1. Chapter 5
Creation and
Evolution
Pocket handbook of Christian apologetics (2003)
Peter Kreeft & Ronald Tacelli

2. A lot could be said - here Kreeft
addresses 5 essential questions:
1. Is creation possible?
2. What difference does creation
make?
3. Is evolution possible?
4. What difference does
evolution make?
5. Does evolution contradict
creation?

3. Is creation possible?
Initially the idea (of Jew and
Christians) that the universes came
out of nothing was thought absurd
and irrational by Greeks as, “out of
nothing nothing comes”.
The response goes like this:
1. That is a law of nature - but the
laws of nature cannot bind the
transcendent creator of nature.

4. 2. All nature and powers in nature
are finite - God is infinite - an
infinite power can produce the
infinite change from nonbeing to
being
3. The idea of God creating out of
nothing is not irrational as it does
not claim that anything came into
being without rational cause. God
did not pop into existence and
nature had an adequate cause -
God!

5. 2. What difference does the doctrine of
creation make?
The doctrine of creation affects
the way we think about God, if
he is creator then he must be:
1. Infinitely powerful
2. Immeasurably wise
3. A great artist
4. Totally generous (since the all
sufficient perfect being couldn’t
have created out of need)

6. It also affects our concept of
nature. If nature is created by
God then it is:
1. Intelligible (notably
science arose in the theistic
west not the pantheistic east)
2. Good (Christians have
rejected as heresy Gnosticism
and Manichaeism)
3. Real (eastern religion has
often rejected nature as an
unreal illusion created by
unenlightened consciousness)

7. Definition: Gnosticism was a
Definition: Manichaeism
second century heresy claiming that
(Manicheeism) be dualistic, gnostic,
salvation could is agained through
faith based on the teachings of
secret knowledge. Gnosticism isthe
third century Parthian word gnosis,
derived from the Greekprophet Mani
(the "Apostle of Light").
meaning "to know."
Manichaeism, which that that
Gnostics also believedholds the
there is struggle between good and
materialaworld (matter) is evil and
evil, only the spiritlight, shows
that darkness and is good. They
influences of other God and
constructed an evil religions, beings
including Judaism, Christianity, the
of the Old Testament to explainand
Zoroastrianism. Redemption is
creation of the world (matter), and
possible through an ascetic life.
considered Jesus Christ a wholly
spiritual God.

8. Definition: Gnosticism was a
second century heresy claiming that
salvation could be gained through
secret knowledge. Gnosticism is
derived from the Greek word gnosis,
meaning "to know."
Gnostics also believed that the
material world (matter) is evil and
that only the spirit is good. They
constructed an evil God and beings
of the Old Testament to explain the
creation of the world (matter), and
considered Jesus Christ a wholly
spiritual God.

9. The doctrine of creation affects
the way we view ourselves. If we
owe our existence to God then:
1. We have no rights over God -
how can a character have rights
over the author of the book they
appear in?
2. Our existence is meaningful as
we have been put here by God
rather than being the product of
evolution
3. If we are made by God, we owe
him everything.

10. Is evolution possible?
There is great difference of opinion
between scientists and philosophers
as to whether evolution is possible -
does the nature of species make it
an impossibility? There are many on
each side who are totally convinced
as to their own point of view.
God is more than capable of
making a world where species evolve
from each other by natural means -
we have to acknowledge that it is
possible.

11. The question for theologians and scientists is did it
happen, did evolution take place?
Kreeft suggests that it is undecided and then goes
further to suggest that the theory of evolution is in
trouble at this time - but gives no evidence to
support this view.

12. What difference does evolution make?
Kreeft deals with 3 meanings of
evolution:
1. Evolution is simply a theory about
what happened - more complex
species appeared on earth as shown
by the fossil record.
2. Evolution is a theory about how
this happened - by natural selection,
the survival of the fittest.
3. Evolution is the absence of
design - no God was involved in the
process.

13. Kreeft suggests idea 3 is not
scientific theory, it is philosophical
and theological. Ideas 1 and 2 are
evolution in the scientific sense.
If we evolved by chance - our lives
have no overarching meaning, no
plan of God upon them. Meaning,
purpose and values have to be
invented for ourselves without any
reference to a higher authority or
standard. What you personally
desire then determines what set of
ethics you choose.

14. Kreeft, “There is no logical
contradiction between Gen
1:1 and the thought that
once species were here on
earth they evolved by
natural selection.”
Science is like studying the inner
ecology of a fishbowl; the Bible is
like a letter from the person who set
up the fishbowl. The two ideas are
not exclusive - and can easily
include or suggest each other.

15. Kreeft says Gen 1:24 does not
suggest each species was created
individually by God but that the
earth brought them forth.
Evolution based on observable
science does not know if, or if not,
there is a creator or designer behind
it. (Kreeft says: “though the evidence
suggests design”)
Again Kreeft suggests there is no
logical problem with saying the soul
(image of God) is breathed into us
by God and the fact that scientists
suggest our body evolving from
lower forms - he says Gen 2:7
suggest this double origin:

16. Kreeft says Gen 1:24 does not
suggest each species was created
individually by God but that the
earth brought them forth. God
Then the LORD
Evolution based on observable the
formed a man from
science does not know if, or if not,
dust a creator or designer behind
there is of the ground and
it. (Kreeft says: “though thehis
breathed into evidence
suggests design”) breath of
nostrils the
Again Kreeft suggests there is no
life, and the man soul
logical problem with saying the
became a living being.
(image of God) is breathed into us
by God and the fact that scientists
suggest our body evolving from
lower forms - he says Gen 2:7
suggest this double origin:

17. Does evolution contradict creation?
The universe was created by God - if
he did not create it there was
nothing else for it to evolve from,
and not any time in which for this to
happen.
But what about life evolving? Did
God create organic life directly or
from inorganic life by a natural
process? Kreeft argues that there
would appear to be no certainty
here.

18. He goes on to say as human life
is organic then God could have
allowed its development by
natural selection. In
comparison to creating the
whole universe doing this
would be a very small task for
God. Again Kreeft suggests
that nothing we know from
God or nature says that this
could not have taken place, but
that also direct creation could
have occurred too.

19. The soul could not have evolved
- spirit cannot come from
matter. No matter what
molecular lineup you have you
cannot get thought,
consciousness, reason etc. from
bits of matter. The knowledge of
a thing is not one of the things
parts - it is transcendent to the
thing, coming from without.