Theistic Evolution, Death, Resurrection & Grace: Preliminary Thoughts
A few weeks back I posted on the topic of Faith and Theistic Evolution. I listed what I thought to be 10 implications stemming from a belief in some variation of theistic evolution. One of the implications was:
5. We MUST rethink "sin" and "death."
Since then, my family and I have had to attend two funerals.
I have been rethinking sin and death from a theistic evolutionary perspective. And I think I'll be writing about it a lot more in the weeks/months to come. I'm hoping that the conversation here will help me shape and clarify my perspective in this area, so I covet your feedback.
Here's where I am...and, mind you, this is really, really "off the top of my head," preliminary, broad brush level sketching. More detailed stuff to come, like I said, shaped by the direction of the conversation...
OK. Here's where I am (Take II)...
A linchpin of the biblical narrative is the prospect that death is the enemy. It is an unintended part of the original, good creation, brought about by our rebellion toward the Creator.
This was the worldview of the New Testament writers, who therefore spoke of Jesus' resurrection as God's victory over death, as the inauguration of the New Creation where death will be finally overcome.
I believe, with every inch of my being, in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. I believe, with every inch of my being, in the future New Creation of which Jesus was the firstfruit and launching pad.
I am slowly but steadily being convinced, in light of the recent revelations of the majestic nature of God's Creation, the universe, that death might not be the enemy after all. Death, it appears to me, has been part of God's good creation from millisecond 1.
When I put those two beliefs (one firm, the other fledgling) together, what I get is a picture of God's grace that is absolutely mind-numbing! A picture that speaks not just of a rescue back to a previously-intended state, but of a promise of a fresh, impossibly abundant, unspeakably gracious new gift.
Is the God we've known and loved more gracious than even the New Testament writers could have imagined?
Talk to me. Where am I going wrong in my thinking...
...or am I?
Grace and Peace,
Raffi
You sound like me about a year and a half ago. The journey is good my friend. ;-)
You're not going wrong. I agree totally. For a good explanation of sin and death - and especially how atonement fits into it - that I think applies well to theistic evolution, check out Rene Girard's writings, or S. Mark Heim's book 'Saved by Sacrifice'.
12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. (Romans 5:12-14)
By sin came death, to say that death has always been in God's good creation implies that sin has been in His good creation as well.
Here is a good sermon on why sin existing before the creation is an untenable position to hold: http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/90-233
Jonathan,
Good 'n scary, so far. I'd be really interested in how you dealt/deal with the "NT worldview / biblical inerrancy" implications of all this, especially as a pastor.
Damian,
I've read some Girard, though I'd have to go back and see how he dealt with this specific issue. Thanks for the Heim reference.
Sermon,
Grace and Peace, brother.
and to you as well brother, usually I try to end with grace and peace but I had to get back to a college deadline late night.
For me it turned on the distinction of death. If we approach death as physical form loss or change, it is reasonable to assume that it was part of the Garden State in nature and even seasons, even if we aren't given account of this.
But if death is the loss of relationship then everything changes. This second type of death is the enemy, but not the first.
For me the process of evolution became much more of an understanding that good is better than perfect because it invites us into what God is doing. Perfect doesn't. (It's actually a McLaren idea.)
Jonathan,
I hear that tune and I'm with it.
Here's my stumbling block with that one, though: Jesus' resurrection. I've sought to make that event the cornerstone of all my thinking, all my hoping, all my faith, all my love. And nothing, so far, has indicated to me that I should stop doing so.
And what Jesus appears to have "defeated" was not the second type of death (which is clearly an enemy), but the first.
So...is that event still to be considered "a defeat of an enemy," or an unspeakably gargantuan fresh act of grace? I'm starting to lean much more toward the latter. And if I'm on the right track, then I have to look at A LOT of Paul and the other NT writers and say, "No, guys, it's even bigger than THAT!"
And that's the prospect that scares me...you see my point?
Grace and Peace,
Raffi