Theistic evolution and Orthodox theology

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleТеистичната еволюция и православното богословие
3. Language term Bulgarian
4. lemma author Nachev, Ivaylo
5. lemma category Scientific theories and disciplines > Biology:evolution - Modes of interaction > Orthodox critique of science
6. Publication date 16-12-2013
7. lemma work Велчев, Валентин [Author]. Theistic evolution and Orthodox theology
8. lemma manifestations pravoslavie.bg
9. Keywords Theistic evolution - Evolution - Creationism - Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre
10. Url 11.01.2017
11. Lemma body

    1. The article critically examined efforts for syncretism between Christian and secular views, focusing on the “consequences” of the theistic evolution view. Summarizing main ideas of main supporters of theistic evolutionism (including Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin), the author noted nowadays the official position of the Vatican supports that ides for unprincipled fusion between natural philosophy and traditional Christian theology, adding that “unfortunately” many Orthodox scholars and theologians joined or came close to this “liberal” view. However, Velchev argued there are major contradictions between the Biblical dogma and the evolutionist theory which can be viewed in two aspects:

       1) physical - there is completely different sequence of the creation which according to the author makes impossible their synthesis

       2) spiritual - the theistic school comes in contradiction with core dogmas, including a distortion of the divine essence.

       On the other side all church fathers firmly supported the creationist doctrine so they would surely consider the theistic evolution view as a heresy, according to Velchev. The author concluded Christianity does not need to make compromise with every modern but unconfirmed “scientific” ideology just to look up to date, including the seriously discredited evolutionary theory.