Austrian cardinal to present book on creation and evolution in San Francisco

San Francisco, Calif., Jan 31, 2008 / 00:19 am

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, will give an official presentation of his new book on creation and evolution in Berkeley, California this February.

Cardinal Schönborn’s book, titled “Chance or Purpose?  Creation, Evolution, and a Rational Faith,” continues a long debate about God and the creation of the world.  The cardinal’s book addresses the issues raised by recent atheist writers such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Sam Harris.

The book also examines the interpretation of the Book of Genesis, the problem of evil and suffering in a world created by God and the place of humanity in relation to nature.  The place of chance and divine purpose in human existence is another featured topic.

In 2006, the cardinal, who was the main editor of the official Catechism of the Catholic Church, published an opinion article on evolution in the New York Times.  Some critics charged him with biblical literalism and Fundamentalist “creationism.”  Both critics and proponents of the “Intelligent Design” movement tried to associate his name with that position.

Cardinal Schönborn distinguishes the biological theory of evolution from “evolutionism,” which he describes as the reduction of all reality to mindless, meaningless processes.  Arguing that science and rationally grounded faith are not contradictory, the cardinal’s book examines philosophical and theological questions often overlooked or ignored by many contemporary thinkers.

The cardinal will speak at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley on February 15, from 2:15 - 3:45 pm Pacific Time.  The book’s website is www.ChanceOrPurpose.com .