Abstract
Over the last few decades, the British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has pursued his intellectual mission in the service of two obligations: to proclaim the wonders of science and to broadcast the non-existence of God. In executing this mission, Dawkins has latched on to the scientific theory of evolution as his basis for disproving the existence of God and of demolishing biblical faith’s accounts of the origin of life. For Dawkins, evolution is incompatible with religious faith. He sees evolution as the only superhighway to truth about life’s origin and atheism as the only intellectually honest position. In contrast, Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) is one of the important Roman Catholic theologians who have countered the idea that belief in creation has been rendered obsolete by or is incompatible with the theory of evolution. His writings on the subject have sought to bring biblical faith in creation, enriched by the resources of historical-critical scholarship, in dialogue with the modern science. His teaching has thus been prompted by the need to present a coherent biblical theology of creation in light of modern science. In light of their divergent positions, the question needs to be proposed anew: Is belief in creation compatible or incompatible with evolution? This is the questions that I address in this paper. By setting up a dialogue between the two thinkers, I critically appraise their views on the subject and to draw some important implications for Christian faith and modern science today.
Presenters
Emmanuel OjeifoStudent, PhD Theology, University of Notre Dame Indiana, Indiana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Religion in the Public Sphere: From the Ancient Years to the Post-Modern Era
KEYWORDS
Creation, Evolution, Science, Religion
