Guide Note

Theistic Evolution is the belief that classical religious teachings about God and creation are compatible with biological evolution. There are two working concepts behind this form of evolution. Both believe that there is a God, but the first concept is that this entity was not directly involved in the origin of life. The second alternative view to theistic evolution, is that God performed a multitude of miracles that led evolution through a step by step process, rather than the completion of the earth by one or two miracles.¹

Fast Facts

1. Believe that the Earth is billions of years old
2. Believe that fossils are proof of the geologic time of the earth
3. Because of the extinction of fossils, death existed before Adam and the idea of sin
4. Believe that the book of Genesis is an allegorical interpretation of the creation
5. Acknowledge the Darwinian timeline
6. Similar to Progressive Creationism

The Pope and Theistic Evolution

Theistic Evolution is considered the official position of the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II expressed the Theistic Evolutionary position when he acknowledged that God indeed created the foundation and from that, evolution occurred. In addition, the Pope insisted that the soul of humanity could not have existed without the hand of God first.²