A Catholic Perspective of the Creation Debate: Creator and Creation

Creator and Creation

by Mary O. Daly

I decided to modify the biology plan of First Son for First Daughter. Creator and Creation had been recommended many times, so I decided I'd finally just buy it for our biology course. Mary Daly was a scientist from a family of scientists who was passionate about allowing students to see the Lord at work in the natural world. Her books provide a solid foundation for Catholic students of science who, when they enter the university or academic world, will encounter resistance to the idea that you can be a faithful Catholic and an intelligent scientist.

In Creator and Creation, Daly begins with a clear explanation of terms like "creationism." She explores what the Church does and does not say about Creation and evolution. Early in the book, she quotes the Catechism:

Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason...methodical research in all branches of knowledge, provided it is carried out in a truly scientific manner and does not override moral laws, can never conflict with the faith, because the things of the world and the things of faith derive from the same God. (Catechism #159, labeled as #296, perhaps from an earlier edition)

Later she says:

The creationist says that he knows what he knows because he reads the Bible. The Catholic says we know what we know because men are children of the Creator with minds in His image, and we can, therefore, learn about our Father by studying both the Bible and creation, always working in unison with the stabilizing covenant community, the Church. We are certain that revelation and natural understanding do not conflict. (p. 90)

The book essentially rejects the fundamentalist idea of Creationism (a young earth), but it is more flexible in its treatment of evolution.

But there are many flaws with the concept of evolution as a system to explain the universe and the world, including the development of life on Earth. These are not flaws in the concept of evolution, which is powerful and fascinating; they are evidence against the sufficiency of evolution as a total cosmology. (p. 94) 

Daly provides a philosophical framework for considering the Catholic faith and the scientific ideas embedded in and surrounding Creation and evolution. It can help students carefully consider new ideas as they are reading science textbooks or articles or while listening to a lecture.

The universe is far more vast than medieval cosmology had numbers to express. The Earth is a tiny planet circling an insignificant star at the edge of a commonplace galaxy which spins within the wide universe as a mote of dust might drift along the edge of a soap bubble in a child's bath. If our value be measured in physical terms, it is too slight to notice.

Of course, faith tell us to measure it in spiritual terms. (pp. 101-102)

We learn that our planet is surprisingly perfect to foster life, particularly our life. 

All the things which seemed to leave us on the insignificant margins of the cosmos, actually belonged to the perfect fitting of our universe home.   (p. 102)

The book does suffer some stylistic and editorial flaws, which is common among those that are self-published. There are some scientific theories discussed which may, in time, be thoroughly disproven, but Daly's points are not dependent on any particular theories. She consistently insists we must follow where our rational minds and the created world lead us, secure in our faith of a good God who loves us. 

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. I believe new copies of Creator and Creation are only available through the Hedge School website, but there are used copies available in the usual places.

Evaluating Science: The Monkey's Voyage

The Monkey's Voyage: How Improbable Journeys Shaped the History of Life

by Alan de Queiroz

Alan de Queiroz gives an extensive history of biogeography, the study of why plants and animals live where they do and not in other places. He also provides interesting perspectives on the kinds of assumptions scientists make about their fields and how those assumptions may be challenged over time. When the theory of continental drift became more accepted, biogeographical studies became constrained by the idea that all geographical differences were caused by the separation of land masses through continental drift. de Queiroz provides extensive evidence for the surprising idea that a few random long distance journeys by living things dramatically shaped the biogeographical landscape we have today.

Obviously, the continents had moved--nobody was claiming that the theory of plate tectonics was wrong--and obviously, they had carried species with them, but somehow, these facts did not explain nearly as much about the modern living world as we had thought.

One aspect I liked was how he showed the way scientists (really, anyone) tend to tackle any problem with the tools they know, the tools they have, or the tools that are new. Molecular modeling and dating (using changes in nucleotide sequences over time to determine how long ago a new species appears) and PCR were two tools that changes biogeographical studies. Whether those tools were used in the best manner or make the most comprehensive arguments is an interesting discussion to address before assuming results based on those tools are trustworthy. Those kinds of questions are important to ask. For some people, it's important just to realize and acknowledge that those questions exist. It is very easy to skip that step. (The alternate is also important: being able to read some eccentric website calling into question a standard scientific practice and recognize it for the fringe attack it is, rather than a valid argument.)

Building on those ideas, the author also discussed the value of scientific studies based on their methodology. Even within studies using the same models, some studies can be universally acknowledged superior or inferior, but there's a lot of room for gray area. de Quiroz explores many studies, identifying how the same method or tool can be used well or poorly, depending on the initial assumptions of the researchers. I found de Queiroz's detailed analyses informative, for anyone interested in science. The kinds of questions he asks can be translated to any other scientific discipline.

Throughout the book, the author interviews and introduces a large number of different scientists. They are real people with quirks, biases, and families. He even includes pictures of them. There are also lots of instances where scientists with very particular areas of interest talk with each other and make connections each alone would be unable to discern; that's real science in action. 

This book contains a fairly heavy dose of scientific analysis, but it is fascinating if you can wade through it all. Following the trail of studies and their value was one of my favorite biology major projects. It was fun to spend a little time thinking deeply about how research is done and whether it was valid.

This would be a fantastic geography and earth studies book for an interested and ambitious late high school student. While the study descriptions are sometimes dense, they are generally understandable for anyone willing to concentrate. You could also glean a lot from the book even if you can't follow every argument. That being said, I'm not sure most high school students would be willing to put in the effort.

I have received nothing in exchange for this post. Links to Bookshop are affiliate links.