Chance or Purpose?: Creation, Evolution and a Rational Faith

A great discussion of Darwinism as a world-view vs Christianity. Schoenborn shows how evolution as a scientific theory is perfectly compatible with Catholicism.

The misconception within society that Faith and Science are incompatible is properly and brilliantly refuted in Cardinal Schonborn's masterwork: CHANCE OR PURPOSE: CREATION, EVOLUTION AND A RATIONAL FAITH. In a clear, simple, yet highly intellectual style, the author firmly, yet convincingly expresses the Catholic doctrine of Creation -- a view that is, upon close examination, completely compatible of an ongoing and orderly development of the universe. Schonborn's explanations of Creation is rooted squarely in Sacred Scripture, yet the poetic expressions of Genesis are placed in proper context. Creation is seen not as something that occurred only in the origin of things, but as an essential part of the development of life: past, present, and future. Evolution is not something at odds with Creation; rather it is the expression of God's creative will -- the development of temporal things measured against the eternity of the kingdom. Those within the scientific community who do not believe in God, and thus deny the reality of their own senses and intellect -- instead elevating the principles of limited human understanding to a diety of their own making -- will undoubtedly eschew the author's carefully developed theological arguments. Yet in the end, Schonborn wins the day: his work neither contradicts science, nor is limited by the limitations imposed by secular adherents. For those who wish a comprehensive explanation of Creation -- consistent with both faith and science, this work is seminal to further exploration of the understanding of the ultimate beginnings.

Christoph Cardinal Schonborn's book titled CHANCE OR PURPOSE: CREATION, EVOLUTION AND A RATIONAL FAITH is a thoughtful attempt to make connections between religious belief and modern science. Readers should note tht Cardinal Schonborn is not a fundamentalist, whatever that term means, and he is not a militant atheist. This book is not an attempt at a "middle ground," but an attempt to let "both sides" know that there are possible areas where agreement can be reached for further debate and discussion. Cardinal Schonborn is clear that a literal interpretation of the Bible is not science and that the Bible was not written as a science book. Cardinal Schonborn mentioned that even the early Church Fathers were clear that the Bible was not meant to scientifically explain the Cosmos. In fact, St. Augustine (354-430)stated that the Bible was not an astronomy book, and students could study science in the schools. St. Augustine stated that the Bible and the Church teachings were designed to help men achieve salvation and not to teach science. In fact St. Augustine as well as other early Church Fathers stated that the much of the Bible was allegorical. Another topic that Cardinal Schonborn examined is the fact that the Catholic Church enshrined reason next to Revealed Truths as part of learning. The Medieval Scholatics and especially St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)stated that science and the Bible were not at odds. His conclusion was that apparent conflicts were due to an inadequet understanding of the Bible. In other words, Cardinal Schonborn argued that there were Medieval scholars who recognized that there were apparent differences between the Bible, Catholic teaching, and science. The basic premise of Cardinal Schonborn's book is that there is a starting point for all learning including scientific learning. The use of a priori thinking and logic are fundametnal to scientic learning(biology, geology, astronomy, physics, chemistry, etc.)as well as mathematics. Cardinal Schonborn is also clear that reason is also important to metaphysical questions and learning such as ethics, good vs. evil, justice, etc. He is clear that ideas and concepts are just as real as scientific studies. The key for Cardinal Schonborn is that there is a starting point by which ideas and science can be understood and advanced. What Cardinal Schonborn critisized in this book were the concepts of formlessness and radical skepticism. He was clear that ideas of formless ness and extreme skepticism led to nowhere. Without reason and some fundamental starting point such as religion or the concept of a Creator, there could be no science or advance in knowledge. If nothing is accepted as a priori premises, nothing is achieved due to no basics from which to build knowledge. Cardinal Schonborn was also critical of the misuse of Darwin's ideas. Cardinal Schonborn had some good comments on the use of Social Darwinism. For example the rulers of Big Communism had a "plan" whereby those in th

Cardinal Schonborn's article in the New York Times in July 2005, "Finding Design in Nature," generated a great deal of misunderstanding and controversy. For many, his article was a defense of Intelligent Design Theory and an attack on Pope John Paul II's pronouncement of the compatibility between Faith and Evolution. Nevertheless, this book clarifies any possible misunderstanding. The Cardinal clearly distinguishes between Belief in Creation and the Big Bang, and between "Creatio Continua"("continuing creation") and Evolution. He always emphasizes the idea that theology and natural science do not contradict one another because both are rational and complementary ways of approaching reality. Although he criticizes the methodological approach of the proponents of Intelligent Design, he thinks that the philosophical question as to the origins of the "intelligent design" in living things is a legitimate one. Furthermore, he thinks that philosophy is an excellent tool to distinguish between science and scientism or ideology masquerading as science. He concludes that God, as theologians and philosophers understand Him, cannot be an object of scientific inquiry. The scientific method can neither exclude nor include God. Hence, the Cardinal dares to provide his readers with a profound theology of creation in dialogue with the findings of science. This Theology of Creation has four basic elements: 1)There is an absolute beginning that was the free and sovereign constitution of being out of nothing. 2)There is variety and order in creation and both are willed by God. 3)We believe, not just in an absolute beginning, but also that creation is being sustained. God keeps in being everything that he created: there is continuing creation. 4)Creation is guided. Divine providence is part of the doctrine of creation. God is guiding his work to a goal. Throughout the book Cardinal Schonborn is concerned with the question of the relation between the four elements outlined above and the theory of evolution.Other important topics of the book that are related to the four basic elements are: 1) If God guides everything, then how is it that there is so much suffering and injustice in the world? 2) The creation of man and whether, and in what sense, man can be considered as the "crown of creation". Are men part of nature, or are they elevated above it, or both? 3) What does Christ have to do with creation?

I have been a fan of intelligent design (ID) since Darwin's Black Box. However the Protestant underpinnings that seem to be pervasive in ID are indeed hostile to the fruit of Darwinism, which is evolution. Many of the ID supporters that I know are secret semi-fundamentalists that don't want to admit that much of what they hold true in the area of origins comes from literal reading of the Bible and creation. While they won't admit to an Earth that is over 6000 years old (like some Fundamentalists do) they nevertheless abhor any fact or truth that emanates from scientific inquiry that might threaten their definition of God and of their reading of the Book of Genesis. Others in the ID camp are deists who see an original Creator - but one that now is afar and aloof and who is not involved in continuing and guiding creation. Having been raised by Catholic educators and scientists, I have always had great respect for Darwin's contributions to scientific methodology and science in general. However I have not been able to completely reconcile the "big divide" between believers in God (the Creator) and their warped view of science AND many prominent scientists, who claim the origin of the cosmos sprung from chaos, are atheists and who violently mock theists. I am a believer in a Creator, yet I also greatly respect true scientific methodology and the search for the truth. Why can't a believer in a Creator also be a respectful believer in the scientific search for the truth? Why can't the mysteries that have been unlocked for millennia and recently made evident by science be reconciled with religious beliefs? Could a Creator use evolution as a means to sustain and guide the original creation of everything (out of nothing and perhaps through the Big Bang) toward an ultimate purpose? My ID friends have blackballed me from their message boards when I sincerely asked the question whether a designer could use evolution as a tool in creation. I was told that I must be a "Papist". My science friends (many of them family members) have removed me from their email directories (and Christmas card list) when I again asked sincere questions about God and creation as I seem to find them in the beauty of nature. What I learned was that they took my inquiry as a mocking of their particular brand of "religion." [Interestingly many of my family were raised traditional Roman Catholic but now live lives very much far from the morality taught in that religion and seem to adhere to "relativism".] I had become in their eyes a heretic. In his book, Chance Or Purpose - Creation, Evolution And A Rational Faith, Cardinal Schonborn has "healed" to a great degree my wounds suffered from the two camps of ID and evolution. I now do not see a big rift between religion and science. It was necessary and important that I receive this revelation from a respected member of the Catholic Church. [The Church needs to do this alot more on other related issues]. This book has awak