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Theistic evolution (evolutionary creation)

Francis Collins Theodosius Dobzhansky Pope John Paul II

This page delivers no verdict; it presents claims and evidence with their sources. No theory in science is absolute. Method

For everyone

According to theistic evolution, God created living things through the evolutionary processes that science describes, and no conflict is seen between science and religion. Francis Collins, former director of the Human Genome Project, and the Catholic Church's official statement of 1996 are examples. Both atheist scientists and creationists criticise the view, for different reasons.

For specialists

Versions of the view differ on how divine action operates: God set the laws at the start; continuous action through quantum indeterminacy; or all natural causes as instruments of divine will, which has been linked to Ash'arite occasionalism in Islamic kalām. Catholic teaching additionally stresses that the human soul is created directly.

Claims

Evolutionary processes are God's means of creation; the scientific account of evolution and belief in creation are compatible.^[1]

Positions

Catholic Church (Pope John Paul II, 1996): The theory of evolution is "more than a hypothesis"; the human soul, however, is created directly by God.^[2]
Creationist critique: Theistic evolution is incompatible with the creation account of scripture.^[3]
Naturalist critique: Evolution is an unguided process leaving no room for God; theistic evolution is a superfluous extra assumption.^[4]

Connections

Parent

Views on the origin and diversity of living things

Ashʿarism and occasionalism Views on the origin of living things in Islamic thought Intelligent design

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Sources

BookCollins, F. S. (2006). The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. Free Press, New York
ReportJohn Paul II (1996). Message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences: On Evolution (22 October 1996). L'Osservatore Romano (English edition), 30 October 1996
BookNumbers, R. L. (2006). The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design. Harvard University Press, expanded edition
BookDawkins, R. (2006). The God Delusion. Bantam Press, London

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Cite this page

APA

Athena contributors. (2026). Theistic evolution (evolutionary creation). Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/teistik-evrim/

BibTeX

@misc{athena_teistik_evrim,
  title        = {Theistic evolution (evolutionary creation)},
  author       = {{Athena contributors}},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://latifkedi.github.io/athena/en/d/teistik-evrim/}},
  note         = {Athena: The tree of human knowledge. Accessed: 2026-11-01}
}

Added: September 27, 2026 · Last changed: September 27, 2026 · Page history

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