A Catholic Case for Intelligent Design

Author: Martin Hilbert

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Description

A faithful catechist in Fr. Martin Hilbert's parish came to see him. "Father Martin," she said, "I have been teaching children about Adam and Eve, just as the Catechism tells us. But we can't be expected to believe that, can we? What is the real story?" Her question was the catalyst for A Catholic Case for Intelligent Design. In taut, accessible prose, Fr. Hilbert draws upon his broad learning in science, philosophy, history, and theology to show that modern evolutionary theory, including theistic evolution, faces a rising wave of disconfirming evidence. Meanwhile, the evidence for both intelligent design and a first human couple, Adam and Eve, is stronger than ever. What about the problem of suffering, disease, and death in a world created by a wise and good Creator? Fr. Hilbert tackles that issue as well, and explains why the theory of intelligent design, rightly understood, harmonizes perfectly with the Catholic theological tradition.

Critic Reviews

"Fr. Hilbert's book is an important voice in this debate. He does not follow the easy and greatly wanting path of mixing Christianity with naturalism in the form of theistic evolution. Instead, he looks at evidence with an open mind and incorporates anything good and true he finds in modern science and traditional theology. This book will be an eye-opener for those who never thought that a Catholic can support intelligent design and be scientifically informed."

-Fr. Michael Chaberek, PhD, member of the Polish Dominican Province; author of Aquinas and Evolution (2017)

"For too long advocates of Darwinism have taken advantage of the openness of the Catholic Church to true science in order to insinuate their barely disguised materialistic philosophy. In easy-to-follow writing, Fr. Martin Hilbert summarizes why modern scientific evidence stacks decidedly against Darwinism-and strongly in favor of the traditional Catholic understanding that life was purposely made by an intelligent designer."

-Michael J. Behe, Lehigh University professor of biology and author of Darwin's Black Box

"What a delightful discovery this book has been, superb not only from a theological and philosophical point of view, but also by biological, biochemical, anthropological, and even engineering standards. In crystal clear prose, Hilbert shows that Darwinism is not so much the most successful contemporary theory of human origins as the most powerful contemporary myth of human origins, one which slants our views of who we are and how we are related to our Designer in unwarranted ways. Naturally his defense of the classical Christian view will deeply interest Catholics, but by rights his book should command the attention of all people interested in thinking clearly."

-J. Budziszewski, Professor of Government and Philosophy, UT-Austin, author of Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on the One God

"Fr. Hilbert has written a deeply insightful and broad defense of intelligent design for Catholics, based on scientific, philosophical, and theological arguments. He thoughtfully distinguishes claims that are clearly supported by the evidence from questions difficult to answer conclusively. The book is also highly engaging as he shares his own personal journey of seeking the truth and explores the intrigue of individuals and social forces that has led many Christians into materialist intellectual captivity. This work is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of the Church."

-Brian Miller, PhD, organizer of the Conference on Engineering in the Life Sciences (CELS), and contributor to multiple books and journals on the intelligent design debate

"Faithful Catholics should be delighted with the emerging new evidence for intelligent design in nature. The evidence confirms the settled Catholic teaching that nature is teleological and that we can know by reason from the creation that a Creator exists. But for obscure reasons, many Catholic academics object to intelligent design. Fr. Martin Hilbert is the perfect person to dispel these objections. His knowledge of theology, philosophy, engineering, and the philosophy of science allows him to navigate the troubled waters of the intelligent design debates deftly and accessibly. I'm especially fond of the way Fr. Hilbert integrates traditional philosophical arguments for God's existence with the more empirically focused-and modest-arguments for intelligent design. A Catholic Case for Intelligent Design is bound to become a classic contribution to the growing literature on ID. Bravo!"

-Jay W. Richards, editor of God and Evolution and co-author of The Privileged Planet