God, Ltd.

Does Nothing in Evolution Make Sense Except in the Light of Bad Theology?

Back in 1973, Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) famously claimed that "nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution."¹ He would know. As an architect of neo-Darwinism, he is considered by some as "the greatest evolutionary geneticist of our times."² Dobzhansky's iconic phrase was originally the title of an article in which he presented arguments showing why he believed evolution alone makes sense of biology. Strikingly, all of his arguments rely on theological claims about God's nature or ways.

Dobzhansky is in good company. Other prominent biologists also use theology-laden arguments for evolution, including, at times, in their...