Grace in evolutionary perspective: the furthering of nature
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Date
2009
Authors
Novello, Henry Leonard
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Australian Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
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Abstract
The aim of this short reflection is to consider
the fundamental issue of grace from the
perspective of evolution: What light does an
evolutionary view of the world shed on this
problematic? If God creates through the evolutionary
process, then clearly the rethinking
of the doctrine of creation will also inform a
theology of grace. Teilhard de Chardin, Karl
Rahner, Denis Edwards, and George Coyne are
examples of Catholic thinkers committed to doing theology in an evolutionary perspective
by building on the concept of God’s continuous
creation (creatio continua) that belongs
to the Catholic theological tradition.
They draw upon scientific knowledge of our
evolving world, but they approach the scientific
data as theologians seeking greater understanding
of the faith. This is to say that
they do not substitute science for religious
faith, but they do see a legitimate dialogue
between the two disciplines, each of which
has its own realm of applicability. And with
regard to this dialogue we must keep in mind
that just as scientific theories are always incomplete,
our religious understanding of God
is also always incomplete, as the apophatic
tradition of theology, represented by Pseudo
Dionysius, makes abundantly clear.
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Keywords
Theology, Creation, Evolution
Citation
Novello, H.L., 2009. Grace in evolutionary perspective: the furthering of nature. Compass: a Review of Topical Theology, 43(4), 34-39.