Continuing, from Part 2A of this posting, our analysis of the BioLogos conversation between Crude and Dennis Venema: Crude comes back one more time for clarification (67718): “So then, you believe God knew what evolution would result in, in advance of His beginning the process. And of course, He had and has complete power over that process – He chose what would result. So you’d hold evolution to be – ultimately, and not necessarily in a way that requires intervening miracles – guided and purposeful. Do I have you correct?” Again, a set of clear statements to which it should be easy to respond. Yet, when Venema returns, he again refuses speak to the word “guided” (nor will he speak Read More ›

In Part 1 of this posting, I introduced “the Wesleyan Maneuver,” one of the great BioLogos devices for getting away with an evasive and unsatisfactory account of the relationship between divine action and evolution. Here in Part 2, I wish to illustrate the Maneuver by means of a real example. Perhaps the most memorable example can be found at: http://biologos.org/blog/understanding-evolution-is-there-junk-in-your-genome-part-3 On this thread, a poster named “Crude” ventured to ask Dr. Dennis Venema – the leading columnist at BioLogos on matters of genetics and evolutionary theory – for his view on the role of God in the evolutionary process. The exchange that followed illustrated many of the typical features of discussions on this subject with BioLogos personnel, including the final Read More ›

As readers of UD know, the organization called BioLogos is dedicated to the harmonization of modern science – by which it means, mainly, neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory – with Christian theology. One of the problems that has always bedevilled the BioLogos project is that its leading science-trained figures – directors and columnists alike – have displayed a combination of philosophical ineptness and historical ignorance regarding Christian theology. Their discussions of Christian doctrine tend to be sporadic, brief, and undeveloped; their historical documentation for theological claims is generally non-existent, and only rarely amounts to more than proof-texting (with two endlessly repeated quotations from Calvin and Augustine-via-Galileo constituting almost the entire primary-source case for their arguments); their theological reasoning about matters of creation, Read More ›

Over at Why Evolution is True, Professor Jerry Coyne has been busily promoting the writings of a man he describes as “The First New Atheist”: the acclaimed writer, H. L. Mencken (1880-1956). Professor Coyne promised his readers one week of daily posts featuring quotes from the great essayist, on the follies of religion, and he’s kept his word: he’s just completed Day Seven of his postings. When I first read of Professor Coyne’s choice of patron for the New Atheist movement, I quietly marveled. Professor Coyne is a very well-read man, and when he makes a choice, you can be sure that he has given it a lot of thought. It was he who officially declared Aratina Cage’s logo of Read More ›