Evolution and the Fall

Tackles thorny questions and tensions at the intersection of Scripture and science

What does it mean for the Christian doctrine of the Fall if there was no historical Adam? If humanity emerged from nonhuman primates—as genetic, biological, and archaeological evidence seems to suggest—then what are the implications for a Christian understanding of human origins, including the origin of sin?

This book gathers a multidisciplinary, ecumenical team of scholars to address these difficult questions from the perspectives of biology, theology, history, Scripture, philosophy, and politics. After mapping the territory of challenging questions surrounding human origins and the Fall, the contributors delve into biblical sources and traditional theological accounts as resources for understanding, consider broader cultural implications of the Fall, and propose ways of reimagining the conversation so as to move forward faithfully.

William T. Cavanaugh?is director of the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology and professor of Catholic studies at DePaul University. His other books include?Being Consumed?and?The Myth of Religious Violence.

James K. A. Smith?is professor of philosophy at Calvin College, where he also holds the Byker Chair in Applied Reformed Theology and Worldview. His previous books include?How (Not) to Be Secular?and?You Are What You Love.