Re: [asa] C. S. Lewis and evolution

Numbers also stated in his book: "The Creationists" that Lewis near the
end of his life did express some doubt over his earlier position [that
evolution is compatible with Christian faith], not so much because of
any new or good arguments from the creationists, but because of the
proliferation of anti-Christian arguments for which so many seemed to
enlist evolution. However, it sounds like despite his alarm, even then
he stopped short of jumping on to the warfare bandwagon. I don't have
the book with me to cite the page number.

--merv

Austerberry, Charles wrote:

> The Episcopal Church's statement on evolution (and reactions from
> Keith,
> Randy, and others) reminded me of a famous Anglican who keenly
> understood what's wrong with saying that philosophical/metaphysical
> naturalism and atheism are inevitable correlates of evolution. C. S.
> Lewis was asked by others to speak out against evolution, but to my
> knowledge he never categorically rejected evolution. If he were alive
> today, I think he would still assume the same stance he did during his
> life: descent with modification from common ancestors (of humans
> too) is
> compatible with Christianity.
>
> As long as they were theologically orthodox, I think Lewis could agree
> with both theistic evolutionists and intelligent design
> enthusiasts. His
> views on miracles suggest how he would approach ID: don't expect to
> have
> scientific evidence of God's specific actions, but ... God has acted,
> and may continue to act, in specific, extraordinary (non-natural) ways
> on occasion. Where ID proponents base their arguments on the supposed
> implausibility of all (even as yet unimagined) natural explanations,
> Lewis seemed to base his apologetics more on the argument that Reason
> itself cannot emerge from unreasoning matter, and on the argument
> that a
> hunger for God suggests the existence of One who can satisfy that
> hunger.
>
> The following quotation comes from "C. S. Lewis on Creation and
> Evolution: The Acworth Letters, 1944-1960" by Gary B. Ferngren and
> Ronald L. Numbers (Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, Volume
> 48, Number 1, March 1996, 28-33, available at
> http://www.asa3.org/asa/PSCF/1996/PSCF3-96Ferngren.html):
>
> "I believe that Christianity can still be believed, even if
> Evolution is
> true. This is where you [Acworth] and I differ. Thinking as I do, I
> can't help regarding your advice (that I henceforth include arguments
> against Evolution in all my Christian apologetics) as a temptation to
> fight the battle on what is really a false issue . . ."
>
> Who is the modern-day Lewis? Alistair McGrath? John Polkinghorne? My
> pro-ID friends point to Phillip Johnson, Alvin Platinga, or William
> Dembski, but I don't think Lewis would have disdained theistic
> evolution
> as have those ID proponents. Lewis would not have disdained pro-ID
> folks
> either, but I also don't think he would have joined them.
>
> Chuck
>
> Charles (Chuck) F. Austerberry, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of Biology
> Hixson-Lied Room 438
> Creighton University
> 2500 California Plaza
> Omaha, NE 68178
>
> Phone: 402-280-2154
> Fax: 402-280-5595
>
> e-mail: cfauster@creighton.edu
>
> Nebraska Religious Coalition for Science Education
> http://nrcse.creighton.edu
>
>
>
>
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Received on Wed Jun 28 12:33:26 2006