The Church and Evolution

Dear CIOT Participants,

This month's topic received the second-highest number of votes when we set our agenda. The issues of school curricula and intelligent design have kept evolution in the news lately. The theme was also included as a sub-section of a meeting we held last year on science and the faith. But as some of you may remember, stem-cell research dominated the discussion that evening such that evolution was never discussed. So, I'm delighted that you've returned it to the agenda.

I'm looking forward to seeing you on March 5!

John

Some Introductory, Encyclopedic Articles on Evolution, Creationism, etc.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia has appeared within the last few years. The following articles represent Church consensus, or at least an explanation of key concepts from a Catholic perspective:

• New Catholic Encyclopedia - Evolution
• New Catholic Encyclopedia - Creationsim

Gale Publishing has created a series of reference books intended for university students but by no means experts. The following entries are brief and, I think, clear, and taken from two different sources: Gales Encyclopedia of Science and Encyclopedia of Religion and Science, both published within the last few years and therefore up-to-date:

• Gale Encyclopedia of Religion - Evolution
• Gale Encyclopedia of Religion - Creationism
• Gale Encyclopedia of Religion - Design
• Gale Encyclopedia of Science - Evolution

The 'Objective', 'Secular', 'Godless' View: The National Academy of Sciences:

Although the National Academy of Sciences consists of members representing almost every religious faith, they are, in theory at least, a key voice of the nation in matters scientific; more importantly, they are, again at least in theory, held to 'objective' scientific standards that represent the majority opinion of the scientific community. In response to the debates over evolutionism and creationism, they produced two, small, informative booklets in 1998-99, both of which are free to read online:

• Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Science (Wash. D.C.: National Academy Press, 1999)
• Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science (Wash. D.C.: National Academy Press, 1998).

A Recent Scientific Editorial Denouncing the new "Endarkenment"

Gerald Weissmann, The Facts of Evolution: Fighting the Endarkenment . The FASEB Journal. 2005;19:1581-1582

Evolution and Catholicism

Although John Paul II had come to his own terms with evolution, it still remains an issue for many Catholics and especially Christians who have been promoting the teaching of "intelligent design". His statement to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 1982 initiated a fruitful discussion; Janine Langan wrote "The Quarrel the Evolutionists Started" in response, in which she addresses the broad issues from a Catholic perspective.

The most recent important Catholic statement on the issue has come from Cardinal Archbishop Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, who in July 2005 wrote an open letter on the topic to the New York Times. Here is a link to Schönborn's letter (which is not long at all), followed by some responses by Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Schönborn's letter brought many responses, some of which are listed below:

• John Allen of NCR intereviews French catholic scientist regarding evolution
• Allen also interviewed Peter Schuster, an agnostic scientist, who discussed the issues with Cardinal Schörnborn.
• Robert John Russel, founder and director of The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences at the Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley), addressed issues raised by Schönborn in "Evolution and Christian Faith," America (Feb. 20, 2006).
• Finally Nicola Cabibbo, president of the Pontifical Academy of Science, addressed the issues in NCR.