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An Evolutionary Adaptation of the Fall

Lembke, Martin LU (2014) In New Blackfriars 95(1057). p.295-307
Abstract
According to John Polkinghorne, the Fall is the major Christian doctrine that is the most difficult to reconcile with contemporary science. Like him, however, I believe it is vitally important, even in this regard, to try to pinpoint the extent to which taking science seriously requires us to modify traditionally held beliefs. In this paper I focus on two problematic ideas associated with the Fall: (i) the idea of a primordial human couple (Adam and Eve), and (ii) the idea that this couple was subjected to bodily death as a result of their original misdeed. I argue that, contrary to appearances, it is possible to harmonize these beliefs with contemporary science – at least if one presupposes some kind of soul-body dualism. I also try to... (More)
According to John Polkinghorne, the Fall is the major Christian doctrine that is the most difficult to reconcile with contemporary science. Like him, however, I believe it is vitally important, even in this regard, to try to pinpoint the extent to which taking science seriously requires us to modify traditionally held beliefs. In this paper I focus on two problematic ideas associated with the Fall: (i) the idea of a primordial human couple (Adam and Eve), and (ii) the idea that this couple was subjected to bodily death as a result of their original misdeed. I argue that, contrary to appearances, it is possible to harmonize these beliefs with contemporary science – at least if one presupposes some kind of soul-body dualism. I also try to show that this dualism, although philosophically non-fashionable nowadays, is yet to be refuted or made redundant by current evolutionary theory or neurophysiology. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Evolution, Adam and Eve, John Polkinghorne, Assumptions into Heaven, Cartesian Dualism
in
New Blackfriars
volume
95
issue
1057
pages
295 - 307
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
ISSN
0028-4289
DOI
10.1111/nbfr.12026
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Centre for Theology and Religious Studies (015017000)
id
7eeba75a-b161-4eff-8c99-4975f3a594d9 (old id 3771810)
alternative location
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nbfr.12026/abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:51:35
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:13:54
@article{7eeba75a-b161-4eff-8c99-4975f3a594d9,
  abstract     = {{According to John Polkinghorne, the Fall is the major Christian doctrine that is the most difficult to reconcile with contemporary science. Like him, however, I believe it is vitally important, even in this regard, to try to pinpoint the extent to which taking science seriously requires us to modify traditionally held beliefs. In this paper I focus on two problematic ideas associated with the Fall: (i) the idea of a primordial human couple (Adam and Eve), and (ii) the idea that this couple was subjected to bodily death as a result of their original misdeed. I argue that, contrary to appearances, it is possible to harmonize these beliefs with contemporary science – at least if one presupposes some kind of soul-body dualism. I also try to show that this dualism, although philosophically non-fashionable nowadays, is yet to be refuted or made redundant by current evolutionary theory or neurophysiology.}},
  author       = {{Lembke, Martin}},
  issn         = {{0028-4289}},
  keywords     = {{Evolution; Adam and Eve; John Polkinghorne; Assumptions into Heaven; Cartesian Dualism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1057}},
  pages        = {{295--307}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{New Blackfriars}},
  title        = {{An Evolutionary Adaptation of the Fall}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nbfr.12026}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/nbfr.12026}},
  volume       = {{95}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}