Human Evolution and Christian Ethics (New Studies in Christian Ethics)

Front Cover
......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 4
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
General editor's preface......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 14
Introduction......Page 17
Audience and goal......Page 20
Overview......Page 22
Religion rejected by evolution: "The problem of evil"......Page 24
Religion replaced by evolution: E. O. Wilson......Page 34
Religion serving evolution: D. S. Wilson......Page 37
Religion as a "by-product" of evolution: Pinker......Page 39
Evolution separate from religion: Gould......Page 40
Critique of evolutionary accounts of religion......Page 44
CHAPTER 2 The indifference of Christian ethics to human evolution......Page 48
Narrative theology and Christian ethics: Hauerwas......Page 49
Methodological critique of narrative theology: Gustafson......Page 51
Narrative theology: Placher......Page 54
Natural-law theory......Page 60
Personalist natural law: John Paul II......Page 61
Natural law practically indifferent to evolution: Pinckaers......Page 63
Natural law indifferent in principle to evolution: Germaine Grisez and John Finnis......Page 66
Conclusion......Page 70
Methodological reductionism......Page 72
Epistemological reductionism......Page 77
Ontological reductionism......Page 85
The meanings of evolution......Page 92
Evolution as theory......Page 93
Evolution as ontology......Page 98
Evolution and Christian faith......Page 101
Christian faith......Page 102
Christian faith and human evolution......Page 106
The doctrine of creation......Page 109
Divine providence......Page 111
Primary and secondary causation......Page 119
Divine action in the world......Page 123
CHAPTER 5 Chance and purpose in evolution......Page 127
Evolution as directionless and purposeless: Gould......Page 128
Evolution as directional: Conway Morris......Page 132
Evolution as purposive: Stoeger......Page 135
Chance in an evolutionary world: a theological interpretation......Page 139
Conclusion......Page 143
CHAPTER 6 Human nature and human flourishing......Page 145
Emergent cognitive capacities......Page 148
Emergent emotional capacities......Page 156
Emergent social capacities......Page 159
Christian ethics and human nature in light of emergent complexity......Page 163
Christian theological anthropology and human flourishing......Page 169
CHAPTER 7 Freedom and responsibility......Page 174
“Free will versus determinism”......Page 175
John Paul II......Page 186
The meanings of freedom......Page 192
CHAPTER 8 Human dignity and common descent......Page 204
The Darwinian challenge......Page 205
Philosophical naturalism: Rachels......Page 210
Thomism: John Paul II......Page 212
A Protestant reconsideration: Peacocke......Page 216
Protestant chastening: Gustafson......Page 219
Assessment: human evolution and the imago Dei......Page 222
CHAPTER 9 Christian love and evolutionary altruism......Page 230
Evolutionary theories of altruism......Page 231
Assessment of evolutionary theories of altruism......Page 237
Christian love and the evolution of altruism......Page 243
Recent analyses......Page 245
Love for God......Page 250
Self-love......Page 253
Love of neighbor......Page 255
Conclusion......Page 264
Morality as adaptive......Page 266
Morality as a by-product of evolved capacities......Page 271
Morality as the product of culture......Page 273
Christian ethics......Page 275
Natural law and human evolution: recent efforts......Page 284
Natural law turning to evolution: MacIntyre......Page 287
Aristotelian natural right appropriating evolution: Arnhart......Page 289
Christian natural law appropriating evolution: Porter......Page 294
Natural law as the basis for moral dialogue: Cahill......Page 301
Natural law in light of human evolution......Page 307
Evolution and sex, marriage, and family......Page 313
Moral standards regarding sex, marriage, and family......Page 323
Natural law and the evolution of sex......Page 329
Bibliography......Page 336
Electronic resources......Page 361
Index of scriptural citations......Page 362
Index of names and subjects......Page 364