\n<\/p>\n
Why are so many evangelicals on full alert over evolution?<\/p>\n
Because they are afraid\u2014afraid that, if evolution is correct, their evangelical heritage is called into question.<\/p>\n
Their personal narrative is threatened.<\/p>\n
Our personal\u00a0narratives\u00a0tell us where we belong in the world. They give us a sense of stability and comfort amid uncertainty. Generally speaking, human beings hate having their personal narratives challenged, especially if that narrative pertains to such things as the nature of the\u00a0universe\u00a0and their place in it, God, the afterlife, and so forth\u2013things the evangelical narrative provides.<\/p>\n
Evolution threatens the evangelical narrative. And it\u2019s not a joke. The threat is real.<\/p>\n
Reactions to the threat of\u00a0evolution mask a deep fear:\u00a0\u201cIf the Bible is wrong here, there is no telling where this will go. Soon I may find myself adrift, no longer sure if I can trust anything the Bible says\u2014no longer sure about how I should life my life and what will happen to me after I die.\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0evangelical movement has\u00a0invested a lot of energy in building thick walls around the Bible, ready to defend it\u00a0against challenges, real or perceived, that threaten its\u00a0safety. (If you want to learn\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0that\u2019s part of the evangelical legacy, Mark Noll will tell you\u00a0here<\/a>. I\u2019ve never read anything that gets to the point as quickly and says it so well.)<\/p>\n Evolution\u00a0effectively\u00a0challenges\u00a0time-honored, bedrock, evangelical positions on how the Bible must be read.\u00a0That\u2019s why for some, even engaging evolution generously, let alone accepting it, simply means turning their back on their own evangelical heritage. The emotional cost of doing so is often too high.<\/p>\n What is lost is\u00a0the comfort of knowing that your reading of the Bible is right, which allows one to table doubt and mystery and embrace a (false sense of) absolute certainty<\/a>.<\/p>\n Rewriting one\u2019s theological narrative is threatening, to be sure, but should we not be open to writing new\u00a0narratives\u2014to be\u00a0open to theological change when warranted and\u00a0value that process as part of the journey of faith rather than fear it as a threat to faith?<\/p>\n Somehow, new ecclesiastical\u00a0and academic cultures must be created, where at the very least difficult issues concerning the Bible can be seriously discussed, if not\u00a0conceived\u00a0of differently\u2014without suspicion, slander, reprisal, and politicking.<\/p>\n Moving forward may appear like trampling on the past. But maintaining the past at all costs is hardly the better alternative. That\u2019s fear talking. \u00a0We must turn our attention to what it means to be responsible to the future\u2014to our children and children\u2019s children. That takes true courage.<\/p>\n The question of evolution is out in the open, it\u2019s not going to go away, and it has implications for how\u00a0evangelicals\u00a0read their Bible and do theology. The only real question before us is how will we choose to address it.<\/p>\n For some, that will mean facing their fears.<\/p>\n [This is adapted from<\/em>\u00a0the conclusion of\u00a0The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn\u2019t Say about Human Origins<\/a>. It first appeared in January 2012.]<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n