Darwinism and the Divine

Darwinism and the Divine examines the implications of
evolutionary thought for natural theology, from the time of
publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species to
current debates on creationism and intelligent design.

• Questions whether Darwin's theory of natural selection really
  shook our fundamental beliefs, or whether they served to transform
  and illuminate our views on the origins and meaning of life

• Identifies the forms of natural theology that emerged in
  19th-century England and how they were affected by Darwinism

• The most detailed study yet of the intellectual background to
  William Paley's famous and influential approach to natural
  theology, set out in 1802

• Brings together material from a variety of disciplines,
  including the history of ideas, historical and systematic theology,
  evolutionary biology, anthropology, sociology, and the cognitive
  science of religion

• Considers how Christian belief has adapted to Darwinism, and
  asks whether there is a place for design both in the world of
  science and the world of theology

• A thought-provoking exploration of 21st-century views on
  evolutionary thought and natural theology, written by the
  world-renowned theologian and bestselling author

Auteur
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).

Texte du rabat
There remains a widespread perception that Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection marked the demise of any viable Christian natural theology - most notably, that of William Paley. But did Darwinism really shake such fundamental beliefs to the core? Or did Darwin's "dangerous idea" instead serve to transform and illuminate our views on the relation between the natural world and the divine? Darwinism and the Divine presents a detailed examination of the implications of evolutionary thought for natural theology, from the publication of On the Origin of Species more than a century-and-a-half ago through to the present day. Integrating and extending the latest scholarly research from across a wide variety of disciplines, world-renowned theologian Alister E. McGrath first explores the forms of natural theology that emerged in England from the late 17th century until 1850, showing us how these views were affected by the advent of Darwin's theories. McGrath offers the most detailed account of the intellectual background to William Paley's natural theology currently available, and offers an informed assessment of the impact of Darwin on such approaches. He then considers how Christian belief has adapted to Darwinism, and whether there is a place for design both in the world of science and the world of theology. Journeying well beyond On the Origin of the Species, Darwinism and the Divine offers a scholarly and thought-provoking consideration of the co-existence of natural theology with Darwinism in today's world.

Résumé
Darwinism and the Divine examines the implications of evolutionary thought for natural theology, from the time of publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species to current debates on creationism and intelligent design.

• Questions whether Darwin's theory of natural selection really shook our fundamental beliefs, or whether they served to transform and illuminate our views on the origins and meaning of life
• Identifies the forms of natural theology that emerged in 19th-century England and how they were affected by Darwinism
• The most detailed study yet of the intellectual background to William Paley's famous and influential approach to natural theology, set out in 1802
• Brings together material from a variety of disciplines, including the history of ideas, historical and systematic theology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, sociology, and the cognitive science of religion
• Considers how Christian belief has adapted to Darwinism, and asks whether there is a place for design both in the world of science and the world of theology
• A thought-provoking exploration of 21st-century views on evolutionary thought and natural theology, written by the world-renowned theologian and bestselling author

Contenu
List of Figures x Preface xii

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction 1

Part I Conceptual Clarifications: On the meaning of terms 9

1 Natural Theology: A Deeper Structure to the Natural World 11

Natural Theology in the Classical Tradition 13

The Conceptual Fluidity of Natural Theology 15

The Eternal Return of Natural Theology 18

2 Darwinism: A Narrative of Evolution 27

Darwinism: A Defensible Term? 28

Darwinism as an Ideology 32

The Metaphysical Inflation of Evolutionary Thought 36

Conclusion to Part I 40

Part II Historical Exposition: Darwin and the English natural theology tradition 47

3 English Natural Theology of the Augustan Age, 16901745 49

The Emergence of English Natural Theology 50

Newtonian Physics and Natural Theology 53

The Protestant Assumptions of English Natural Theology 56

A Foundation for Consensus: The Doctrine of Creation 61

Physico-theology: The Appeal to Contrivance 63

Natural Theology and the Beauty of Nature 72

The Problem of Development within Nature 74

Assessing Evidence: Changing Public Perceptions 75

4 A Popular Classic: William Paley's Natural Theology (1802) 85

Introducing Paley's Natural Theology 85

Paley's Source: Bernard Nieuwentyt's Religious Philosopher (1718) 88

The Watch Analogy: The Concept of Contrivance 91

Paley on Intermediary Causes within Nature 97

The Vulnerability of Paley's Approach 99

5 Beyond Paley: Shifts in English Natural Theology, 180252 108

The Impact of Geology upon Paley's Natural Theology 110

Henry Brougham: A Natural Theology of the Mind 112

Evidence, Testimony, and Proof: A Shifting Context 115

A New Approach: The Bridgewater Treatises 119

John Henry Newman: The Theological Deficiencies of Paley 127

Robert Browning's "Caliban Upon Setebos": A Literary Critique of Paley 130

English Natural Theology on the Eve of the Darwinian Revolution 133

6 Charles Darwin, Natural Selection, and Natural Theology 143

The Development of Darwin's Views on Natural Selection 146

Problems, Prediction, and Proof: The Challenge of Natural Selection 150

Natural Selection and Natural Theology: An Assessment of Darwin's Impact 155

Conclusion to Part II 171

Part III Contemporary Discussion: Darwinism and natural theology 183

7 A Wider Teleology: Design, Evolution, and Natural Theology 185

Directionality within the Natural World 187

Teleology: Introducing an Idea 188

Chance, Contingency, and Evolutionary Goals 191

The Wider Teleology of Evolution 194

The Inference of Design and Natural Theology 197

Suffering, Evolution, and Natural Theology 202

8 The Concept of Creation: Reflections and Reconsiderations 217

The Seventeenth Century: The Regnant Theology of Creation 218

Creation as Event and Process: Augustine of Hippo 222

Evolution and an Emergent Creation 230

God's Action within the Evolutionary Process 233

9 Universal Darwinism: Natural Theology as an Evolutionary Outcome? 247

The Darwinian Paradigm and Cultural Development 249

The God-Meme: Natural Theology and Cultural Replicators 254

Religion: Evolutionary Adaptation or Spandrel? 262

Natural Theology and Evolutionary Theories of the Origins of Religion 265

Conclusion to Part III 267…