Can Christianity and Evolution Be Reconciled: An Overview of the Challenges

There is, in my view, no greater threat to traditional Christian belief than that posed by the Theory of Evolution*. Why? Because evolution, as we currently understand it, seems not only to undermine a literal interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis (as is readily apparent to most), but also challenges the theological conclusions that most Christians draw from the Genesis narrative, even when it is taken as myth, metaphor, or allegory. The problem is particularly acute when dealing with the New Testament's references to Adam and Eve, and is perhaps most problematic in Paul's discussion in Romans 5:12-21, which seems on its face to treat Adam as a literal first human, the father of humanity, and the source of original sin and death that each of his offspring inherited.

Traditional Christian Faith

Before getting into the challenges evolution presents, I want to lay down the parts of traditional Christian belief that are relevant to the challenges. While not every Christian holds each of these beliefs (or holds them as equally important), these are the basic beliefs that most Christians I've encountered hold that are relevant to this discussion:

• God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, to include every living thing.
• When God finished creating the heavens and the earth, their initial state was very good. Very Good is best understood by its common-sense meaning: It indicates a creation free of evil actions such as murder, theft, and deceit. It also indicates an environment free of characteristics we think of as very bad to include sickness, pestilence, and death. A very good universe is characterized by love, joy, and peace (and the other fruits of the Spirit).
• The first humans, succumbing to temptation, rebelled against God (i.e., sinned) and fell, disrupting the very good state of the heavens and the earth, plunging the human race (and, potentially, the heavens and earth as a whole) into a state of separation from God. This rebellion had both tangible and intangible effects on the human race and the universe.
• Most importantly, death entered the world as a result of sin. Some Christians hold that this was only a spiritual death; however, others hold that it is also the origin of physical death.
• Christ's atonement on the cross, and our faith in his atoning work, rescues us from the consequences of sin. That is to say, it rescues us from death.

Taking into account these basic Christian beliefs, here are the challenges evolution poses:

The Challenges

1) Evolution suggests that sickness, suffering, pestilence, and death precede human consciousness by millions of years and therefore precede any concept of willful behavior or sin. That is to say, sickness, suffering, pestilence, and death are simply part of the natural order. They are not the fault of any person or of any action. If the universe was created very good, very good must be redefined to include these characteristics.

2) Evolution suggests that humans, just like all other animals, have evolved both altruistic and selfish behavior based on environmental pressures, and that both types of behaviors were present in our pre-human and pre-conscious ancestors. In other words, our tendency to "do good" (i.e., exhibit pro-social behaviors such as love, charity, and kindness) and "do evil" (i.e., exhibit anti-social behaviors, such as theft, murder, and lying) are baked into our DNA. Perhaps more importantly, those tendencies were also baked into the DNA of all of our pre-conscious ancestors. Accordingly, there was never a time where humans existed in a state of perfection such that they could fall from it. In fact, we see altruistic and selfish behavior very similar to our own in a close cousin on the evolutionary tree, chimpanzees. Chimps are known to hunt and kill intruders not from their tribe who cross into their territory. (Incidentally, humans are known to do the same, unfortunately).

3) Even if God were to have singled out a "first couple" from among the earliest humans in order to start a relationship with them, those humans would be coming with the genetic baggage of the millions of years of environmental pressures that had shaped their DNA to be what it was at the time of the encounter. That is to say, their tendency toward rebellion (or, perhaps more generously, impulsivity) would have been wired-in from the start. They would not have been in a type of morally perfect state that would have enabled a good or evil choice. They would have been heavily influenced by their inherited traits, their upbringing (as Attachment Theory has taught us), and their experiences before any Divine encounter.

Reconciliations and Their Challenges

As Christians have grappled with these challenges, a number of attempts to reconcile Genesis theology with evolution. In my view, each has been met with subsequent significant challenges:

1) 

*In this post, when I use the term evolution, I am specifically discussing macro-evolution--the slow process of genetic change and natural selection over millions of years that seems to account, scientifically, for the biodiversity we see on earth. Some Christians strongly oppose macro-evolution on the basis that it cannot be true because it contradicts the scriptures. This article is not particularly focused on this group of people, though they are likely to find agreement with what is written above.

Christians who are convinced that scientific evidence points to an old earth and one whose biodiversity is best explained by evolution are, in my view, left with limited choices, none of which are particularly desirable:

1. Assume that the evidence for evolution, while scientifically convincing, is nevertheless false, and that ultimately the Bible (and/or its theological implications) will be vindicated.
2. Ignore the conflicts and challenges evolution presents to Christian belief, possibly assuming they will be worked out later in one manner or another. Based on anecdotal evidence, I think many Christian evolutionists live here.
3. Assume that Genesis 1-3 (and perhaps more of Genesis, such as chapters 1-11 or even the vast majority of the book) is myth and that mythological or allegorical treatment will suffice.
4. Subscribe to some type of non-traditional Christian theology such as Christian mysticism.
   
5. Leave the faith.