Amidst the creation/evolution debate that is now raging, with evidence being offered for both sides, few have made use of what Fr. Seraphim Rose called "the missing evidence": the timeless teaching of the Orthodox Holy Fathers on the events of creation, the first-created world, the natures of created things, the original nature of man, and the cosmic consequences of man's fall.
In the present volume, this teaching has been gathered and set forth in a thorough, detailed, and above all honest manner. Perhaps more than anyone else in our times, Fr. Seraphim Rose searched, studied, prayed, and struggled to understand how the Holy Fathers noetically apprehended the beginning of the world as revealed in the Divinely inspired book of Genesis. Having acquired their mind, he has presented to the modern world the harmonious Patristic vision of the cosmos.
A much-needed answer to today's "crisis of meaning," this book sheds unique light on the origin and primordial condition of man and the cosmos, showing how these mysteries are inextricably tied to those of our redemption by Jesus Christ and of creations redeemed state beyond the general resurrection. The Divine vision of the Fathers opens up deeper levels of awareness concerning God's creation and His ultimate intention for it—levels that cannot be reached through merely rational or scientific means.
Fr. Seraphim Rose (1934-1981) was an Orthodox monk in the ancient tradition who dedicated his life to reawakening the modern West to forgotten spiritual truths. From his remote cabin in the mountains of northern California, he authored works that have had a profound international impact.
"A presentation of the traditional, Patristic understanding of Genesis, which at the same time bravely exposes the lie of the modern philosophy of evolution. This is a vital, pathfinding work, which can serve as a true foundation for all sides in future discussions."
— His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of the USA, Canada, and Australia
"It is with great joy and tremendous interest that we greet the publication of the second edition—containing much additional theological and scientific material of great value—of this remarkable work by Hieromonk Seraphim of blessed memory. Having myself employed the first edition of this work as a sourcebook in our courses on Apologetics and Comparative Theology, I can testify to the clarity and meticulousness of Fr. Seraphim's presentation of the traditional Orthodox doctrine of creation. I can moreover witness to the satisfaction with which students, previously instructed in evolutionist theories, encounter the truth about our God-breathed origins in the pages of this book. As an antidote against the fashionable but spiritually and intellectually corrosive 'dogma' of evolution, this work is unsurpassed. As such, it belongs everywhere—parishes, monasteries, seminaries, and homes—where Orthodoxy is taught and studied."
— Archimandrite Luke, Rector, Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, Jordanville, New York
Contents
Abbreviations
Notes on Citations
Editor's Preface: The Story behind the Book
1. The Intellectual Milieu of Fr. Seraphim's Formative Years
2. From the Evolutionary Worldview to the Orthodox Worldview
3. The Roots of Evolutionism
4. The Mind of the Holy Fathers
5. Evolution and Chiliasm
6. The Holy Fathers on Genesis
7. Alexander Kalomiros
8. The Scientific Side of the Question
9. The "Survival Course" and the Courses on Genesis
10. The Plan of the Book
11. Developments in the 1980s
12. Phillip E. Johnson and the Intelligent Design Movement
13. Evidence from Genetics
14. A Turning of the Tide
15. Developments in Russia
16. A Comparison of Orthodox and Protestant Scientists Who Uphold the Biblical View
17. The Present Book
18. This Book's Primary Contribution
19. A Spiritual Awareness of Original Incorruption
20. The Original Nature of Man
A Note on the Second Edition
Introduction: Fr. Seraphim Rose and Twenty-First-Century Science by Phillip E. Johnson
1. The Mechanism of Evolution: Mutation and Selection
2. The Common Ancestry Thesis
3. Evolution (in the Scientific Sense) Is Inherently Godless
4. Conclusion: Can Science Tell Us a True Story about Origins?
PART I
AN ORTHODOX PATRISTIC COMMENTARY ON GENESIS
Editors Note
Foreword: Why Study the Book of Genesis?
Chapter One: How to Read Genesis
1. Approach
2. The Holy Fathers: Our Key to the Understanding of Genesis
3. Basic Principles of Our Approach to Understanding Genesis
4. Literal vs. Symbolical Interpretations
5. The Nature of the Text
Chapter Two: The Six Days of Creation (General Observations)
1. Introduction
2. General Remarks about the Six Days
3. Why Six Days?
Chapter Three: The Six Days (Day by Day)
1. The First Day (Genesis 1:1-5)
2. The Second Day (Genesis 1:6-8)
3. The Third Day (Genesis 1:9-13)
4. The Fourth Day (Genesis 1:14-19)
5. The Fifth Day (Genesis 1:20-23)
6. The Sixth Day (Genesis 1:24-31)
7. The Seventh Day (Genesis 2:1-3)
Chapter Four: The Creation of Man (Genesis 1:26-31, 2:4-7)
Chapter Five: Paradise (Genesis 2:8-24)
Chapter Six: The Fall of Man (Genesis 3:1 -24)
Chapter Seven: Life outside Paradise (Genesis 4:1-6:5)
1. The Banishment of Adam
2. Cain and Abel
3. The Genealogy from Adam through Seth to Noah
4. The Corruption of Mankind
Chapter Eight: The Flood (Genesis 6:6-8:22)
Chapter Nine: The Dispersion of the Peoples (Genesis 9:1-11:26)
1. Noah and God's New Covenant
2. The Generations of Noah
3. The Tower of Babel
Chapter Ten: Questions and Answers
1. The Age of the Earth
2. Carbon-14 Dating
3. Geological Strata
4. A Matter of Models
5. The Origin of the Heavenly Bodies (Patristic Cosmogony)
6. Creation Scientists
7. Various Evolutionary Ideas
8. The Limits of Biological Change
9. "Human Evolution"
10. The Limits of Scientific Inquiry
11. The Biblical Chronology
12. The Preexistence of Souls, "Reincarnation," and Evolution
13. The Nature of Paradise
14. Free Will
15. The Creation of Adam and Eve
16. The Mind of Adam
17. Paradise and Heaven
18. The Devil
19. Christ's Spiritual Body
20. The Firmament
21. The "Location" of Paradise
22. Between the Fall and the Flood
23. The Flood
24. Patristic Interpretation vs. Modern "Higher" Criticism
25. The Ages of the Patriarchs
26. Different Interpretations
PART II
THE PATRISTIC DOCTRINE OF CREATION
Editor's Note
1. Evolution as Philosophy
2. A Clear Definition
3. Development, Not Evolution
4. How Do the Holy Fathers Interpret Genesis?
5. "The Bondage of Corruption" (Romans 8:21)
6. Divine Vision
7. The Nature of Man
PART III
THE PHILOSOPHY OF EVOLUTION
Chapter One: Science and the Holy Fathers
1. True Theology and Secular Knowledge
2. Science and Christian Philosophy
3. Distinguishing Materialistic Fantasies from Scientific Truth
4. Science as a Lower Form of Knowledge
5. An Alien System of Thought
6. The Lack of Philosophical Culture among Orthodox Christians
7. The Philosophy of the Holy Fathers
Chapter Two: A Brief Critique of the Evolutionary Model
1. Introduction
2. Historical Background
3. "Proofs" of Evolution
4. The Theory of Evolution Is Understandable Philosophically
5. Scientific Faith
6. The Conflict between Christian Truth and Evolutionary Philosophy
Chapter Three: "Christian Evolutionism"
1. Introduction
2. Pierre Lecomte du Noiiy
3. Fr. Anthony Kosturos
4. Karl Rahner
5. Stephanus Trooster
6. The Roman Catholic View of Original Man
7. Theodosius Dobzhansky
8. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
9. The Chiliasm of Teilhard de Chardin 590
10. Teilhardism in the Light of Orthodoxy
11. "Orthodox" Followers of Teilhard de Chardin
PART IV
SELECTIONS FROM LETTERS
1. A Key in the Program of Anti-Christianity
2. Theistic Evolution
3. A Rival Thought-Pattern to Orthodoxy
4. A Deep-Seated Primordial Force
5. The Argument against Evolution Is Not Scientific but Theological
6. The Real Intellectual Problems of Today
7. Such "Theology" We Do Not Need
8. A Product of the "Spirit of the Times"
9. Looking Forward with an Open Mind
10. Quibbling over Words
11. The Holy Fathers as the Answer to Medieval Scholasticism
12. The Philosophy of the Age
13. At Last the Real Battle Begins
14. Love for the Holy Fathers
15. The Power of This World and Its Fashionable Ideas
16. Unknowingly Harboring "Modern Ideas"
17. Genuine Science
18. Clearing Up Confusion
19. The Genealogy of Christ
20. The Larger Idea of Naturalism
21. Scientists Who Question Evolution
22. Avoiding One-Sidedness
23. Three Axioms
24. Notes from a Dialogue on Evolution
25. Clergy in Greece against "Orthodox Evolutionism"
26. People Are Ready to Hear This
PART V
NOTES AND OUTLINES
Chapter One: Notes on Science, Evolution, and Christian Philosophy
1. The Incorruption of the First-Created World
2. Science and the Question of Incorruption
3. Evolution and "Cosmic Religion"
4. The "Mysticism" of Teilhard de Chardin
5. Evolution as the Exact Opposite of Christianity 6
6. Why Orthodox Christians Should Not Be Indifferent to Evolution
7. Paleontology and "Ivory-Tower Orthodoxy"
8. Which Interpretation of the Fossil Record Makes God a Deceiver?
9. Man as Qualitatively Different from Animals
10. The Roman Catholic Idea of the State of Adam (according to Fr. Michael Pomazansky)
11. An "Inferiority Complex" among Christians
12. What Kind of Simple-Minded Fools Are We?
13. For the "Orthodox Evolutionist," Where Does History Begin and Fables Leave Off?
14. The Old Testament Chronology
15. The Missing Evidence
Chapter Two: Outlines of Proposed Studies
1. Evolution
2. Patristic Section
Afterword: Fr. Seraphim's Last Talk on Creation and Evolution
Appendix One: Created in Incorruption—The Orthodox Patristic Understanding of Man and the Cosmos in Their Original, Fallen, and Redeemed States
by the editor
I. introduction
II. the original condition of man
1. Man's Spiritual Condition before the Fall
2. Man's Physical Condition before the Fall
3. Desire and Pleasure before the Fall
4. The Condition of Man's Mind before the Fall
5. St. Maximus on Man's Original Condition
6. St. Maximus and St. Symeon on What Might Have Been
III. the original condition of the cosmos
1. Patristic Accounts of the Cosmos before the Fall
2. Animals before the Fall
3. The Unknowability of the World before the Fall
4. Man's Calling to Deify the Cosmos
IV. the effects of the fall on man
1. The Corruption of Human Nature
2. The Loss of Grace: Spiritual Death
3. Physical Suffering, Death, and Decay
4. The Change in Man's Physical Condition
5. Sexual Procreation
6. The Condition of Man's Soul after Death
7. The Change in Human Nature
8. The Commonality of Human Nature as It Relates to the Fall
V. the effects of the fall on the cosmos
1. The Dependence of the Cosmos on Man
2. Subjected in Hope
VI. "By man came death"
1. Death Is Not from God
2. The Devil's Role
3. Is Death "Natural"?
4. St. Gregory Palamas on the Cause of Death and Illness
5. Why God Allowed the Entrance of Death and Suffering
VII. the redemption and deification of man and the cosmos
1. "Trampling Down Death by Death"
2. The Commonality of Human Nature as It Relates to Redemption
3. The Order of Redemption (I): Spiritual Resurrection
4. The Order of Redemption (II): Physical Resurrection
5. The Restoration of Incorruption
6. The Permanent Deification of Man and the Cosmos
VIII. the orthodox doctrine of prelapsarian incorruption as it relates to orthodox soteriology and eschatology
IX. A comparison of the orthodox christian and evolutionist worldviews
X. the personal relevance and application of the orthodox teaching
Appendix Two: Modern Saints and Elders on Evolutionism by the editor
1. St. Ambrose, Elder of Optina
2. St. Theophan the Recluse, Bishop of Tambov
3. St.JohnofKronstadt
4. St. Barsanuphius, Elder of Optina
5. Holy Hieromartyr Vladimir (Bogoyavlensky), Metropolitan of Kiev and Gallich
6. St. Nectaries (Kephalas), Metropolitan of Pentapolis and Wonderworker of Aegina
7. Holy Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Verey
8. Holy Hieromartyr Thaddeus (Uspensky), Archbishop of Tver
9. Holy Hieromartyr Varlaam (Nikol'sky), Holy Hieromartyr Nicholas Pokrovsky, Holy Hiero-confessor Gabriel (Igoshkin), and Holy Hieromartyr Paul Andreyev
10. St. Nikolai (Velimirovich), Bishop of Zica
11. Schema-Abbot John (Alekseyev), Elder of Valaam
12. Holy Hiero-confessor Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky), Archbishop of Simferopol
13. St. Justin (Popovich) of Celije
14. Elder Paisius (Olaru) of Sihastria and Sihla
15. Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov) of Essex
16. Elder Paisios (Eznepidis) of Mount Athos
17. Fr. George Calciu
Appendix Three: Biological Evidence and the Neo-Darwinian Paradigm by Yuri Zharikov, Ph.D.
1. Two Models
2. The Theory of Evolution
3. What Is a Scientific Theory?
4. What Does the Theory of Evolution Predict?
5. "Facts" of Evolution; or, Can the Predictions Be Upheld?
6. Conclusions
7. Kicking against the Pricks
Appendix Four: The Age of the Earth and the Rate of Geological Processes by Alexander Lalomov, Ph.D.
1. Introduction
2. Radioisotope Dating
3. Checking Radioisotope Dating
4. Possible Reasons for Large Concentrations of Daughter Isotopes
5. The Rate of Sedimentation Processes
6. The Rate of Formation of Mineral Resources
7. Paleontology and Stratigraphy
8. Conclusion
Suggested Resources by the editor
I. patristic sources
II. scientific sources
1. Critiques of Biological Evolutionism
2. On "Human Evolution"
3. On the History of Darwinism
4. On the Age of the Earth
5. On the Dinosaurs
6. On the Flood
7. On Astronomy and Cosmology
8. For the Education of Young People
III. sources in russian
Saints and Early Church Writers Cited in the Present Book
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Scripture Index
Index of Works by Saints and Early Church Writers
General Index
