Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 76 No. 2, 2006.
Original scientific paper
Creation and Evolution
Ivan Kešina
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Abstract
In this work, the author investigates the relationship between faith in God's creation of the world, life and living forms and man; and the theory of evolution from a theological-philosophical viewpoint.
The first chapter analyses the theological beliefin God's creation of the world. Keeping in mind the first and second titles of the Book of Genesis about the creation of the world, living beings and man in the world, the author points out that the report of the creation is not like that of a reporter at the scene, but rather of man's talk about God, that is, about something unspeakable that is dressed in a style, literary form, comparison, metaphor, images of the world. The author points out the traditional definition of the Creation according to which creation is the production of things out of nothing themselves or without any support. Therefore, creating, God produces things without change and to be created in creation represents only the existential relationship of dependency towards the Creator as the elements of one's being.
In the second section, the author speaks about the theory of evolution which we can observe as aprocess in two steps: the first, is evident in the creation of genetic variability through mutation, recombination, etc, which is usually a matter of chance, whereas the other step consists of ordering the variables that have emerged with the mediation of natural selection. In that way, chance and necessity represent the development of the world. The sheer mention of chance in evolution leads us to controversy and rejection...This section also analyses the ideological abuse of the theory of evolution beginning with E. Haeckel and then followed by many other: Feuerbach, Maru, Engels ... Enhancing the struggle for existence and natural selection, in the political world has turned into the three greatest evils of the Twentieth Century which overtook mankind: Nazism, Fascism and Communism.
As an example of the ideologised theory of evolution amongst scientists, the author mentions the thought of J. Monode, who, as a biologist, rejects any transcendency. A completely opposite opinion to Monode is fundamentalistic creationism, which rejects the possibility of any form of evolution, which is supposedly in contradiction to what is written in the first and second titles of the Book of Genesis. A modem version of that thought is the Intelligent Design theory.
In the third chapter, the author analyses relations between Church Teaching towards creation and evolution with emphasis on Pope Pius XII encyclical, Humani generis, the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and in particular the teachings of Pope John Paul II. Furthermore, the author investigates the thoughts of some theologians in relation to creation and evolution. Particular attention is given to K. Rahner & V. Bajsić. Later in the text, the article points out directives for theologians and pastoral workers that are related to the problem of evolutionism.
It can be said that the philosophical-theological and natural comprehension of creation and evolution are not mutual opposites but rather two various levels of observing reality and their theories that do not exclude each other. Both are correct and the truth cannot contradict the truth.
Keywords
Creation; evolution; theology; philosophy; natural science; chance & necessity; Intelligent Design; creatio continua
Hrčak ID:
23998
URI
Publication date:
30.8.2006.
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