Stephen E. Jones

Creation/Evolution Articles

Pattle P.T. Pun, "A Theology of Progressive Creationism," in Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith:
Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, Vol. 39, No. 1, March 1987, pp.9-19. (part 3)

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A Theology of Progressive Creationism

This is an incomplete work-in-progress.

THEOLOGY OF PROGRESSIVE CREATIONISM

allow special providential control to return to those "who love Him and have been called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28, NIV). "The creation was subjected to frustration not by its own choice, but by the one who subjected it" (Rom. 8:20, NIV). Therefore, in a metaphoric sense, the creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. The redemption of nature is the corollary of the redemption of the body. Man is not sinful because he is a creature but because of his rebellion against God. In the final consummation, the whole man and the world of which he is a part will be delivered from the influence of evil. Creation and mankind as such are not evil. Man is sinful only insofar as he exalts himself above God and refuses to humble himself to acknowledge his Creator Lord. The redeemed mankind is transposed into God's new creation (1 Cor. 5:17), which will he consummated in the resurrection of the body (1 Cor. 15) and in the new heaven and new earth. It is not the restoration of the original pre-Fall creation (Rev. 21:1).

REFERENCES

1Pun, P. 1982. Evolution: Nature and Scripture in Conflict? Grand Rapids: Zondervan, pp. 174-230. return 2Ramm, B. 1954. The Christian view of Science and Scripture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, p. 76. return 3Morris, H. M. 1984. "Recent Creation Is a Vital Doctrine," Impact, 132, June 1984. return 4Calvin, 1960. Institutes of the Christian Religion, John R. McNeil, (ed). Translated and indexed by Ford Lewis Battles. Philadelphia: Westminster, Vol. 1, Book I, Chap. V, p. 53. return 5Calvin, op. cit. Vol. 1, book I, chap. XIV, p. 180. return 6Brehier, E. 1967. The History of Philosophy, translated by W. Baskin. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, Vol. 5, p. 15. return 7Calvin, op. cit. Vol. I, Book 1, Chap. XVI, pp. 197-198. return 8Gilkey, L. 1965-66. "Secularism's Impact in Contemporary Theology," Christianity and Crisis, XXV, 66. return 9Childs, B. S. 1970. Biblical Theology in Crisis. Philadelphia: Westminster, p.33. return 10Murphy, G. 1986. "Chiasmic Cosmology: A Response to Fred Van Dyke," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, 38,124. return 11Cunliffe-Jones, H. 1978. A History of Christian Doctrine. Philadelphia: Fortress, pp. 338-344. return 12Hasel, G. 1972. Old Testament Theology: Basic Issues in the Current Debate, revised and expanded 3rd edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, pp. 169-170. return 13Van Dyke, F. 1986. "Problems of Theistic Evolution," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, 38, 11. return 14Dillard, A. 1974. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. New York: Harper's Magazine Press, p 167 (citing Edwin Way Teale). return 15Wilkinson, L. 1976. "A Christian Ecology of Death: Biblical Imagery and the Ecological Crisis," Christian Scholars Review, V(4),322. return 16Teilhard de Chardin, P. 1971. Christianity and Evolution. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. return 17Cobb, J. B. Jr. 1969. God and the World. Philadelphia: Westminster. return 18Calvin. op. cit. Vol. I, Book II, Chap. XXIV, pp. 471-472. return 19Kornberg, A. 1982. In A. T. Ganesan, Shing Chang and James A. Hoch (eds.), Molecular Cloning and Gene Regulation in Bacilli. New York: Academic Press, p. xxi. return 20Bird, W. 1978. "Freedom of Religion and Science Instruction in Public Schools," Yale Law journal, 87,515-570. return 21Bird, W. 1979. "Freedom from Establishment and Unneutrality in Public School Instruction and Religious School Regulation," Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, 2,125-205. return 22Aulie, R. 1983. "Evolution and Special Creation Historical Aspects of the Controversy," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 127(6), 418-462. return 23Pun, op. cit. pp. 298-300. return 24Whitcomb, J. Jr. and H. Morris 1961. The Genesis Flood. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Reformed Publishers. return 25Kornberg, op. cit. p. xxi. Also see Minnery, Tom. "Creationists Tenacity Secures Subtle Change in Science Texts," Christianity Today, Nov. 7, 1980, p. 64. return 26Young, D. 1977. Creation and the Flood. Grand Rapids: Baker. return 27Young, D. 1982. Christianity and the Age of the Earth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. return 28Moore, J. and H. Slusher (eds.) 1977. Biology, A Search for Order in Complexity. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, pp. 451-453. return 29Moore, J.R. 1979. The Post Darwinian Controversies: A Study of the Protestant Struggle to Come to Terms With Darwin in Great Britain and America, 1870-1900. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. return 30Darwin, C. 1859. The Origin of Species, Mentor ed. London: The New English Library (1958), p. 450. return 31Harrison, R.K. 1969. Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, pp. 548-551 return 32Buswell, J.O. II. 1963. Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, p. 156. return 33Calvin, op. cit. Vol. 1, Book I, Chap. XIV, p. 161. return 34Blocher, H. 1984 In the Beginning: The Opening Chapters of Genesis, translated by D. G. Preston. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, chap. 2. return 35Augustine. The City of God, translated by Henry Bettenson. London: Penguin Books (1972), Book XIII, p. 430. return 36Aquinas, T. Summa Theologica, Vol. I. Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. New York: Bezinger Brothers (1947), pp. 229-233, 247, 346-M9. return 37Pun, op. cit. pp. 262-263. return 38Hummel, H. D. 1979. The Word Becoming Flesh. St. Louis: Concordia, p.65. return 39Murphy, G. 1986. "A Theological Argument for Evolution," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, 38,19. return 40Goldschmidt, R. B. 1940. The Material Basis of Evolution. New Haven: Yale University Press. return 41Pun, op. cit. pp. 220-224. return 42Cunliffe-Jones, op. cit. pp. 77-84. return 43Gilkey, L. 1959. Maker of Heaven and Earth. Garden City: Doubleday, p.265. return 44Gilkey, L. 1970. Religion and the Scientific Future. New York: Harper and Row, p. 66. return 45Monod, J. 1971. Chance and Necessity. New York: Knopf. return 46Haas, J. 1983. "Complementarity and Christian Thought: An Assessment. I. The Classical Complementarity, of Niels Bohr," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, 35,145-151. return 47Haas, J. 1983. "Complementarity and Christian Thought: An Assessment. II. Logical Complementarity," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, 35, 203-208. return 48Jeeves, M. 1969. The Scientific Enterprise and Christian Faith. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. return 49Pollard, W. 1958. Chance and Providence. New York: Scribner. return 5Pun, op. cit. pp. 266-268. return

VOLUME 39, NUMBER 1, MARCH 1987 19 (Pun P.P.T., "A Theology of Progressive Creationism," Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, Vol. 39, No. 1, March 1987, pp.9-19)

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