Natures, Human Nature, Genes and Souls: Reclaiming Theological Anthropology Through Biological Structuralism

Abstract

Within the field of Theology and Science, discussions regarding the relationship between biology and theological anthropology have tended to focus on the themes of 'human uniqueness' and 'human nature'. These ideas have continued among theologians and anthropologists despite the widespread agreement among neo-Darwinian evolutionary biologists that such general or universal accounts of 'natures' in general, or 'human nature' in particular, have no proper place within the neo-Darwinian evolutionary framework. In view of this neo-Darwinian rejection of universal human nature and the subsequent undermining of theological anthropologies based on such, Biological Structuralism is proposed as an alternative theoretical framework through which to construct a theological anthropology in light of evolution. Within the Structuralist framework scientific resources are provided which facilitate fresh perspectives on ancient theological discussions regarding the nature of the soul and the place of nonhuman animals within theological anthropology.What is the role of science within theology? To address this crucial question this article takes as its point of departure the first three items of Ted Peters' vision for a "healthy life-giving Christian theology." As a hypothetical and yet systematic reality-seeking enterprise, such a theology should pursue dialogue with science, and take scientific conceptions of truth seriously. A life-giving theology should actively engage the natural sciences as the discipline of learning which provides theologians with knowledge about the structure of the created world. A theology that takes the doctrine of creation seriously should incorporate such sci-