Quotes of the Day (Arthur Peacocke and Howard J. Van Till)

Last updated on: November 25, 2007 at 2:57 pm by James F. McGrath

“The processes revealed by the sciences, especially evolutionary biology, are in themselves God-acting-as-creator. There is no need to look for God as some kind of additional factor supplementing the processes of the world. God, to use language usually applied in sacramental theology, is “in, with, and under” all-that-is and all-that-goes-on” (Arthur Peacocke, “Biological Evolution – A Postivie Theological Appraisal”, reprinted in God and Evolution: A Reader, ed. Mary Kathleen Cunningham (New York: Routledge, 2007) p.254).

Howard J. Van Till (in “The Creation: Intelligently Designed or Optimally Equipped?” reprinted in the same volume) writes: “The kind of divine action we pray for is discernable only by those who have eyes (of faith) to see it. The natural sciences have no instruments with which to measure the level of effectiveness of God’s blessings” (p.247). Throughout this helpful study he notes the irony of Christians presuming that the inability of that which has been created to organize itself in remarkable ways into material, living and ultimately intelligent things, is assumes to point to a creator more than evidence that matter has such a potential in itself. He asks “Has our concept of divine creative action been unduly affected by the “special effects” industry? Perhaps so” (p.248).