Ralph Wendell Burhoe and the Natural Selection of God

Abstract

A crisis is looming for religious man as science claims sovereignty over our objective reality and threatens the stability of communities of faith. One by one, prior claims to explaining ultimate reality are systematically shown to have little correlation with scientific fact. This paper addresses the problem of meaning in Ralph Wendell Burhoe’s scientific theology. Through a detailed analysis of Burhoe’s writings and subsequent criticisms and responses, Burhoe is rescued from Ian Barbour’s claim that “[scientific theology cannot] deal adequately with the problems of human freedom, evil and conflict in nature.” Of primary importance is the demonstration that Burhoe’s Lord of History (God as natural process) is worthy of Paul Tillich’s conception of faith as ultimate concern. Further analysis reveals how one may derive meaning from a scientific theology, providing a basis for Burhoe’s world-view as the next step for homo religiosus.