{"id":4942,"date":"2012-05-09T05:55:47","date_gmt":"2012-05-09T12:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thepangeablog\/?p=4942"},"modified":"2012-05-08T22:34:19","modified_gmt":"2012-05-09T05:34:19","slug":"evolving-evangelicalism-part-3-the-problem-of-scientific-naturalism-and-my-thesis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thepangeablog\/2012\/05\/09\/evolving-evangelicalism-part-3-the-problem-of-scientific-naturalism-and-my-thesis\/","title":{"rendered":"Evolving Evangelicalism (part 3): The Problem of Scientific Naturalism And My Thesis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The following series is based on my senior paper for Seminary. You may remember a video where I invited people to contribute their stories<\/a> to help make my case. For the next couple weeks, I\u2019ve decided to share my findings with you all. There will be a \u201cthesis\/problem\u201d section, a \u201cbiblical theology\u201d section, and an \u201capplication\u201d section. I hope you will read along and share this with others! You can read the rest of the series here<\/a>.
\n\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

Evolving Evangelicalism: Inviting Church Leaders to Refine their Approach to Scripture and Origins (part 3)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Problem of Scientific Naturalism<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Any evolutionary theories incorporating scientific naturalism<\/em> (or evolution as worldview) absolutely conflict with Christian belief. <\/em>Pastor Timothy Keller insists: \u201cBelief in evolution as a biological process is not the same as belief in evolution as a worldview.\u201d[1]<\/a> <\/em>Scientific naturalism, distinct from biological evolution, \u201cholds that all that exists is physical and can be reduced to its elemental material composition.\u201d[2]<\/a> <\/em>Therefore, god <\/em>is myth; only matter<\/em> is eternal.<\/p>\n

In this view, various forms of matter, called essences<\/em>, existed eternally prior to the point in evolutionary history that led to the observable universe.[3]<\/a> <\/em>As a result, naturalists believe that appealing to God (or any spiritual entity) distracts from human progress because problems in the world can only be solved through science.[4]<\/a> <\/em>Alvin Plantinga makes the distinction clear: \u201cWhat is not consistent with Christian belief\u2026 is the claim that this process of evolution is unguided \u2013 that no personal agent, not even God, has guided, directed, orchestrated, or shaped it.\u201d[5]<\/a> <\/em>Christians often fail to leave room for a God-directed evolution, and naturalists often assume atheism can be deduced because of science.\u00a0 Both views wrongly assert a false polarization.<\/p>\n

THESIS<\/h1>\n

St. Augustine[6]<\/a> believed that humans ought to approach the quest for knowledge by holding together the two sacred forms of revelation given to humanity by God: the book of Scripture<\/em> and the book of nature<\/em> (or the natural world). <\/em>He believed that these two<\/em> books<\/em> are God\u2019s perfect and complementary modes of truth communication. <\/em>Therefore, the interpretation of texts should not be held so tightly as to fail to leave room for the book of nature<\/em> to reveal truth about reality.[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

With this concern in view, Augustine wrote: \u201cReckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books.\u201d[8]<\/a> <\/em>This applies today as well-meaning evangelical leaders teach that the biblical origins accounts conflict with evolution. This antagonistic stance is unnecessarily hindering some people from becoming or remaining part of the Christian faith, when in fact, the biblical witness of cosmic and human origins in no way conflicts with modern science.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

DO YOU AGREE WITH MY THESIS? IF SO, WHY? IF NOT, ARE YOU WILLING TO HEAR A NEW PERSPECTIVE?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n

[1]<\/a>. Timothy Keller, \u201cCreation, Evolution, and Christian Laypeople,\u201d BioLogos Foundation, http:\/\/biologos.org\/resources\/timothy-keller\/ (accessed February 11, 2012), 5.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[2]<\/a>. Steve Wilkens and Mark L. San, Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives<\/em> (Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2009), 100.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[3]<\/a>. Ibid., 101.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[4]<\/a>. Ibid., 104.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[5]<\/a>. Alvin Plantinga, Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism<\/em> (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), 12.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[6]<\/a>. The source of the following: Lawrence M. Principe, \u201cScience and Religion,\u201d The Teaching Company: Great Courses, http:\/\/www.teach12.com\/tgc\/courses\/course_detail.aspx?cid=4691 (accessed February 11, 2012).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[7]<\/a>. Ibid., See: Course Book, 8.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

[8]<\/a>. As quoted by: <\/em>I. Howard J. Van Till, \u201cGod and Evolution: An Exchange,\u201d First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion & Public Life<\/em>, no. 34 (June 1993). Humanities International Index, EBSCOhost (accessed January 4, 2011), 32-38.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following series is based on my senior paper for Seminary. You may remember a video where I invited people to contribute their stories to help make my case. For the next couple weeks, I\u2019ve decided to share my findings with you all. There will be a \u201cthesis\/problem\u201d section, a \u201cbiblical theology\u201d section, and an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1564,29,39,92],"tags":[144,164,1571,199,1565,1570,19163,1568,324,1444,1566,338,423,1567,1573,1574,1569,1575,723,729,1572],"class_list":["post-4942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-series-evolving-evangelicalism","category-culture","category-evolution","category-theology","tag-atheism","tag-biologos","tag-bioloigical","tag-christian","tag-collins","tag-darwin","tag-evolution","tag-gap-theory","tag-genesis-1","tag-genesis-2-3","tag-giberson","tag-god","tag-jesus","tag-journey-of-the-universe","tag-leaving-church","tag-naturalism","tag-old-earth","tag-plantinga","tag-theistic-evolution","tag-tim-keller","tag-young-adults"],"yoast_head":"\nEvolving Evangelicalism (part 3): The Problem of Scientific Naturalism And My Thesis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The following series is based on my senior paper for Seminary. 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