lowerScience in Christian Perspective



A Design Theory of Progressive Creation 

Gordon C. Mills

The following series of papers deal with proposals that Mills initially referred to as "Theistic Evolution" (PSCF 47 (1995)112-122, Christian Scholars Review XXIV (1995) 444-458). At present, these views are no longer in accord with what others are calling "Theistic Evolution", and appear to be more appropriately described as a "Design Theory of Progressive Creation". In these papers, Mills considers the necessity of proposing an intelligent cause as the source of the genetic information that is found in living organisms. In other words, the need for an Intelligent Designer who acts within time; time in this case including not only the initial creative acts of the Deity, but also the last six or seven hundred million years when multicellular life on this planet has appeared and developed. This is a creation theory, since in the words of biblical scholar John Stek, "In biblical language, bara (create) affirms of some existent reality only that God conceived, willed and effected it". This view is fully consistent with the scientific evidence.

After outlining the main components of the theory in the initial two papers, Mills has considered how this design theory might have utilized protein modules to form functional proteins (PSCF 50 (1998) 136-139); how changes in the genetic code of mitochondrial DNA are more readily explained by a design theory (PSCF 50 (1998) 286-291); and how the formation of antibodies might illustrate the initial modular formation of different proteins (PSCF 51 (1999) 254- 256). Throughout, these papers have emphasized the difficulties of accounting for new and modified protein structures by chance alone. Although some changes may be accounted for by chance mutations in codons of DNA, and hence in the structure of proteins, ultimately the complexity of life processes demands consideration of a Designer as the ultimate source of genetic information.

Dr. Mills received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan and spent 35 years on the medical and graduate school teaching and research faculty at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. As an Emeritus Professor, he has spent the past 12 years in applying his research training and experience to developing a Christian view of the origin and development of life. His present address is 4207 Fleet Landing Blvd., Atlantic Beach FL 32233; telephone 904-246-4225.