Book Review: “Thank God for Evolution “ by Michael Dowd (Plume, 2009)

Robbert Bakker | April 2009

Within the body of books written to vilify evolutionists, paint creationists as hopelessly blinded by resolute adherence to outdated theology, and demonstrate that natural science and Christianity can coexist or even support one another, Michael Dowd weighs in with a different perspective that may take readers by surprise.  Dowd not only accepts the evidence for evolutionary processes as persuasive, he also states that the evidence is so overwhelming as to remove any doubt at all about the authenticity of modern evolutionary science.  He does not stop here.  He feels that this understanding, of the "Great Story,”  is a vehicle that allows those who accept it to "be free of judgment and guilt” and be able to “access the guiding wisdom of the Universe on a daily basis" resulting in  "inner peace in times of accelerating change, and… realistic hope.”

This is not the sort of message we are used to seeing in typical “evolution-creation debate” books.  Dowd has become an evangelist, preaching the gospel of the awe-inspiring, freeing power of evolution to all who will listen.  This message is his life’s work and he travels the country with his wife, a humanist scientist, in a van sharing his “gospel of evolution.”   His message is not just for Christians.  Rather, he views all religions as having an innate interest in man’s place in the story and legitimate perspectives on the unfolding of creation through evolution.  We can celebrate together!

So Dowd sees evolution not just as a process but also as a cause for celebration.   Since many Christians feel that evolutionary doctrine and belief in the God of the Bible are contradictory, what does he say about God? Dowd views God in a different light than most Christians do.  He begins by using the metaphor of life.  He says that the belief in life is not up for discussion.  It is the interpretation of life, its meaning and purpose etc. that invite belief or disbelief.  So it is with the God.  So far, so good but then he ties our understanding of the God concept to our place in the "Great Story" so that it becomes a uniting force for all peoples that accept some form of ultimate authority.  Again, Dowd demonstrates a desire for a sort of universal coming together of skeptics and non-skeptics alike.  Evolution is the theology that unites us all.  Dowd views himself as a "creathist".  This is a term he coined to describe a "metareligious scientific worldview" to which he adheres.  Interestingly, one of the tenants of this worldview posits that there are many legitimate ways to interpret and speak about "Ultimate Reality", by which he means God.  So is this the God most Christians worship?  Many would consider Dowd's perspective as uncomfortable.

No text on the subject would be complete without a perspective on the Genesis account of creation and Dowd does not disappoint.  Predictably, his perspective is unorthodox.  He cares little about the verse by verse description of the creation story and instead, prefers to start with "the best and most up-to-date understandings that have been revealed to humanity, thanks to the disciplines of science and the technical tools that vastly extend human perception and reasoning."  Again, he takes the evidence supporting current evolutionary theory to be ironclad and seemingly, beyond fault.  This is interesting since he often alludes to the idea that our current knowledge is vast compared to that of even a century ago.  He likely assumes that future studies will further solidify current evolutionary orthodoxy.

The verve with which the message is delivered makes it difficult to resist and this may be a problem.  I can imagine that fundamentalists view Dowd’s perspective as originating from the lower regions of the slippery slope.  Conversely, those who enjoy entertaining new ideas will find much to consider here.   Dowd preaches a message of hope and freedom that is appealing.  It is interesting to consider a perspective that so thoroughly intertwines a concept from the realm of science with a spiritual ethos (loosely) rooted in contemporary Christianity.  Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising.  Special and general revelation ought to support each other, shouldn't they?  Dowd brings an interesting and very well reasoned perspective to the origins (and futures) discussion.  If you are looking for an effective marriage of modern evolutionary theory and conventional Christianity, look elsewhere.

Reviewed by Robbert Bakker, who is a science teacher and Vice Principal at Abbotsford Christian High School, Abbotsford, British Columbia.