Theology and Evolution: How Much Can Biology Explain?

Theology and Evolution: How Much Can Biology Explain?

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A keynote lecture by John Haught at the 2006 “Beyond Intelligent Design” symposium. The lecture is followed by a panel response including Ian Barbour, George Ellis, and Nancey Murphy, moderated by William Grassie. 

Evolutionary biology contributes much to our present understanding of life, and its promises also to deepen our understanding of human intelligence, ethics and even religion. For some scientific thinkers Darwin’s science is so impressive that it now supplants theology by providing what appears to be the ultimate explanation of all manifestations of life. By focusing on human intelligence as an emergent aspect of nature this lecture examines the question of whether theology can still have an explanatory role to play alongside of biology in our attempts to understand mind, life and the universe.