The BioLogos Forum: Michael L. Peterson
Michael L. Peterson is is professor of philosophy at Asbury University. He is also managing editor of Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers. His books include Reason and Religious Belief (Oxford); God and Evil (Westview); With All Your Mind: A Christian Philosophy of Education (Notre Dame); and Evil and the Christian God (Baker). He has produced multiple edited volumes and journal articles.
Series by Peterson
C.S. Lewis on Evolution and Intelligent Design (7 Parts)
This in-depth series by Michael L. Peterson surveys author and apologist C.S. Lewis, reflecting on his arguments for the existence of God as well as his views on Intelligent Design and evolution. Peterson first explains the classical lines of rationale and then discusses Lewis’ Transcendent Intelligence argument. He clearly distinguishes Lewis’ view, however, from other design arguments. As he concludes, he relates Lewis’ thoughts on the firmly grounded theory of evolution, presenting his grand Trinitarian worldview which included this scientific view of the universe. Deep Resonance Series (6 Parts)
In this six part series, Michael L. Peterson delves into the theological compatibility of the Christian faith with the theory of evolution. It is evident that America is deeply divided over the issue of evolution and its implications. In the Church, many are coming to accept the cosmic evolution of the universe, but they have a difficult time making sense of the evolution of life on earth in light of Scripture. Thus, Peterson seeks to identify and explore the deepest of historic Christian theology in order to engage evolutionary science in a meaningful way. To accomplish this task, he discusses several big-picture themes—the Trinity, God’s kenotic nature, the doctrine of creation, etc.— within the Christian faith as established by the early Christian Fathers. He then presents some of the major themes—chance, inter-connectivity, the fine-tuning of the universe, etc.—that emerge from the various disciplines of contemporary science. Posts by Peterson
Essays by Peterson
C.S. Lewis on Evolution and Intelligent Design
April 2011
This article is a comprehensive study of the views of Christian author and apologist C. S. Lewis on the theory of evolution and the argument from intelligent design. It explains how he would distinguish expressly philosophical arguments for a Transcendent Mind from the current claims of the intelligent design (ID) movement to provide scientific evidence for such a reality. It also expounds Lewis’s important distinction between evolution as a highly confirmed scientific theory and evolution as co-opted by naturalistic philosophy.