On the Compatibility of Evolutionary Biology and Theism

Abstract

Human beings are the products of many thousands of years of biological evolution, and this process occurs in accordance with the principles of natural selection originally articulated and defended by Charles Darwin and developed and defended further in the modern synthesis of the 20th century.  In this paper, I consider how it may be thought that this fact threatens the rationality of belief in the Christian God.  These threats are countenanced with respect to issues of design, randomness, suffering, and the objectivity of ethics.  I argue that while some versions of Christian belief, such as those grounded in a literalist reading of the Genesis creation story or those committed to the image of God thesis, may be threatened by a Darwinian worldview, there are nonetheless plausible versions of Christian belief that are immune to Darwinian challenges.