[asa] What is exactly is a TE?

  
What exactly is a TE? This is a great question, David, and one I would love to see addressed at ASA. If it is true that ASA is home to many of the scientists/scholars who contributed to the volume “Perspectives of an Evolving Creation” and if that is the (or a) definitive text for the TE (theistic evolution or theological evolution) perspective, then it should be an excellent place to address this question. Surely, those who hold to TE will be able to mention the names of the most prominent TEs in history and point out the main ideas that TE represents.
   
  David Campbell addresses two categories in answer to ‘what exactly is a TE?’ 1) “A Christian who acknowledges that evolution provides the best current physical description of the origin and diversification of organisms,” and 2) “Someone who seeks to revise theology to conform to a purportedly more evolutionary mold. This is anchored in evolution…”
   
  In response to these two categories, I wonder first if a TE is one who simply acknowledges evolution as a (successful) descriptive theory of natural history. I’m also curious how to differentiate between ‘more evolutionary’ and ‘less evolutionary’ and if the distinction is worth making in the sense that a TE still ultimately accepts evolution in general. Personally, I don’t think evolution has anything to do with 'origins,' despite the title of C. Darwin’s most well-known text. It is rather predominantly about 'processes' of change, while it should be clearly noted (as was done in a thread months back at ASA) that ‘change’ and ‘evolution’ are not synonymous.
   
  Does a TE accept ALL forms of evolutionary theories or just some forms? That is, does a TE accept just biological evolution or also cosmological evolution, technological evolution and cultural evolution? Or does a TE not differentiate between various types of evolution and rather inevitably hold to a kind of ideological, ‘universalistic evolution,’ of the type that Pierre Teilhard de Chardin meant when he wrote:
   
  “Is evolution a theory, a system or a hypothesis? It is much more: it is a general condition to which all theories, all hypotheses, all systems must bow and which they must satisfy henceforward if they are to be thinkable and true. Evolution is a light illuminating all facts, a curve that all lines must follow.” (The Phenomenon of Man, 1940)
   
  It might be worthwhile distinguishing a TE from an EC (‘evolutionary creationist’ – see Denis Lamoureux’s definition here: ), but to do so may distract from the topic, at least at first.
   
  Here are two additional quotes on this topic to perhaps stir up discussion:
   
  “Theistic evolution is woefully—even perniciously—confused.” – Phillip Johnson
   
  “Our nineteenth century is dying away under the hypnosis of the dogma of Evolution.” – Abraham Kuyper (Vrije University, Presidential Address, 20/10/1899)
   
  Looking forward to your responses!
   
  Warm regards,
   
  Gregory

       
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Received on Sat Sep 1 14:24:06 2007