The history of the doctrine of creation; a Catholic perspective

Abstract

Abstract The history of the emancipation of modern science can be traced in the history of the relationship between creation and evolution, but this is also an example of the growing importance of scholarly–theoretical issues within theology, especially in relation to the interpretation of the Bible. Three phases can be distinguished: (1) the time when teachings about creation were the dominant model; (2) the time when the scientific model of evolution clashed with the theological doctrine of creation; (3) a phase of open dialogue. The third phase began with the recognition of the scientific method by the encyclicals of Pope Pius XII in 1943 and 1950 . However, only in the recent past, initiated by the second Vatican Council, was room made for a fruitful collaboration and the instigation of complementary scientific–theological models. The basic openness to dialogue and the recognition of the working methods of theology and science highlight extreme positions that, from their method of argumentation, must be called fundamentalist. ‘Creationism’ insists upon a literal–naive understanding of the Bible, which cannot be supported by scholarly–theological means, whereas the ‘intelligent design movement’, under the guise of empirical science, tries to present religiously motivated statements as empirical facts. Both groups are characterized by a closed world view and the use of arguments that do not follow from their premises. The present attempts at a scientific–theological synthesis are diverse and show that creation and evolution can be thought of together without inconsistency. For this dialogue to be successful, the open demonstration of one's own methods and the recognition of the theoretically accounted for methods of the dialogue partner are essential. This paper endeavours to demonstrate some of the theological methods relevant to the question of creation and evolution.