that I had read on his website (or something like that, quoted from him apparently), something along the lines of God creating through evolution, setting it off its wheels, sort of thing. But yeah, that doesn't mean God wasn't involved directly; didn't have to be specifically miraculous-type of events, if you know what I mean

 

[crawfish]

I was just reading Language of God last night, in fact, and came across Collins saying that he does believe God IS indeed involved; it's just that I had read on his website (or something like that, quoted from him apparently), something along the lines of God creating through evolution, setting it off its wheels, sort of thing. But yeah, that doesn't mean God wasn't involved directly; didn't have to be specifically miraculous-type of events, if you know what I mean

A bit off-topic, but I've always viewed this as a kind of "dominoes falling" effect - and omnipotent God would be able to start a process and know exactly where it will eventually lead. It would seem like weakness for God to have to micromanage a process that is incapable of exhibiting free will against Him.

 

[Willtor]

A bit off-topic, but I've always viewed this as a kind of "dominoes falling" effect - and omnipotent God would be able to start a process and know exactly where it will eventually lead. It would seem like weakness for God to have to micromanage a process that is incapable of exhibiting free will against Him.

It isn't a question of micromanaging, I think. Micromanaging implies some sense of "this task is too small for this person (or Persons)." It's more a question of identifying God at every level at every moment in creation. There's the notion of God knowing where a sparrow falls, or numbering the hairs on our heads, and the like. In Job, God commands the dawn to come and binds the constellations together.

I mean, given the scope of the universe, it might seem like God interacting with humans at all was micromanaging -- unless God relishes interacting with such things.

 

[crawfish]

It isn't a question of micromanaging, I think. Micromanaging implies some sense of "this task is too small for this person (or Persons)." It's more a question of identifying God at every level at every moment in creation. There's the notion of God knowing where a sparrow falls, or numbering the hairs on our heads, and the like. In Job, God commands the dawn to come and binds the constellations together.

I mean, given the scope of the universe, it might seem like God interacting with humans at all was micromanaging -- unless God relishes interacting with such things.

OK, maybe that was a bad term. Let me rephrase: "It would seem like a weakness for God to have to guide a process that is incapable of exhibiting free will against Him".

God knowing where a sparrow falls does not necessarily imply that God is making that sparrow fall supernaturally. Just because something was intentional does not mean that it was not natural.