OVERVIEW OF CREATION AND EVOLUTION

OVERVIEW OF CREATION AND EVOLUTION

Virgil Warren, PhD

    I. Preliminary Definitions and Concepts

                  A.  God: label for ultimate reality

                  B.  God’s relationship to the universe

                        1.   Natural imminence: God is not distinct in kind from the universe.

                     *2.    Natural transcendence: God is distinct in kind from the universe.

                  C.  Change

                                                                     1.   Modification: change without increasing the number of harmoniously

                                                                           integrated factors.

                                                                         *2.   Complexification: change with increasing the number of harmoniously

                                                                                 integrated factors.

                  D. Causation

                        1.   Natural cause: an effect produced by a cause inside nature.

                      *2.   Miracle: an effect produced by a cause outside nature.

                  E.   Creationism: complexification via factor(s) external to the natural realm.

                  F.   Evolution: complexification via factor(s) internal to the natural realm.

                        1.   Micro-evolution: demonstrable change in matters of degree

                      *2.   Macro-evolution: extrapolated change into matters of kind.

    II. Models of Creation

                  Creation involves transcendent deity that, among other acts, brings mass/energy into existence from nothing and complexifies by miracle irrespective of time rate. The natural order has a finite beginning and possesses order because of the common Mind that lies behind the origin of "parts" whether created directly from nothing (fiat) or using previously existing created mass/energy.

                  A.  Short-term creationism

                                                               1.   Type A: creation from nothing to final form in approximately a week’s time;

                                                                     earth’s age is in the order of 10,000 to 30,000 years.

                                                               2.   Type B: same as above except that creative process occurred in terms of years, and the earth’s age is longer in varying degrees according to the theorist’s framework.

                  B.  Long-term creationism

                                                                                3.   Ruin-reconstruction: the present form of the earth is one of several

                                                                                            destructions followed by new beginnings of divine creativity.

                        4.   Progressive Creationism Type A: polyphyletic

                        5.   Progressive Creationism Type B: monophyletic

  III. Models of Evolution

                  Evolution is complexification over time by internal natural laws operating with or

                  without beginning or end.

                  A.  Relative to God

                                                                                 1.   Theistic evolution: transcendent deity is only involved in the creation from nothing and by building into the natural order the principles potential for nature’s complexifying itself.

                                                                                 2.   Atheistic evolution: mass/energy is eternal and self-complexifying. (If the view of God is not that of transcendent deity, then what we call atheistic is also theistic but no external causation is involved; hence, we do not call it “creation” even if something new comes about.)

                  B.  As to pattern: assorted terms

                        1.   Emergent evolution

                        2.   Punctuated equilibrium

                        3.   Vitalism

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