Article
Patrick Franklin
Underst anding t he Beginning in Light of t he End: Eschat ological Refl ect ions on Making Theological Sense of Evolut ion Patrick Franklin
This article proposes that a trinitarian eschatological hermeneutic, applied to the doctrine of creation, helps us to make sense of evolution theologically. From this perspective, the Holy Spirit incessantly draws creation to the Father’s intended destination for it (new creation) through the cosmic, creative-redemptive work of the Son. This article first develops the proposed hermeneutic in dialogue with scripture and trinitarian theology. It then commends the hermeneutic as a way forward in resolving theologically three important issues in the science-faith dialogue concerning evolution: (1) it avoids both a deistic naturalism/materialism and a crude supernaturalist interventionism with respect to God’s interaction with creation; (2) it provides a rich theology of nature while avoiding the pitfalls of pantheism; and (3) it helps us to account theologically for the existence of death as a naturally occurring phenomenon intrinsic to creation.
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urrently, the scholarly scientific consensus is that evolutionary theory best explains the biological origins of human beings.1 Indeed, in terms of comprehensive coherence and explanatory power, evolution as a scientific model really has no serious rival.2 This article explores the controversial topic of human evolution from a theological perspective. My thesis is that a trinitarian, eschatological hermeneutic, applied to the doctrine of creation, helps us to make theological sense of evolution. From the vantage point of this hermeneutic, when God initially created the universe, God did not create a “finished” product (i.e., in the sense of its being static and complete). Rather, God always intended an eschatological consummation for creation and so
initiated a dynamic, progressive process. In creating, God endowed creation with the intrinsic potentiality to develop, to mature, and to evolve over time. God’s creating is also an ongoing work of continuous, active creation, in which the Holy Spirit incessantly draws creation to the Father’s intended destination for it (new creation) through the cosmic, creative-redemptive work of the Son.
Patrick S. Franklin, PhD, is assistant professor of theology and ethics at Providence University College and Seminary in Manitoba, Canada. He has an ongoing interest in theological anthropology (including how science informs it) and how it relates to other Christian doctrines, such as salvation and the church. Patrick currently serves as the Coordinating Book Review Editor for PSCF.
Let me make two points of clarification. First, the purpose of this article is not to argue the scientific case for evolution but to reflect theologically on its meaning and implications.3 Second, I do not claim that scripture or the early Christian tradition teaches evolution. I reject concordist approaches to interpreting scripture that claim to observe the findings of modern science within the Bible. Instead, my view is that scripture teaches an unfolding, developing creation, in which the Holy Spirit is drawing all that the Father has created toward eschatological fulfillment.
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Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith