Abstract
In friendship with Darwin in designing an anthropology from a Christian perspective? Best science and best theological reflection – the two belongs together for the sake of both. This is argued for in the exposition of the justification of friendship with Darwin (best science as evolutionary science) which is argumentatively connected from a Christian perspective to the praiseworthiness of God as creator (best theological reflection). Concretely, this implies making theologically sense of the important contemporary contribution of evolutionary biology on the origin of life and the descriptions of life. This endeavour necessitates a critical re-reading not only of Darwinian abuse and misperceptions but also of the larger historical context of the aforegoing scientific revolutions and their aftermath. Therefore, both discourses of abuse on the extreme spectrum of reflection on creation and life are critically addressed, namely creationism or Intelligent Design and bio-fundamentalism. As hermeneutical tool of discernment, the argument of evolutionary re-conceptualisation is unfolded as a distinction between an official story and alternative story to highlight not only the exciting implications of the latter but also especially as act of the de-domestication of our understanding of God as the praiseworthy God of creation.
Highlights
Postal address: Department of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, University of Pretoria, Lynwood Road, Hatfield 0083, South Africa
In friendship with Darwin in designing an anthropology from a Christian perspective? Best science and best theological reflection – the two belongs together for the sake of both. This is argued for in the exposition of the justification of friendship with Darwin which is argumentatively connected from a Christian perspective to the praiseworthiness of God as creator
Teenoor die Amerikaanse Skeppingsmuseum in Kentucky met al sy kunsmatige namaaksels staan die SuidAfrikaanse Wieg van die Mensdom4 met sy versameling fossiele as wetenskaplike getuienis van die menslike herkoms
Summary
Affiliation: 1Department of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics, University of Pretoria, South Africa. In hierdie gesprek met die evolusionêre biologie is een van my uitgangspunte dus dat ek Darwin se bydrae ernstig neem. Hierdie oneerlike wyse van omgang met die Bybel hou vernietigende gevolge in vir die geloofwaardigheid van gelowiges se diepgesetelde belydenis oor geloof in ’n heilige God as skepper en vir ons verstaan van menswees. Hierdie wetenskaplikes kan egter nie hierdie oortuiging – as wetenskapsfilosofiese standpuntinname – deur hulle eie metode regverdig of bewys dat dit die enigste wyse is om tot die waarheid te kom nie. Verteenwoordig hulle standpuntinname oor die waarheidsgehalte van ons kenuitsprake ’n eksklusiewe aanspraak wat dus die karakter van ’n ideologiese standpuntinname aanneem wanneer voorgegee word dat dit die enigste aanvaarbare wyse is om tot kenuitsprake te kom wat as waarheid kan geld. Ook die Suid-Afrikaanse teoloog Klaus Nürnberger (2011) eggo beskrywend hierdie oortuiging op die voorblad van sy onlangse publikasie Regaining sanity for the earth met die woorde: ‘Why science needs best faith to be responsible; why faith needs best science to be credible.’ Ek deel hierdie oortuiginge omdat dit nie alleen die volheid van menswees en die rol van waardes in ons lewens verdiep nie, maar veral die geloofwaardigheid van ons geloofsuitsprake oor God as skepper versterk. Vervolgens bied ek eers ’n kort verwysing na die uiteenlopende reaksies op die evolusieteorie en dan spesifiek ’n bespreking oor die grondige rol van die evolusionêre biologie
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