Getting Recognized:

Design and Evolution

Evidence of intelligent design: DNA; Painting by Rubens; Earth; Seahorse

Hey friends—

Today I had the privilege of learning that John West, at a meeting in Cambridge, UK, was talking about my book, God’s Grandeur: The Catholic Case for Intelligent Design. It is wonderful to be acknowledged. If you haven’t read it, the book is available from Sophia Institute Press, right now for only $5.00 (!).

Anyone interested in apologetics, science and faith, or how nature points toward God should read this book. There is a strong correspondence between traditional Catholic theology, philosophy, and natural philosophy with the implications of intelligent design, but not with evolution. Many longtime Catholics have commented, “This is what I always believed.” Converts or those steeped in the modern scientific worldview may need to read this book, however. It may help to avoid or resolve cognitive dissonance.

Pope Benedict XVI has said that unqualified acceptance of evolution has led to a problem with scriptural interpretation and the downstream beliefs of Catholics in the pews. In theologians’ attempts to harmonize evolution and scripture, they have had to “reenvision” the interpretation of Genesis, ultimately putting all elements of the faith up for revision.

Here is an example. Evolution and materialism have undermined our Catholic understanding of who we are: created in God’s image; created good and destined to have a relationship with him; the children of Adam and Eve, our first parents, whose sin broke human nature and left us with the consequences.

It’s not just the first chapters of Genesis. Once original sin is undermined, so are moral theology and the whole economy of salvation. With this kind of soft shoe shuffle of basic elements of our faith, Catholics need to take a serious look at the current casual acceptance of evolutionary theory.

Intelligent design offers an alternative foundational story. The universe itself and some of the things in it give evidence of having been designed by an eternal, immaterial (supernatural) intelligent agent. The evidence comes from cosmology, physics, chemistry, biology, and the existence of our minds. We are capable of language, rational and moral thought, and creativity.

Note: some things in the universe give evidence of design, but not all. There is room for the creative power of natural processes, such as evolution. But things cannot be completely explained by evolution.

Here is an excerpt from the back cover:

This book, edited by biologist Ann Gauger, clears up common misconceptions regarding intelligent design, showing why it is an argument not from ignorance but from knowledge and how the evidence for God’s design of the natural world is growing. Part 1 explores scientific evidence from experts in cosmology, paleontology, genetics, chemistry, and biology. In part 2, you will learn about the purpose of creation, transcendent beauty, and the distinctiveness of the human person. The third part lays out the theology behind creation and how it reflects God’s glory and concludes with Dr. Anthony Esolen’s essay on the “symphonic order” of the universe, masterfully drawing from science, mathematics, literature, and philosophy.

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