THE SCIENTIFIC EVOLUTION OF HUMANITY AND ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE: A PHILOSOPHICAL/THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS IN RELATION TO THE CREATION ACCOUNTS IN GENESIS

Abstract

Human beings are naturally inclined to ask questions about life and its origin as well as the environment and the world in which they live, a capacity which has helped to engender general progress and advancement in the world. The scientific theory of evolution postulates the development of living organisms from preexisting forms through successive generations; that of the Big Bang claims the beginning of the universe – very many years ago – from an infinitely small, hot, and dense point, which rapidly expanded, producing the universe. Following these two theories, many people have come to doubt or even reject the biblically age-long accounts of creation in the book of Genesis as dialectically opposed to the scientific findings. This article aims to study these theories so as to throw more light on them, their implications as well as their proper relationship with creation in that first book of the Bible. The method used in it is mainly library research, aided by the historical critical method of exegesis for the proper analysis of the biblical texts involved. The finding is that many humans in these modern and scientific times misunderstand the basic relationship between these scientific postulations and the biblical accounts. On the contrary, this article maintains that the scientific and biblical positions are actually complementary to each other. The recommendation, therefore, is for all to always endeavour to see each of the two entities, the scientific and the biblical, from their respective contexts so as to be able to appreciate their particular postulations more deeply. This study would, therefore, be significant to many people including scientists, teachers, students as well as believers in God, especially in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.