Comments on: Dr. Denis Alexander: Evolution and the Church

By: textjunkie

textjunkie — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:04:42 +0000

Having now listend to this, thank you so much for posting and linking to it!! It was just what I needed to hear–a very thoughtful and informed approach to what Genesis means if we accept evolution as a given. Thanks again! I need to read Iraneus (sp?) apparently…

By: Wil Adair

Wil Adair — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:50:36 +0000

Well as a layman in the scientific arena, all I have to say is, for 47 minutes oh my life all I can say is “oh my!” To me the 37 minute mark on is quite interesting. I think the problem is (a phrase he uses often) we finite men are trying to understand what the Infinite created looking from within the creation itself. His problem with a engineering God of “Creationism” seems a bit reductionistic and derogatory.

It would be interesting to see more writing on evolution from a non-Darwinian starting point. As a pastor my question is how does his views coincide with the mission of Christ? Regardless though he is a very interesting lecturer. Thank you for sharing.

By: Sausage « City of God

Sausage « City of God — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:44:38 +0000

[...] Denis Alexander on evolution and the church as shot by Bill [...]

By: John

John — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:23:38 +0000

Thanks for the post. After listening to the lecture, I went to the Faraday website and got the podcast link. There are LOTS of great lectures to help me wade through questions that I have about how God has made such a great creation. My idea s of God grows larger every day, and even though I don’t think we will ever know everything, we can know more and that should help us to be able to point others the way to Christ.

By: textjunkie

textjunkie — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:27:01 +0000

thanks, now I have to find 47 minutes and my headphones so I can listen to this!
I thought I was wrestling with creationism, but the fact of the matter is I’m wrestling with theistic evolution and how that plays out theologically…

By: Arni Zachariassen

Arni Zachariassen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:54:55 +0000

Denis Alexander is a good man. I’ve been to some of his lectures and his book “Creation or Evolution – Do We Have To Choose?” is great. The work he does with the Faraday Institute and Christians in Science is extremely important as a counter-weight to creationism. It’s also important that he’s an Evangelical and is theologically pretty conservative. There’s a lot of variation among those Christians here in Britain who advocate positive relations between science and Christianity and, from a pastoral perspective, not everyone will appeal to the creationists. They’d never listen to someone like Arthur Peacocke. But they would listen to Alexander.

By: George C

George C — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:32:36 +0000

Very interesting and not a point of view to throw stones at, but I still question the interpretation of much of the data. Scientist make as many leaps from the raw data to their hypothosis as theologans do.

In either case, I think it is reasonable to be open to the idea of theistic evolution and for neither side to be as dogmatic and arrogant as they ofetn are.

By: ProdigalSarah

ProdigalSarah — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:03:03 +0000

Very interesting talk.

Above all we should read the Genesis stories for spiritual understanding, IMO.

By: Irenicum

Irenicum — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:45:31 +0000

Michael, Thank you for posting this. More Christians need to know about the Faraday Institute. They and many other good Christian organizations exist out there offering great science and great theology. I have a book to finish and a paper to write for seminary but I’ll compile a list of the best science/theology groups out there. There’s more than we think there are!