It has often been noted, that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is at odds with Christian theology – culminating in the current “creation – evolution” debate, presupposing that creation and evolution are contradictions.

I will argue in a series of blogs that Darwin’s theory of evolution cannot be understood without the preceding Christian theology of creation, which in itself is part of a Christian strategy of missionary activity dating back as early as the time of the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century. Even a considerable number of the founding fathers of the Royal Society pursued their scientific activity because of theological reasons and thus to spread the gospel by scientific inquiry. The modern shallow alternative between knowledge and believe – which was created by 19th century materialism – was not at all present at the time when the Royal Society came into being. It was just the other way around: Scientific knowledge was regarded to support believe in the creator.

I want now substantiate my claim that Darwin’s theory of evolution owes its emergence to this kind of theology by portraying the first chairperson of the Royal Society, chairing it from 1660-1662, the Bishop of Chester, John Wilkins (1614-1672).

Wilkins was as theologian and bishop very much interested in the emergence of modern science of his time. He belonged to a circle of scholars, theologians and natural scientists who met to discuss scientific issues, to perform experiments and to discuss them in the light of Christian belief. He developed scientific instruments together with Robert Hooke (1635-1703), one of the famous scientists of his time, who used extensively the microscope for his research. Out of this loosely connected circle of intellectuals and scientists the Royal Society emerged and was founded in 1660. Bishop John Wilkins became its first chairperson. His most important theological far reaching goal was to use science as an intellectually convincing tool to argue on purely rational grounds for the existence of God as creator. For this purpose he wrote the book “Of the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion” (first edition 1675). This book contains a kind of theological framework for the emerging natural sciences. The idea was that by uncovering the rational structures of the world by scientific investigation belief in the transcendent creator would be fostered, because these structures mirror in a certain way God’s creative power. In this theological book we find traces of the scientific cooperation with Robert Hooke, for instance the results of Hooke’s findings with the microscope. In his preface from 1693 J. Tillotson wrote: “Nothing being more incredible than that divine Revelation should contradict the clear and unquestionable dictates of natural light; nor anything more vain, than to fancy that the grace of God does release man from the laws of nature”¹

Thus believing would be the inevitable result of scientific inquiry and vice versa. In this context he formulates the design argument:

„III. Argument from the admirable contrivance of all natural things. From that excellent contrivance which there is in all natural thing: Both with respect to that elegance and beauty which they have in themselves separately considered, and that regular order and subserviency wherein they stand towards one another; together with the exact fitness and propriety, for the several purposes for which are designed. From all which it may be inferred that these are the productions of some Wise Agent“².

In this text Wilkins uses already Darwin’s key word „fitness“ in the context of a natural theology based on the teleological argument. Also all other controversial notions like “design” and “purpose” are present.

Out of this theological framework a concrete research strategy for the natural world emerged, so that natural science had a theological signature from its very beginning. In the next blog I will portray a number of important scientists who carried out this theological research strategy – until Charles Darwin appeared and changed the whole paradigm. I will start in the next blog with John Ray, theologian and naturalist (1627-1705), founding father of scientific botany in Great Britain.