Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Contributors:
Douglas Hayworth
Dennis Venema
Terry Gray
Jim Kidder
Philip Wala
Keith Suckling
Murray Hogg
Allan Harvey
Edited by:
Steve Martin
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
Table of Contents
IX. USING THE "TEST OF FAITH COURSE" TO EXPLORE THE COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN
SCIENCE AND FAITH ......................................................................................................... 17
X. ORIGINS AND THE PASTORAL TASK: THE PRIORITY OF LOVE OVER KNOWLEDGE ............. 19
XI. TEACHING A SCIENCE AND FAITH COURSE IN AN EVANGELICAL MAINLINE CHURCH:
LESSONS LEARNED .......................................................................................................... 21
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
The following series of articles examines the place of EC’s within the Evangelical church. Eight EC’s offer their
personal perspectives on living and serving within the Evangelical community. The series includes 10 articles
published between February 16, 2010 and April 12, 2010. Authors in order of appearance included:
1. Steve Martin wrote the series Introduction on February 16, 2010. He publishes the weblog An Evangelical
Dialogue on Evolution.
2. Douglas Hayworth contributed the article “Is there an Evangelical Church Home for the Evolutionary
Creationist?”. Doug grew up as an MK/PK (missionary/pastor kid) and lived in Iran as a child. He has a
PhD in evolutionary biology from Washington University in St. Louis. While in St. Louis, he was part of a
PCA church, where he served as missions committee chairman, deacon, and children's Sunday school
teacher. He currently lives in Illinois where he works as a protein research technical writer and content
specialist for Thermo Fisher Scientific.
3. Dennis Venema contributed the article “Promoting a Positive Relationship between an Evangelical Faith
and Biological Evolution in the Local Church”. Dennis is the Chair of the Biology department at Trinity
Western University. His article “Genesis and the Genome: Genomics Evidence for Human – Ape Common
Ancestry and Ancestral Hominid Population Sizes” was published in the September 2010 edition of
Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, and his essay-length review of Stephen Meyer’s recent ID
book, “Signature in the Cell”, was published in the December 2010 edition of the same journal.
4. Terry Gray contributed a 2-part article on “Being an Evolutionary Creationist in a Confessionally Reformed
Church”. In the first he provided background information on his church trial within the OPC while in the
second he provided personal reflections on that trial and how EC’s can be agents for change within their
church. Terry is the webmaster for the ASA and has written several helpful articles on the creation /
evolution dialogue including Complexity--Yes! Irreducible--Maybe! Unexplainable--No! A Creationist
Criticism of Irreducible Complexity
5. Jim Kidder contributed the article “Growing up Science-Literate in the Japanese Church and encountering
YEC in the American Church: A Paleontologist’s Personal Perspective”. Jim is a librarian,
palaeoanthropologist, and evolutionary biologist with an all-consuming interest in apologetics and
controversies in science and religion. He publishes the weblog Science and Religion: A View from an
Evolutionary Creationist/Theistic Evolutionist.
6. Philip Wala contributed the article “Encouraging Critical Thinking in Evangelical Churches: The Scientist
as a Bible Teacher”. Phil attended Assemblies of God churches for nearly 54 years, serving as elder,
deacon, and Sunday School teacher for teens and adults. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering as a
National Science Foundation Fellow at Stanford University, holds 17 U.S. patents, and presently works as a
research engineer for ADC Telecommunications. He and his wife (a licensed Christian therapist, and former
Assemblies of God licensed minister) recently moved to the suburban Minneapolis area, where they now
attend a “Spirit-filled” Lutheran church. He is the author of the blog Faith for Thinkers
7. Keith Suckling contributed the article “Using the ‘Test of Faith Course’ to Explore the Compatibility
Between Science and Faith“. Keith trained as an organic chemist and has published numerous scientific
papers. He worked in biochemistry and pharmacology in universities, and for nearly 20 years in the
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
pharmaceutical industry where he led research into drugs to treat heart disease, two of which are now in late
stage clinical trials. He is also an ordained Anglican minister and a member of the Society of Ordained
Scientists.
8. Murray Hogg contributed the article “Origins and the Pastoral Task: The Priority of Love over
Knowledge”. Murray is the pastor of Camberwell East Baptist Church in Melbourne, Australia, and is the
Chair of the Victorian chapter of ISCAST. He trained as a Mechanical Engineer, worked in the area of
stress and vibration analysis, and then returned to school where he obtained a Master of Divinity at the
Bible College of Victoria. He is currently completing a post-graduate thesis on the relationship between the
modern philosophy of knowledge and the theology of John’s Gospel.
9. Allan Harvey contributed the article “Teaching a Science and Faith Course in an Evangelical Mainline
Church: Lessons Learned”. Allan is a Ph.D. chemical engineer who works at a US government science lab
in Colorado. He is on the Board of the Rocky Mountain local section of the American Scientific Affiliation.
Allan is an Elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA), has written several essays on the Science / Faith
Dialogue, and has made available online materials based on a class he taught at his church on Science and
Nature in Christian Perspective.
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
The series will conclude with a post by church elder A) The Contemporary Evangelical Church:
and chemical engineer Allan Harvey. Allan taught a Culturally but not Intellectually
science and faith course in his Presbyterian church Welcoming
several years ago. His lesson on evolution contains the
best simplified overview of “definitions of evolution” Mind you, I have plenty of evangelical churches to
for Christians that I have seen. Allan will provide a post choose from in Springfield (Christian, Evangelical
on “10 lessons learned on teaching a science / faith Free, Evangelical Covenant, Assembly of God, Baptist,
course in the church”. Lutheran, etc.). And they aren't all tightwad
conservative churches, either. Some are cutting-edge,
C) Promoting Health in the Family Starbucks-biscotti, black-light, fog-machine, rock-n-roll
churches. Culturally relevant and progressive, to be
Many of the series published on this blog (with the sure...except when it comes to certain intellectual
exception of the student series) have been somewhat matters and the epistemological nuances that my
academic in nature – academic in the sense that one can scientific awareness requires me to take seriously.
interact with the posts without necessarily making a
huge personal investment. This one may be somewhat I commend contemporary evangelical churches for their
different. All of the posts will share very personal willingness to re-evaluate 20th century assumptions
perspectives on the science / faith dialogue, and about what the Bible really teaches (i.e., exegesis) and
challenge each of us in various personal ways. How how it applies to our generation (i.e., hermeneutics).
could it be any other way? The topic of evolution and Unfortunately, for the most part, they seem rather
the Church is about our relationship with our spiritual immature in their methodology. Simply put, the
family, our desire to help our family grow in its church's fundamental problem is its sophomoric
relationship with its Creator, and our longing to remove understanding of critical realism. Somehow, all truth
the stumbling-block of antievolutionism so that faith in claims, whether scientific or scriptural, are naively
Christ is considered both viable and desirable. understood as speaking the same language and
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
5. Love the church: Find some way to cultivate and Creation/evolution discussion was not a major focus of
maintain your love for Christ's church. Given my my local congregation, I felt no pressing need to voice
situation, this is a difficult thing for me to do at the my views on the matter. Rather, I discussed it privately
moment. Nevertheless, I'm intentionally reading and and informally with those who expressed an interest in
interacting with others to stir up this grace within me. the subject.
As infuriating as your church tradition may be, it is
your immediate family and part of the one holy, B) A Time to Speak Up
catholic and apostolic church, even Christ's bride. I
recommend a soon-to-be released book by John
Armstrong (I have read an advanced copy) called This situation changed for me last year when my local
“Your Church is Too Small: Why unity in Christ's church announced it would be running The Truth
mission is vital to the future of the church”. Project (hereafter “TTP”), a DVD series from Focus on
the Family. TTP covers a lot of ground, but my primary
concern was how the series handled evolution. TTP
D) Submitted for Your Approval very clearly presents evolution as a demonic lie that is
in direct conflict with the Christian perspective that
In part three of my Becoming Unwanted story, I humans are created in the image of God. Moreover,
attempted to draw some tentative conclusions and to TTP spends a significant amount of time discussing
ask some difficult questions about what to do next. Like evolution, identifying it as an example of godless
the Psalmist, I wrote that post with some degree of philosophy in several of the videos, including the
angst and unbridled emotion. My conclusions there “science” lectures (where of course it is the prime
were tentative; my assertions and hypothesis in the focus). For those not familiar with TTP, Mike Beidler
current essay are only slightly less tentative. is currently blogging his way through the series.
I welcome your participation in testing my thoughts. The concern I had then (and still have now) is that
May we proclaim to one another the words of the presenting evolution and Creation as a dichotomous
apostle Paul: choice is both false, and potentially dangerous for
believers and non-believers. I decided that it was time
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this to address the issue at the congregational level. One
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your email (among several) I sent to my church leadership
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve on this issue contained the following:
what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect
will.” I would hold that the “either evolution or God” is a
false dichotomy. I would also hold that it is a
dangerous one. In TTP, evolution and God’s
IV. Promoting a Positive creation are held out as mutually exclusive options:
Relationship between an in this mindset, then, evidence for evolution
becomes evidence against God. I have seen
Evangelical Faith and Biological students struggle with this issue as they study
Evolution in the Local Church biology. This is a mindset we would do well not to
saddle young people with (or anyone, for that
Published Mar. 1, 2010 by Dennis Venema matter).
A) A Time to Keep One’s Own Counsel Contrary to what you hear through many Christian
channels, there is ample evidence for evolution,
The creation / evolution topic can be very divisive human evolution included. When students
within a church community. Because of this, the encounter this evidence with the either/or mindset,
approach I’ve generally taken at my church is to it can shipwreck their faith. When outsiders who
discuss the issue only when asked, and only with those know Biology come into the church, they write us
who ask. Raising this topic can be unhelpful at times, off as ignorant and dismiss the claims of Christ
and cause problems for those not adequately prepared along with our flawed Biology. In both cases, our
to deal with the implications. As Steve has ably poor handling of science raises unnecessary
discussed here before, the choice on whether to engage barriers to faith.
in this discussion needs to be approached carefully and
with wisdom. Until recently, given that the I would suggest, especially for the science section
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
of TTP, that there be a willingness to engage a fruitful discussions on faith, science and approaching
discussion in the church about the full range of Genesis on its own terms.
Christian responses to evolution, and even explore
some of the reasons why Christians in the The next day I received the following feedback from
biological sciences feel that evolution is a valid the church leadership:
scientific theory. I’m not normally one for pushing
these discussions, but we’ve never had the opposing Dennis, Thanks so much for an excellent evening. I
views taught through an official venue before have heard many express real appreciation not
either. only for the content but also for your grace and the
very interesting and understandable way in which
Later I requested an opportunity to present an you presented it. I think this will not only open up
Evolutionary Creationist viewpoint on biology at the thinking in the science realm but will help get us all
church, but that request was denied. As an alternative, a excited again about the early chapters of Genesis
church member hosted a unofficial evening at his home and what God is communicating there.
where I gave this presentation. The evening was a
pleasure – not because we were all in agreement Dennis, I would echo those thanks. Our community
(indeed, the material was very challenging for most is really growing in its ability to face these kinds of
attendees) but because of the charity that surrounded questions and you enriched that journey for us.
the discussion. If nothing else, the evening Thanks for taking the time.
demonstrated that constructive dialogue within an
Evangelical congregation is possible (and everyone still D) A Time of Transition
shakes my hand on Sunday; so, so far, so good).
A belief in God as Creator is a bedrock, non-
On the down side, however, our congregation is negotiable assumption of Christianity. Many
currently running TTP again as an adult Sunday School believers, however, conflate this belief with a
class. C’est la vie. specific mechanism by which God created.
Untangling those two ideas cuts to the heart of the
nature of Scripture and how it should be
C) A Tale of Two Congregations
approached. Perhaps the greatest tragedy in the
In contrast to the situation at my own church, I recently evangelical church is not that we, on the whole,
received an invitation from the leadership of another reject evolution: worse still, we have not prepared
local congregation to provide a presentation on our congregants to deal with the exegetical and
evolution and Evolutionary Creationism. This hermeneutical issues that evolution engenders,
congregation runs a “theology café” every so often at a despite the many opportunities Scripture itself
local coffee shop owned by some of their members. gives us for such preparation.
This allows them to engage in interesting and
controversial issues from a Christian perspective in a A second bedrock belief, however, is that God’s
public setting. works are also a form of His revelation. Since
Scripture and nature have the same Author, they
I’ll admit that I was a little wary when first approached cannot conflict with each other. Reading God’s
(wondering if perhaps they were looking for an ID/anti- words in nature clearly shows that evolution,
evolutionary view) but those fears were quickly laid to including human evolution, was part of His
rest. Over coffee (at the venue, of course) it became creative strategy. Given the overwhelming
clear that what they wanted was a discussion from an evidence for human evolution, it is only a matter
evangelical perspective that was accepting of evolution. of time before the evangelical church comes
Their motivation? Many in the congregation had read around to this method of creation. The only
Brian McClaren’s trilogy (A New Kind of Christian; question is how long this transition will take, and
The Story We Find Ourselves In; The Last Word and how much damage will ensue in the process.
the Word After That). The second book in the series
showcases a positive relationship between Christianity
While I don’t see this as a fast transition, I see
and evolution as a major plot component, and this left
good reasons for hope. More and more voices (e.g.
the congregation wanting to explore things further. I
Biologos) are chiming in to affirm that science and
presented essentially the same material as I had to my
Christian faith are not at odds, and that one can
own congregants, and the evening generated very
rejoice in God’s Word in nature and God’s Word
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
in Scripture without falsely pitting one against the are from the perspective of one who is fully supportive
other. Resources to address this issue at a of the confessional viewpoint.
congregational level are becoming available as
well (e.g. Test of Faith). Already, there are rare
evangelical congregations that affirm a positive
B) My Personal Background in the Science
relationship between the science of evolution and / Faith Dialogue within the Reformed
the Good News of Jesus Christ. This affirmation Confessional Tradition
removes a potential stumbling block for believers,
and tears down a barrier to faith for non-believers. I grew up in the mainline Presbyterian denomination,
At the end of the day, these are part and parcel of but moved toward conservative Reformed
what being an Evangelical is all about. denominations in my adult years. This has meant
membership and/or involvement in the Reformed
Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), the
V. Being an Evolutionary Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), the Presbyterian
Creationist in a Confessionally Church in America (PCA), the Evangelical
Reformed Church: Part 1
Presbyterian Church (EPC), and the Christian
Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). I was a
Published Mar. 8, 2010 by Terry Gray also a faculty member at Calvin College, owned and
operated by the CRCNA, from 1986-1997. For most of
A) Evangelicalism and the Confessional my life I have been at ease with evolution as an
evangelical Christian. In fact I wrote a “tract” in 7th
Tradition grade for my fellow public school students explaining
how to reconcile the Biblical account of Adam and Eve
Evangelicalism is a big tent. It covers many with modern evolutionary biology.
denominations and traditions, including the more
conservative end of most mainline denominations. One While doing my undergraduate studies at Purdue
component of Evangelicalism is the confessional University, I attended an RPCNA church whose
tradition, where the teachings of a church are reflected “Testimony”, a contemporary commentary on the
in a creed or confession. Examples include Presbyterian Westminster Confession, is strongly anti-evolutionary.
and Reformed churches (Westminster Standards, The pastor at this church was staunchly YEC, and,
Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons knowing that I was studying biology, tried to convince
of Dort), Lutheran churches (Augsburg Confession and me of the young earth position. Although I neither
the Formula of Concord), and Anglican/Episcopal became a member at this church, nor active in church
churches (Thirty-Nine Articles). leadership, I appreciated the preaching, teaching, and
fellowship. The challenge to thinking Christianly about
Historically these confessional traditions take their my specific discipline was beneficial even though the
confessions very seriously. They believe that the pastor and I disagreed on some of the particulars.
confessions are accurate summaries of the teaching of
Scripture. They are not just historically relative In graduate school in the 1980’s at the University of
documents that “guide” the church, but represent the Oregon and during my years at Calvin College I was a
living confession of the church and are believed to be member, and eventually an elder, in the OPC. I was
time-tested guides to the church’s teaching and comfortable there with my old earth views and my
ministry. As time-tested guides, these confessions stand evolutionary science. After all, the OPC had been the
as “tests of orthodoxy” for pastors, elders, deacons, and home of Davis Young (Christianity and the Age of the
other church leaders. Earth) and Mark Noll (The Scandal of the Evangelical
Mind) and was the spiritual heir of B.B. Warfield who
This is different than for many evangelical churches, was able to see his way to reconcile evolutionary
which sometimes claim to have “no creed but Christ” or biology with the theology of the Westminster
to say that the Bible is their creed. In many evangelical Standards. Meredith G. Kline was an Old Testament
churches and denominations there may be a statement Biblical scholar in the OPC who advocated a more
of faith but it will often focus on the basic elements of literary view of Genesis 1 and in the process removed
the Christian faith. some of the Biblical foundation for the young earth
position. I also knew of one prominent pastor and
The stories I recount are almost all in the context of denominational leader who would carry a small fossil
Reformed confessional churches or denominations and
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
in his pocket and ask prospective pastors during the first charge (stating that Adam had primate
theology examination for ordination how they ancestors)—I admitted stating so, but denied that it was
explained such things, pressing for an old earth view of contrary to the Confessions or to the Word of God. (I
creation if they responded with a young earth was found not guilty of the second charge concerning
creationist perspective. “subordinating Scripture to alleged empirical
evidence.”) I appealed the guilty verdict to Presbytery,
C) Ecclesiastical Charges Resulting from lost there, then appealed to General Assembly and lost
my Evolutionary Creationist Views there as well.
But the harmony between my position in the OPC and The censure was to suspend me indefinitely from the
my views on science and faith would not last. In 1992, office of ruling elder. I remained in that state until
while serving as an elder in the church, my EC views January 1998 when I was restored after recanting of my
were challenged. That spring I wrote a review of Philip views. My recantation was not a denial of primate
Johnson’s book Darwin on Trial for the Banner, the ancestry, but rather an admission that I did not know
denominational magazine of the CRCNA. In this article how to hold my views about human evolution together
I applauded Johnson’s critique of atheistic naturalism with the uniqueness of Adam as taught in the
but at the same time critiqued his critique of biological Confessions and in Scripture. This small step back from
evolution. As an aside, I suggested that the arguments my previous assertion was satisfactory to the church
for evolution might extend to human beings. A letter elders. I did not violate my conscience in this and
from the Presbytery of Northern California soon continue to this day to have no firm idea about how to
followed urging the Presbytery of the Midwest (our put all the pieces together.
church was in Grand Rapids, Michigan) to investigate
my views. This began a four year long process
involving our local church elders, pastors and elders VI. Being an Evolutionary
from the Presbytery of the Midwest, and eventually, Creationist in a Confessionally
Reformed Church: Part 2 -
pastors and elders from the whole denomination. Many
of the details of this process are recounted on the web.
Reflections and Becoming an
It should be noted that my views would not have been
scrutinized if I were not an officer in the church (i.e.
Agent for Change
had I been “just” as member). Like all elders in the Published Mar. 10, 2010 by Terry Gray
OPC I had expressed adherence to the Westminster
Standards – and it was charged that my views could not A) Reflections on the Church
be reconciled with these standards. I was accused “of Disciplinary Process
stating that Adam had primate ancestors–contrary to the
Word of God…and the doctrinal standards of the As I recounted in part 1 of this article, I was put
Orthodox Presbyterian Church” and “with regard to the on trial by the OPC church in the mid-1990’s for
process and method by which God created Adam, Dr. my Evolutionary Creationist (EC) views. This
Gray subordinates Scripture to alleged empirical resulted in my suspension from the office of
evidence.” church elder, and I was reinstated only after
admitting that I did not know how to reconcile
D) The Trial, My Censure, and human evolution with the uniqueness of Adam.
Recantation This process did not lead to any resentment on my
part. In fact, I was fully sympathetic and
The process ended up being fairly complicated. supportive with the disciplinary process.
Because I was an elder and not a pastor, the “court of
original jurisdiction” was the local elder board. A Why I Support the Process that led to my Trial
preliminary hearing was held to determine whether or and Censure
not the charges warranted a trial. Our local church
elders determined that a trial was not warranted. In my ecclesiology the church has the right and
However, this was appealed to the Presbytery and they responsibility to ensure that its leaders adhere to
overruled that decision and a trial was conducted. In the the church’s confessions. Also, church authority
meantime, the membership of the elder board had does not simply reside in the local church. Higher
changed, so that at the trial, I was found guilty of the
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
assemblies such as presbyteries, classes, synods, There was some pain in our local church. Two of
and General Assemblies have the right and my fellow elders were committed young earth
responsibility to oversee decisions of churches and creationists and before this time had been
lower assemblies. As well, allegedly errant personal and family friends. During my trial they
decisions made in lower assemblies may be had difficulty keeping the disagreement from
appealed to higher assemblies. I believe that the becoming personal. This was painful for me and
church/denomination isn’t just a human for my wife and young children (at the time ages
institution. No doubt, it reflects the fallen, human 12, 10, 7, 3, and 1). My two three-year terms as
condition, and hence is splintered into elder ran out at the end of 1992 and I was never
denominations, carries errant beliefs, has sinners re-elected. I did, however, continue to serve in
among its membership, etc. However, none of this various other leadership roles (pastoral search,
negates the fact that it is a divine institution. new building committee, evangelism training,
etc).
The church faces new challenges and ideas in
almost every generation. Part of what happens in We moved from Michigan to Colorado about a
the process of facing these new ideas is that the year after the process was completed, so I never
church wrestles with its own confession. This I got to see the long term consequences of my views
believe is a good thing. We do not stand alone in for involvement in the local church.
our understanding of scripture. Confessions allow
the church of past ages to speak. This is one of the B) Becoming an Agent for Change in a
ways to protect ourselves and our churches from Confessional Church
being blown here and there by every wind of
doctrine. The church represents a broad body of One advantage of being part of a confessional
believers in which to test new ideas. There is an church is that there are specific processes for
inherent conservatism to this process, however, testing new ideas. On many issues there is also
and we must be patient with our fellow believers some denominational history (e.g. official church
in working through these questions. study reports, or the writings of church pastors,
theologians, and other denominational leaders).
I hope that expressing my beliefs about the So in the science / faith dialogue those of us that
church’s role in articulating truth and enforcing are conversant with science have mechanisms to
church discipline explains some things that many change popular erroneous ideas about science
people find difficult to understand about my which are neither scripturally nor confessionally
experience. It explains why I would suffer warranted. Thus I am now taking the opportunity,
through a heresy trial in the first place. Second, it with the support of my local elder board, to
explains why I think that the church should judge initiate a process to change what I believe to be an
me rather than vice versa. And third, it explains erroneous scientific conclusion contained in my
why I’m willing to submit to decisions of the Church’s position on Creation and Science.
church with respect to my level of involvement in
the church. Joining the Christian Reformed Church
Personal Implications of the Trial We eventually joined the CRCNA church in Fort
Collins, Colorado, and I became active in the life
In general, I was pleased to see church discipline and ministry of that local church in the elder
in action. I was happy with the treatment I board, small group ministry, adult teaching and
received in the process. I was treated respectfully worship. Our switch to the CRCNA had little to
and my ideas and arguments were taken do with my “problems” in the OPC, but rather
seriously. In the end my position was rejected, but figuring out which of the conservative Reformed
hardly any of the “attacks” were personal. It and Presbyterian churches in Fort Collins was the
turned out that while no one actually agreed with best fit for our family. The CRCNA is somewhat
me, there were those who defended me and broader theologically than the OPC and PCA (for
thought that my position should be allowed. example, the denomination allows women
pastors, elders, and deacons); however it remains
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Evangelicals, Evolution, and the Church
evangelical and confessionally rooted. through the denominational procedures and may
be taken up in the 2010 Synod. We think that
Although in our particular local church Declaration F expresses a discordant note from the
faith/science issues are largely non-controversial, rest of the report, which generally is quite pro-
I did not seek to address these issues right away. I science. It also turns out that Declaration F is lifted
spent a few years teaching some courses on up as a significant part of the view of the CRCNA
theology and the Bible and being involved in on the topic of Creation and Science in some
various ministries including church leadership. denominational publications. We think this is
These activities allowed me to build credibility most unfortunate. We think that the rest of the
and trust within the local church community. report adequately expresses a Biblical and
Establishing yourself as a committed church confessional perspective on the issues involved
member and a faithful lay Bible teacher and without virtually forbidding someone from
theologian is an important prerequisite to holding a view that there is some kind of
addressing more controversial topics (after all, the evolutionary relationship between human beings
Christian faith and Christian discipleship is much and other living creatures (which is what
broader than the faith/science debate). Only then Declaration F currently does).
did I take up the faith/science topic in our adult
discipleship ministry. I have now taught a 15 An Opportunity to Work Together as the Body
week course covering many aspects of the of Christ
faith/science area, ranging from origins to
creation care to bioethics. Even establishing While re-opening this discussion may be
specific credibility in the faith/science area uncomfortable and controversial, it allows us to
through that class was an important step in being again ask the relevant Biblical and theological
able to proceed with the potentially more questions in community. In my opinion there are
controversial proposal outlined next. not any confessional issues at stake here.
Questions about the historicity of Adam and the
Initiating the Process to Change CRCNA Fall would bring up confession issues, but our
Statements against Animal Ancestry of Humans request is somewhat limited and does not ask the
church to address those questions. We believe that
As a denomination the CRCNA issued a Creation the church mistakenly adopted a Declaration on
and Science report in 1991 in the aftermath of this subject that was narrower than Scripture or
controversies involving the teachings of some the confessions and we are asking the church to
science professors at Calvin College. In general, correct that mistake.
this report, while cautious about the influence of
secularism and atheism in modern science, was What the outcome will be remains to be seen, but
pro-science, recognizing the possibility of an old this current situation illustrates ways in which
earth and universe and an evolutionary history ECs can work within the church to effect change.
for life on earth. Declarations B & C emphasize the This involves studying together, discussing
freedom of exegesis and the freedom of science, together, and sometimes participating in formal
respectively, although within the bounds of the decision-making processes where denominational
teaching of Scripture and the confessions. These positions are forged. In short, it is an opportunity
bounds were most clearly expressed in the to work together as the Body of Christ.
emphasis on the “event character” (i.e. the
historicity) of Adam and the Fall. Declaration F of
this report (recommended by a minority of the
study committee and adopted by Synod) made
strong statements against animal ancestry of
humans with some provisos allowing for further
study.
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earthquake in Haiti, which occurred around the same person might understand it on a straight forward
time as the course. Many found John Polkinghorne’s reading of the Bible. So the complexity involved in
ideas helpful here (See for eg. his answer to the efforts to reconcile evolution and Christian faith
question Was the Tsunami and act of God? and these tends to rub against the Evangelical grain. Yet this
reflections on divine action and evil). commitment to a simple Gospel message also
means that Evangelicals reject any suggestion that
D) Conclusion one’s views of origins can ever be fundamental to
salvation (see, for example, these remarks by Ken
From a position of caution and possibly confusion at Ham). For Evangelicals the origins issue isn’t so
the start, the participants ended the course stimulated much a question of science versus scripture as one
and much more confident in dealing with and of simplicity versus complexity.
attempting to integrate the insights of science into their
Christian worldview. This, I think, is probably the most One way of resolving this complexity is to dismiss
important thing the course can do. There are no final evolutionary science. This is a popular approach
and complete answers to many of the questions the amongst many Evangelicals. But others—
course raises, and this will also be true of the new particularly those working in the sciences—find
problems that are bound to arise. But if we can
this option entirely unacceptable. They accept
approach scripture and nature as two aspects of God’s
evolution on scientific grounds and seek to make
revelation, as the scientists and theologians in Test of
sense of it in a way faithful to their Evangelical
Faith clearly do, we will be more integrated in our
worship and prayer and in our lives as a whole. Christian commitments. Despite different
responses to evolution, however, there is a shared
desire to maintain a critical principle well
expressed in Martin Luther’s famous remark: “It
is neither right, nor safe, to go against conscience.”
Evangelicals disagree so strongly on origins
X. Origins and the Pastoral Task:
precisely because personal conscience before God
The Priority of Love over is a matter of utmost importance. To compromise
Knowledge on matters of conscience is neither right nor safe.
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(7). Fair enough. Not everybody knows the truth creatures and as such limited by finitude. The
about idols. But if we thought that some solid implication? We all have blind spots in our
Biblical teaching on idolatry is in order, Paul thinking and can therefore never assume the
surprises us by offering nothing of the sort. mantle of judgement over others (see Romans
Instead of educating the ignorant, Paul directs his 14:1-13). We need, in any case, to avoid falling
remarks to the knowledgeable and he urges them into a kind of intellectual “salvation by works”
to show restraint despite their knowledge; “if food where scientific, theological, or even biblical truth
makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat become the basis of our standing in Christ. Once
meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (13). Paul we go down that path then we become, as it were,
isn’t concerned with how much we know. It’s the “debtors to keep the whole law” (Gal. 5:3) who
impact of our behaviour on others which he thinks are allowed no errors at all. Better we avail
matters. ourselves of Christ’s grace which is sufficient for
all things, errors of belief included.
C) The Human Condition and Theological
Disagreement D) Conclusion
Underlying Paul’s discussion is the recognition of Such are only a few of the critical pastoral
a critically important truth (the “T” word: considerations which are often overlooked in the
Evangelicals take note!): the human condition, origins debate. There is no shortage of horror
even amongst those who know Christ and his stories concerning Christians whose views on
saving grace, is one of ignorance and error—“now origins have made them the target of attack by
we see in a mirror, dimly...now I know in part” (1 fellow believers—even to the extent that some
Cor 13:12). Indeed, 1 Corinthians is pervaded with have walked away from the church or lost their
the idea that love, not knowledge, is the greater faith altogether. The clear lesson is that our
virtue; “we all have knowledge, knowledge puffs response to a person’s views on origins can affect
up, but love edifies” (8:1) … “because of your their relationship with Christ far more than any
knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for error in their theory of origins ever could.
whom Christ died?” (8:11) … “though
I…understand all mysteries and all So, regardless of what you think you know about
knowledge...but have not love, I am nothing” the subject of origins, please try to keep in mind
(13:2) … “whether there is knowledge, it will Paul’s rhetorical question: “because of your
vanish away” (13:8). And I might only add that knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for
Jesus himself criticised his opponents on pretty whom Christ died?” (8:11) Remember that it’s the
much the same point (cf. Jn. 5:39-40; Mat. 23:2, 23). stronger believer, the one who claims to have
knowledge, who should give way to the weaker.
Now, lest people misunderstand me, I want to Our failure to do so—regardless of where we
make very clear that I am not dismissing matters stand on the origins issue—can have frightful
of truth as unimportant. But, when it comes to the consequences. There are all sorts of issues
origins issue, can we honestly pretend that there’s involved in the origins debate, but we should
any broad agreement as to what the truth actually never allow our views to destroy the faith of
is? Surely the Christian pastor ought to others. When we do so, our lack of pastoral
acknowledge that this is a matter upon which concern doesn’t commend us to God, but rather
Evangelicals can and do hold widely divergent brings us under the judgment of the greatest
views? And it’s an abuse, not a fulfilment, of the pastor of all (Mk. 9:42).
pastoral calling to behave as if it were otherwise.
Here the truth is “we don’t know all the
answers”—even if, perhaps, we think we should.
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A) Ten Lessons Learned from Teaching the 6) Stick mostly to what you know. One Sunday I
ventured into something I did not know enough about. I
Course
talked about the eye as something that didn't seem well
"designed," and was corrected by a retired
Following, in no particular order, are ten “lessons
ophthalmologist. Whether his explanation was right or
learned” and words of advice for those who might teach
not, I shouldn't have tried to talk about something with
a similar class.
which I wasn't familiar.
1) Pre-existing credibility helps. It helped that I had
7) Be open to learning from people in the class. That
recently served a term as an Elder and otherwise had
should apply to any teaching. One man in the class
established that my orthodoxy and stature to teach was
came up with the metaphor "a tool that God uses" for
not in doubt. If this had been 10 years earlier, when I
natural processes, which I thought was so good that I
was just some unknown scientist fairly new to the
used it in the rest of the class and in my write-up.
church, it would have been easier for people to dismiss
what I had to say. If you already have some stature in
8) You never know what might cause trouble. I had
your church, you are ahead of the game. If not, you
a lot of trepidation prior to the week I focused on
might first build that by serving the local church (which
evolution, but the session was not contentious at all.
one should do anyway) in less controversial ways.
However, the week I talked about the stewardship of
God's creation, I was surprised that a few people were
2) Don’t dive into the deep end. It was week 6 before
quite hostile -- I knew our church had some Rush
I talked extensively about evolution. Discussions on
Limbaugh disciples but I didn't expect to be a target.
difficult and controversial issues go better once one has
laid a good foundation for thinking about them. I felt it
9) Support helps. I am grateful for the prayer and
was important to first talk about healthy ways of
encouragement provided by my wife and some other
reading the Bible and what sort of questions we should
people with whom I was in fellowship. Leading a
and should not ask Scripture, and also about how we
session on a controversial topic like this can be lonely
should view God’s action in and through nature. If you
and intimidating (especially for an introvert like me),
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