Evolution and Dogma

An 1896 study of the Catholic theological tradition as it relates to evolution.

John Augustine Zahm (Author)

9781108004589, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 24 September 2009

488 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2.8 cm, 0.62 kg

This 1896 volume by Reverend J. A. Zahm, a professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame, considers the Catholic theological tradition as it relates to evolution. The author discusses Darwin's theory of evolution in detail, and traces the debate between theologians and scientists back to the early days of evolutionary theory. He compares late nineteenth-century evolutionary theory and the beliefs of the Catholic church, carefully evaluating the arguments and probing errors and misconceptions in theory and terminology. He also attempts to shed light on the little-understood relations between evolutionism and Christianity as a whole, and discusses whether a person of any Christian denomination can be an evolutionist. Zahm's thoughtful work is considered to be one of the most important volumes on evolution ever written by a Catholic.

Introduction
Part I. Evolution, Past and Present: 1. Nature and scope of evolution
2. Early evolutionary views
3. Fossils and giants
4. Spontaneous generation and scientific discovery
5. From Lord Bacon to Charles Darwin
6. Controversy and progress
7. Evidences of evolution
8. Objections against evolution
Part II. Evolution and Dogma: 9. Misconceptions of theory, errors in doctrine and mistakes in terminology
10. Monism and evolution
11. Agnosticism and evolution
12. Theism and evolution
13. The origin and nature of life
14. The Simian origin of man
15. Teleology, old and new
16. Retrospect, reflections and conclusions.

Subject Areas: History of ideas [JFCX]