The document discusses the problem of reconciling the existence of an all-powerful, loving God with the existence of evil in the world. It then provides a brief history of ideas related to geology and evolutionary thought from the 16th to 19th centuries. Key figures mentioned include Steno, Hutton, Lyell, and Darwin. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection provided a mechanism by which biological diversity could arise without the need for a designer, potentially resolving the problem of evil.

1. The Problem
of
Death

2. The Problem of Evil
If God is perfectly loving (omnibenevolent), He
must wish to abolish evil
If He is all powerful (omnipotent), He must be
able to abolish evil
But evil exists
Therefore, an all powerful, loving God does not
exist

3. Encelius, 1557

4. Conrad Gesner
1565

8. Carcharodon megalodon

9. Nils Stensen (“Steno”)
Preliminary discourse to a dissertation on a solid body
naturally contained within a solid (1669)
Superimposition: Layers of rock are arranged in a time
sequence, with the oldest on the bottom and the
youngest on the top, unless later processes disturb this
arrangement.
Original Horizontality: most sediments, when originally
formed, were laid down horizontally.
Original Lateral Continuity: the sediment will not only
be deposited in a flat layer, it will be a layer that
extends for a considerable distance in all directions. In
other words, the layer is laterally continuous.

14. James Usher
Annals of the Old
Covenant from the First
Origin of the World (1650)
Creation of the world
on the evening
preceding Sunday, 23rd
October 4004 BCE
6,000 year old versus
4,550,000,000 year old

15. Thomas Burnett 1680

17. William Whiston
1698

18. William “Strata” Smith
1815

20. Abraham Gottlob
Werner
Neptunism
Aqueous origin of rocks
Diluvialism
Recent global flood
Theologically acceptable

21. James Hutton
1726 - 1797

22. Hutton’s Unconformity
Horizontal
Red Sandstone
Vertical
Grey shale

23. Hutton’s Unconformity
Red Sandstone Grey Shale

24. Hutton’s Section
Igneous
Sedimentary

25. Theory of the Earth
Theory of the Earth, or an Investigation of
the Laws Observable in the Composition,
Dissolution and Restoration of Land upon
the Globe. (1785 / 88 / 95)
The Earth had a long history and that
this history could be interpreted in
terms of processes currently
observed.
“The result, therefore, of this physical
inquiry is, that we find no vestige of a
beginning, no prospect of an end.”

32. Mary Anning
Plesiosaurs (1811)

33. 'Duria Antiquior - a more ancient Dorsetshire' by Henry Thomas de la Beche, 1830

36. Kirkdale Cave
1821

39. William Buckland
1784 - 1856
Reliquiae Diluvianae, 1823
Geology was not inherently
irreligious and confirmed the
occurrence of a global flood.
Miraculous forces were not
required - natural law was
applied

42. "Notice on the Megalosaurus or Great Fossil Lizard of
Stonesfield." (1824)

43. "Notice on the Megalosaurus or Great Fossil Lizard of
Stonesfield." (1824)

44. Gideon & Mary Mantell

49. Richard Owen

50. Richard Owen

51. Richard Owen

52. Richard Owen

53. Richard Owen

61. Charles Lyell
1797 - 1875
Principles of Geology (1830-33)
Elements of Geology (1838)
Geological Evidences of the
Antiquity of Man (1863)

62. “An attempt to explain the
former changes of the
Earth's surface by reference
to causes now in operation”

65. Normative Rules
Basic laws of nature have not
changed over time
No causes other than those we
can see operating now can be
employed in explanations
(actualism)
The intensity of these causes
does not change over time
(uniformitarianism)

73. Diversity could be explained using a natural
mechanism which was also sufficient to explain
good (and bad) design.
Thus, design was apparent and did not imply a
designer.
Death and extinction are part of the natural
process and “evil” is a meaningless concept
when considering the natural world.