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In

1859 Charles Darwin published “The Origin of Species” where he

stated that, all beings descended from one or more common ancestors

through the process of natural selection

Challenge

Influenced by the historical challenges made before such as

Copernicus (1543) and Galileo (1616)

Confronted

the beliefs, the authority, sacred scriptures and the literal

teachings

Forced

the Roman Catholic Tradition to respond to its claims of evolution

through the lens of God as creator

Highly

suspicious of the theory whilst careful not to risk its own

credibility

Darwin's

theory indirectly addresses the churches beliefs regarding The fixed

order of being, The literal truth of scripture, The place of

humanity in the universe, The goodness of God

Revolutionised

and helped to form the modern understanding of science and its

co-existance with the Roman Catholic Tradition

Copernicus

Darwin's

challenge was preceded by the Protestant reformation 1517. Martin

Luther, protested against the Roman Catholic Tradition by attacking

the excesses within the church, stating that people should be free

to interpret scripture as they please

Copernicus

challenged the church by stating that the earth was not the centre

of the universe and in fact revolves around the sun. (Heliocentric

Planetary Theory)

This

was an Internal Challenge

The

clashed with acceptance of the popular Aristotelian

Ptolemaic/Geocentric system

the

earth stood still, never to be moved” ( 1 Chronicles 16:30)

1514

the Lateran council requested of Copernicus that he reform the

ecclesiastical calender and such he created the Georgian Calendar

Contradicted

beliefs and sacred texts relating to earth’s centrality and how

Gods interplay in creation was affected.

Joshua

10:13 “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the

Valley of Aijalon. So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped”

Response:

Branded Heretic, March 1616 books placed upon index, Reaffirmed

beliefs

His

supporters faced prosecution by the church

Churches

Authority did not come into question as a result of the Copernicus

challenge

Galileo

Galileo's

invention of the telescope brought back Copernicus theory with proof

This

was another internal challenge

Thought

he could prove Copernicus Heliocentric Theory as he witnessed the

universe through his telescope

However

it only disproved the Ptolemaic system

Galileo

taught the theory as fact which forced the church to make Galileo

promise to teach only as hypothesis

RCT

was ruthless in its public shaming and silencing of Galileo

Galileo

was branded as anti-scriptual, heretical, placed under house arrest

and his works determined to be forbidden by the index

The

Church in the uneducated societies eyes was proven false and they

begun to question it's literality

Galileo's

challenge became a point of humiliation for the church and the

shadow of Galileo remains to the current day

Copernicus

and Galileo were merely setting the scene for one of the greatest

challenges to face the Roman Catholic Tradition

1859

Charles Darwin published 'On the origin of species'

This

book proposed the solution to the origin of man

Darwin

suggested that over millions of years evolution occurred resulting

in mankind

Challenged

the churches opinion that the earth was relatively young and

contrasted the Fixed order of being, The literal truth of scripture,

Humanity’s place in the universe and the Goodness of God

CCC

279 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”

CCC

354 “God created man in his own image”

Gen

2:7 “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man

became a living being”

“Evolution

postulates, and must postulate, a Creator, the sovereign lord of all

things” (Zahm)

Society

responded by accepting or condemning the views due to its scientific

merit or there own personal beliefs

“Man

has something which is not imposed but he holds closely, morals”

(Gaudium et Spes) which is assumed to be the piece God gave man

uniquely.

The

Church initially took no action against Darwin

Highly

conscious that another Galileo affair would severely cripple the RCT

First

Response: Council of Cologne, Made judgement without any Doctrinal

basis. They did not condemn evolution outright

“The

first parents were created directly by God” (Council of Cologne)

“Therefore

we declare as contrary to Sacred Scripture” (Council of Cologne)

Darwinism

was treated with extreme suspicion for it was an external challenge

Books

were placed on Index of Forbidden Books briefly before being removed

again

Harmonisers

attempted to synthesise religion and evolution, the church responded

by censure and privately asking to retract the claims

“As

to evolution, far from depriving man of his high estate, confirms

him in it” John Zaim

Vatican

never responded, Choose to be passive and showed it was

uncomfortable with the idea

“Catholics

are free to form their own opinions...we do not forbid research and

discussion” (Humani Generis)

Significant

as it paved the way for an acceptance of science

“Truth

cannot contradict Truth”

“Should

concede science a special authority to decide questions” (David

Armstrong)

“New

findings lead us toward the recognition of evolution as more than a

hypothesis” (John Paul II)

However,

Comments on Evolution merely constitute acceptance and not an

official endorsement of evolution by the Church

However

the Roman Catholic Tradition in modern times has moved to atone for

its mistakes when it openly acquitted Galileo in April 1993 by John

Paul II

Index

of Forbidden Books Abolished 1966

“Rapturous

love affair” between science and religion is beginning to come to

a close

Description of the Challenge

Socio-historic Context

Significance of the Challenge to the tradition

Response of the tradition to Darwin

Significance of response on the Tradition