Why is there no controversy surrounding theistic embryology? Dissecting critical responses to theistic evolution.

Steve MathesonChristian Perspectives in Science1 May 2009

25 June 2009: Education and Public Outreach Day

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25 June 2009: Education and Public Outreach Day

My basic premise: in popular discussions of evolution and faith, theistic evolution is rarely critiqued as a particular view. A closer look at objections and perceived weaknesses of the view reveals that few of these objections or criticisms pick out anything distinctive about theistic evolution. Instead, many objections to theistic evolution are just objections to theism or objections to evolution. Those objections might be important, even decisive, but they're not specific to theistic evolution. I suggest that a consideration of the popular but unexamined position known as theistic embryology can help us see this, and perhaps help us to identify questions that really are central to a critique of theistic evolution.

Those who simultaneously express Christian belief and affirm evolutionary theory are said to espouse a position called "theistic evolution." Those who simultaneously express Christian belief and affirm naturalistic explanations in human prenatal development are said to espouse a position called "theistic embryology."

Introducing theistic embryology

a. It fully embraces naturalistic explanation while maintaining a commitment to God's sovereignty and (perhaps) to supernatural explanation ("intervention"). b. It exists in some tension with key biblical texts. c. It makes explanatory use of random phenomena:

i. Random fertilizationii. Random X-chromosome inactivationiii. Random overgrowth followed by pruning (death) in the nervous system

 d. It provides naturalistic explanation while acknowledging the existence of death, disfigurement, mutation, waste, failure, tragedy. e. It seems to be uncontroversial.

Some features of theistic embryology

1. Suffering and death during evolution. 

a. If this is just the problem of evil, then it's certainly not peculiar to TE. b. If this is just about God using "bad things" to accomplish "good" ends, then it's not peculiar to TE. c. If this is about WHEN the suffering and death occurred in the historical narrative, then we have the real issue.

 2. The chronology of the narrative of creation, fall and redemption

The stuff that slips through