David O. Brown

Incarnation and Neo-Darwinism David O. Brown

Theologians often claim that evolution is the way that God creates; however, this is not how biologists understand evolution. David O. Brown argues that a sober appreciation of neo-Darwinism understands evolution as a theory of preservation, not creation. Evolution is not a temporary process that will end in the completion of creation (or deification), but is a permanent feature of how creation is. In other words, evolution is a scientific theory of ontology, not a scientific theory of creation, and the point of connection between evolution and theology is ontology, not creation.

This leads to two important implications: First, evolution cannot be the way that God creates and, further, shows that God cannot influence the universe. This leads to the idea that Christ is the sole agent of all divine activity; God creates through Christ. Second, there is a connection between the theological ontology of participation and imitation on one side and neo-Darwinism on the other. Evolution is simply imitation and participation at a biological level. Thus, causing participation is the divine act achieved through Christ, of which evolution becomes a necessary side effect. Evolution is not the way that God creates, but is a consequence of creatures' imitating and participating in God.

In this ground-breaking theological appreciation of neo-Darwinism, David O. Brown argues that evolution is not the way that God creates, but is a consequence of creatures' imitating and participating in God.