1.4 The Basic Assumptions of Theistic Evolution

Evolutionary assumptions E1, E2, E5, E6, E7, E9, E10, E11, and E12 are directly applicable to “theistic evolution.” Three additional theorems distinguish it from “plain” evolution. There is an unbridgeable chasm between theistic evolution and the biblical doctrine of creation.

T1: God used evolution as a means of creating.

T2: The Bible contains no usable or relevant ideas which can be applied in present-day science.

T3: Evolutionistic pronouncements have priority over biblical statements. The Bible must be reinterpreted when and wherever it contradicts the present evolutionary world view. J. Illies states [I5]: “Using a correction factor of 1 to 365,000, brings us to two thousand million years, which is much closer to the truth.”

The theistic approach to understanding the Bible: The existence of God is assumed, but He is not at all the form-giving and inspiring author of the Scriptures. Rather, the Bible is regarded as the product of historical influences; the writers reflected their own circumstances and the contemporary world view. A. Läpple uses this view when he describes the Bible as being conceived by human endeavors [L1, p. 42]:

They regarded the earth as a round, flat disk. It is the center of the universe, floating on the primeval ocean—the waters below the earth. . . . The solid firmament above spans the terrestrial disk, with the sun, moon, and stars fixed to it like lamps.

The Bible is regarded as a collection of documents which partially contains God’s Word, among others. According to this viewpoint, various creation myths and different traditions are recognized. The real contents are only revealed when these cultural and historical shells are removed. The Bible thus contains no authoritative, binding truths, but must be freshly interpreted and corrected for every era and in every situation.