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    Doru Costache - Genesis & Evolution

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    Doru Costache
    a transdisciplinary approach to Genesis & Evolution. the ppt has accompanied my presentation offered for a students' fellowship with UniSyd

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    Doru Costache - Genesis & Evolution

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    Doru Costache
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    a transdisciplinary approach to Genesis & Evolution. the ppt has accompanied my presentation offered for a students' fellowship with UniSyd

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    a transdisciplinary approach to Genesis & Evolution. the ppt has accompanied my presentation offered for a students' fellowship with UniSyd

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt
    213 views19 pages

    Doru Costache - Genesis & Evolution

    Uploaded by

    Doru Costache
    a transdisciplinary approach to Genesis & Evolution. the ppt has accompanied my presentation offered for a students' fellowship with UniSyd

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt
    of 19

    + Revd Dr Doru Costache &

    Dr Guy Freeland

    University of Sydney,
    Coptic Orthodox
    Fellowship

    16 September 2009

    Genesis and/or Evolution?


    Addressing the ambiguity from
    within the logic of the included
    middle
    +
    +
    The topic at hand

     The reductionist approach to Genesis and


    Evolution, in terms of mutual inconsistency
    (the logic of the excluded middle: either/or)
    +
    The goal

     The reinterpretation of Genesis and Evolution


    as two autonomous and incommensurable
    representations of reality that function beyond
    antagonism – cf. the transdisciplinary notions
    of the levels of perception & the logic of the
    included middle
    +
    Genesis as a subject matter of
    the warfare of science and
    religion

     Religious
    fundamentalism: Genesis
    is divine science and
    there is no need of the
    secular one
    +
    Genesis as a subject matter of
    the warfare of science and
    religion

     Ideologicalscientism:
    there is no valid
    knowledge outside
    secular sciences
    +
    Pondering the origins of the
    conflict

     Latermedieval theologians of the


    West attacked the new emerging
    sciences (cosmology, biology) 
    Genesis as a scientific textbook,
    endorsed by Aristotelian science
    +
    Pondering the origins of the
    conflict

     Modern scientists marginalised


    medieval theology – Genesis as a
    collection of myths, reflecting a pre-
    critical representation of reality
    +
    Looking beyond the conflict

     Theignored solution: St Gregory


    Palamas, One Hundred and Fifty
    Chapters 1-29: the autonomy of
    science and theology
    +
    What is Genesis?

    A liturgical poem composed by the


    Jewish priests during the Babylonian
    exile, as a metaphor of divine wisdom
    reflected in creation
    +
    What is Genesis?

     As a liturgical poem, it cannot serve as a source of scientific


    knowledge (genre criticism)
     Its main focus is theological, not cosmographical
     The symmetrical structure of the poem
    +
    What is Genesis?

    The symmetrical structure of the poem (form


    criticism)

    1 light   luminaries 4

    2 atmosphere   ocean life & birds 5

    & ocean

    3 dry land   earthly animals 6

    & plants & humanity


    +
    What is Genesis?
    The symmetrical structure of the poem (form
    criticism)
    1 one   one 4
    commandment commandment
    2 one   one 5
    commandment commandment
    3 two   two 6
    commandments commandments
    +
    Patristic approach

     The human vestments of


    the text: not just culturally
    conditioned but also to
    correspond to the ‘earthly
    minds’ of the first readers
    St Ephrem the Syrian,
    +
    Commentary on Genesis 1:4

    [Moses] wrote about the true commandments that


    had become forgotten, while adding those that
    were necessary for the infantile state of the
    people.
    St John Chrysostom,
    +
    Homilies on Genesis 2:7

    [Moses did not speak of angels] since he was


    speaking to Jews, people quite wrapped up in the
    world about them and incapable of forming any
    spiritual notion…
    +
    What is Evolution?

    A naturalistic explanation of
    reality that by definition has
    nothing to say with
    reference to God
    +
    Are they in conflict?

     Applying the transdisciplinary principle of


    the levels of reality and perception 
    Genesis and Evolution refer to different
    levels of reality by making use of different
    methods
    +
    Are they in conflict?

     Genesis: interpretation of reality in light of


    the Logos or divine wisdom
     Evolution: description of reality in its
    natural unfolding

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