This document discusses the relationship between science and religion from a process theology perspective. It argues that one must have a worldview that is consistent with both science and religion, specifically an evolutionary context. It outlines four Christian errors and two erroneous assumptions made by some interpreters of science. Process theology views God as relational and present in all entities, working through natural laws in an interconnected world. The next lecture will discuss the Trinity from this process view.

1. More Process - Evolution

2. "If someone’s
notion of God
does not allow for
evolutionary
history as it has
actually unfolded,
that person’s notion
of God is
mistaken."
-Philip Clayton

3. How can I have a
faith that honors both
science and the Bible?

4. Know the Bible.
Know science.
Think hard.

5. "You cannot shelter theology from
science, or science from theology; nor
can you shelter either of them from
metaphysics, or metaphysics from either
of them. There is no short cut to truth."
-A.N. Whitehead
SCIENCE RELIGION

6. One, unified worldview
must be consistent with the
"Darwinian context"
WORLDVIEW
SCIENCE RELIGION
ub tle er
e s de ep
m or ce a on
a
sc ien rel ig i

7. Clayton's
"4 Eggregious (Christian) Errors"
Biblical inerrancy
The complexity of life proves that
life is the product of “intelligent
design” or that a God exists.
Human uniqueness
God is an omnipotent being

8. R “loftier” theology
E must be a theology
L without literalism
without anthropomorphism
I without omnipotence
G
I It must not offer a God who
sets aside natural laws,
O but a God who works with
N these regularities.

9. natural selection
adaptation
S population genetics and genetic drift
C molecular and systems biology
I fitness landscapes
macroevolution
E evolutionary psychology
N neurobiology
C mathematical game theory
evolutionary developmental biology
E ecology
biodiversity

10. Clayton's
"2 Erronious Assumptions made by
Interpreters of Science"
There are no meaningful human
questions that science cannot answer.
When non‐scientific questions do arise,
no particular expertise or study other
than a good science education is needed
to pronounce upon them.

11. "The central question is: when and how
does a scientific topic undergo that
subtle metamorphosis into philosophical
reflection? Evidently, this transition is
the Achilles’ heel for many scientists,
even great ones, judging by their
popular books and off‐hand comments
at conferences. Non‐scientists, by
contrast, are well able to discern when
an eminent scientist has wandered
onto speculative terrain and begun to
make pronouncements outside his or
her actual area of expertise." -PC

12. Why such debate?
Griffin's analysis

13. Supernaturalism
Atheism
or Deism
World,
VS.
no God
God
*Panentheism
World God World

14. Naturalism ppp
Subjectivity
Divine lure towards
beauty, novelty,
complexity
Persuasion
Purpose
Emergence

15. Philip Clayton
Emergent Evolution,
Spirituality and God
Part 5: Spirit or Spirituality
Claremont, CA - January 2012
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

16. Next week:
Trinity

17. Process theology sees the
universe as creative,
interrelational, dynamic, and
open to the future. In process
theology, God is relational,
present in every moment of our
lives and in all entities and
levels of being. The world is
interconnected, in effect a giant
ecosystem where what harms or
blesses one, harms or blesses all.