Darwinism and the Divine

Alister E. McGrath is Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion & Culture, and Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College, London. A world-acclaimed theologian, he is the author of numerous books including Christian Theology, 5th edition (2011), The Christian Theology Reader, 4th edition (2011), Science and Religion, 2nd edition (2010), Theology: The Basics, 2nd edition (2007), and Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life (2004).

• List of Figures x Preface xiiAcknowledgments xvIntroduction 1Part I Conceptual Clarifications: On the meaning of terms 91 Natural Theology: A Deeper Structure to the Natural World 11Natural Theology in the Classical Tradition 13The Conceptual Fluidity of Natural Theology 15The Eternal Return of Natural Theology 182 Darwinism: A Narrative of Evolution 27Darwinism: A Defensible Term? 28Darwinism as an Ideology 32The Metaphysical Inflation of Evolutionary Thought 36Conclusion to Part I 40Part II Historical Exposition: Darwin and the English natural theology tradition 473 English Natural Theology of the Augustan Age, 1690–1745 49The Emergence of English Natural Theology 50Newtonian Physics and Natural Theology 53The Protestant Assumptions of English Natural Theology 56A Foundation for Consensus: The Doctrine of Creation 61Physico-theology: The Appeal to Contrivance 63Natural Theology and the Beauty of Nature 72The Problem of Development within Nature 74Assessing Evidence: Changing Public Perceptions 754 A Popular Classic: William Paley’s Natural Theology (1802) 85Introducing Paley's Natural Theology 85Paley's Source: Bernard Nieuwentyt's Religious Philosopher (1718) 88The Watch Analogy: The Concept of Contrivance 91Paley on Intermediary Causes within Nature 97The Vulnerability of Paley's Approach 995 Beyond Paley: Shifts in English Natural Theology, 1802–52 108The Impact of Geology upon Paley's Natural Theology 110Henry Brougham: A Natural Theology of the Mind 112Evidence, Testimony, and Proof: A Shifting Context 115A New Approach: The Bridgewater Treatises 119John Henry Newman: The Theological Deficiencies of Paley 127Robert Browning’s "Caliban Upon Setebos": A Literary Critique of Paley 130English Natural Theology on the Eve of the Darwinian Revolution 1336 Charles Darwin, Natural Selection, and Natural Theology 143The Development of Darwin's Views on Natural Selection 146Problems, Prediction, and Proof: The Challenge of Natural Selection 150Natural Selection and Natural Theology: An Assessment of Darwin’s Impact 155Conclusion to Part II 171Part III Contemporary Discussion: Darwinism and natural theology 1837 A Wider Teleology: Design, Evolution, and Natural Theology 185Directionality within the Natural World 187Teleology: Introducing an Idea 188Chance, Contingency, and Evolutionary Goals 191The “Wider Teleology” of Evolution 194The Inference of Design and Natural Theology 197Suffering, Evolution, and Natural Theology 2028 The Concept of Creation: Reflections and Reconsiderations 217The Seventeenth Century: The Regnant Theology of Creation 218Creation as Event and Process: Augustine of Hippo 222Evolution and an Emergent Creation 230God's Action within the Evolutionary Process 2339 Universal Darwinism: Natural Theology as an Evolutionary Outcome? 247The Darwinian Paradigm and Cultural Development 249The God-Meme: Natural Theology and Cultural Replicators 254Religion: Evolutionary Adaptation or Spandrel? 262Natural Theology and Evolutionary Theories of the Origins of Religion 265Conclusion to Part III 267Part IV Conclusion 27710 The Prospects for Natural Theology 279Natural Theology and the Human Evolutionary Past 281Natural Theology, Observational Traction, and the Best Explanation 283A Community of Discernment: The Church and Natural Theology 285In Quest of Meaning 288Index 294

“McGrath is a masterful teacher and this volume is as brimming with knowledge and insight as his many others.”  (Modern Believing, 1 January 2014) “The writing in Darwinism and the Divine is clear, elegant, and well informed throughout, is distinguished by a balanced and nonpolemical style, and is a pleasure to read. Every chapter in this rich volume includes extensive endnotes guiding the reader to further study." (Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 16 January 2014)“These criticisms notwithstanding, McGrath’s Darwinism and the Divineis a well-written, lucid work that will occupy a prominent place as an apologetic for Christian theism in its dialogue with the larger scientific community.”  (International Journal of Public Theology, 1 May 2013)“Furthermore, this work is a rare pleasure to read for its clarity and remarkable level of scholarship across multiple disciplines.  Consequently, I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone interested in how the debates over Darwinism relate to the ongoing and evolving goals and methods of natural theology.”  (The Way, 1 October 2012)“These features, together with the author’s accessible writing style, mean that this book can not only be read cover-to-cover in a straightforward and engaging way, but can also be used as a text book to enable more detailed study of the various aspects of this important and relevant subject.”  (Evangelical Quarterly, 4 October 2012) “Whether these arguments are effective is a matter for more philosophic minds, but if this book brings new ideas into a science–religion conversation that often consists of repetition of the same essential themes, then all scholars of science–religion are beneficiaries.”  (Journal of the History of Biology, 2011)"But I think that the chief merit of both of these books lies in their parallel analyses of natural theology, specifically the significance of scientific knowledge for resolving theological issues." (The Quarterly Review of Biology, 1 December 2011)"McGrath (King's College London) offers an excellent examination of Darwin's theory of evolution vs. Creationism/intelligent design within the context of natural theology. . . The writing is clear and readable with a wealth of documentation. Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; interested general readers." (Choice, 1 October 2011)"While readers familiar with the subject will find few new ideas in these sections, the material is presented in McGrath's usual readable style and so will be helpful in providing an introduction to the reader new to the subject and in providing a helpfully focused summary for the person who has already begun to explore these ideas. " (Methodist Recorder, 22 September 2011)"But if one had to choose between them, I would recommend the book under review. It presents a synthesis of much of his thinking, supported by richly informative documentation that, in range and volume, is little short of astonishing." (Science & Education, 2011)"The prolific theologian argues that Darwin's own faith and worldview allowed for complexities and intricacies in the intersection of faith and science." (Publishers Weekly, 8 March 2011)