Creator God, evolving world / Cynthia Crysdale and Neil Ormerod.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Crysdale, Cynthia S. W., 1953-

Contributor:

Ormerod, Neil.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion and science.

Evolution.

God (Christianity).

Evolution--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Physical Description:

168 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Minneapolis : Fortress Press, [2013]

Summary:

Cynthia Crysdale and Neil Ormerod here present a robust theology of God in light of supposed tensions between Christian belief and evolutionary science. A truly intelligent and accessible defense of the compatibility of classical theism with the evolutionary worldview, this volume is an important and provocative contribution to the debate. Creator God, Evolving World clarifies a number of confused assumptions in an effort to redeem chance as an intelligible force interacting with stable patterns in nature. By clarifying terms often used imprecisely in both scientific and theological discourse, the authors make the case that the role of chance in evolution neither mitigates God's radical otherness from creation nor challenges the efficacy of God's providence in the world. Finally, this view of God and the evolving world yields implications for our understanding of human action. Moral agency, even God's work of redemption, unfolds according to an ethic of risk rather than by the quick fix of determinative control.

Contents:

Chapter 1 God, Religion, and Science 1

The Emergence of Modern Science 2

Newton and God 4

The "Newtonian" Worldview and Deism 6

Beyond the Newtonian "worldview: Darwinism and Quantum Mechanics 7

Randomness, Purpose, and Ethics 10

Authority, Tradition, and Reason 13

A Tale of Two Authors 15

Conclusion 17

Chapter 2 Evolving World: Regularity and Probability 19

Two Ways of Making Sense: Classical and Statistical Science 20

The Interaction of Classical and Statistical Science 24

Is It All Random? 29

Emergent Probability: Order and Novelty Interacting 31

Natural Selection and Chance 36

Conclusion 38

Chapter 3 Creator God 41

God, Contingency, and Change 42

The Classical Argument 44

What Does Modern Science Add to the Picture? Space, Time, and Matter 48

A Positive Account 54

Conclusion 56

Chapter 4 Evolving World: Purpose and Meaning 57

Teleology and Darwinism 58

Worldviews and Scientific Discoveries Intertwined 65

Finality: A New Way of Conceiving Directionality 68

Convergence: Scientific Endeavors Endorse Dynamic Purpose 74

Conclusion 81

Chapter 5 Human Freedom and God's-Providence 83

A Finite but Provident Emerging World Order 85

Providence and the Goodness of Creation 87

Providence and Prayer 90

Pain, Suffering, and Evil 91

Free Will in an Emergent World 95

Evil and Responsibility 97

The Divinely Originated Solution to the Problem of Evil 99

Conclusion 101

Chapter 6 Implications for Human Living: Moral Agency and Emergent Probability 103

Homo sapiens: What Makes Us So Special? 104

The Question of Soul and Spirit in Evolutionary Terms 109

Moral Agency, Decision Making, Control, and Risk 110

Human Control Versus Shifting Probabilities: Examples 116

God's Providential Will, Grateful Cooperation, and Sacrificial Love 120

Conclusion 124.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9780800698775

0800698770

9781451426434

1451426437

OCLC:

798615953