Christianity and evolutionary psychology: Introduction to special issue--part 1.

Evolution is one of those rare words that illicit strong and often contrary emotional reactions among people who usually share similar worldviews. Within the academic community, the Darwinian definition of the word is practically worshipped and thought by some to be the greatest theory ever posited, but certainly not by all. While evolutionists like E.O. Wilson or Richard Dawkins believe they have answers to the questions of ultimate meaning (and sound almost "religious" as they speak or write about evolution), others are much more skeptical. Among the lay population, and especially among those who identify themselves as very religious, Darwinian evolution is mostly scorned, but again, not by all. Among Christian academicians, some are calling for a (necessary) clarification of terms (e.g., Johnson, 1997), while others are pointing to the flaws in the theory (e.g., Behe, 1996; Johnson, 1991), and still others are proposing opposing theories (Dembski, 1999). The responses among the majority vary from strong su pport (e.g., the "theistic evolutionists") to strong criticism (e.g., "creationists").

An argument could be made that just a few decades ago the word "psychology" elicited similar disparate reactions (at least in some Christian circles). Hence, it comes as no surprise that the new field of "evolutionary psychology" is generating powerful and conflicting opinions. Within some academic circles, evolutionary psychology (EP) is being hailed as the most powerful theoretical tool available for explaining human behavior (e.g., Buss, 1995; Tooby & Cosmides, 1992). According to Buss (1995) the goal of EP is to explain the human mind by discovering and describing our evolved psychological mechanisms or "mental organs." Believing in a universal human nature, and believing that millions of years of evolution was the main designer of our minds, supporters of EP believe that their approach will revolutionize all of the social sciences, including psychology, in the process. Others are highly skeptical of such claims, especially among certain evolutionary biologists, feminists, and philosophers of science, re ferring to EP as a mistaken, even dangerous myth (Gould, 2000; Rose & Rose, 2000). Many critics have a difficult time distinguishing EP from sociobiology, and hence they have a grave distrust of the field, believing it reinforces old gender stereotypes and biology-as-destiny views.

Since it is a fairly recent movement, responses to EP from within Christian and other religious groups are still formulating. There are some who believe that EP and religion are highly compatible (e.g., Kirkpatrick, 1999), though these appear to be a minority opinion. Although other Christians critical of EP have registered brief responses, the field is new enough to have escaped more sustained reflection. Within Christian academic disciplines, and among psychologists in particular, there seems to be a "wait-and--see" attitude, with few thus far commenting on the field. However, EP is a fast growing movement, putting forth a number of controversial claims, and challenging some fundamental assumptions central to the scientific study of human behavior. With many of these claims it is difficult to stay neutral, and a consensus is starting to form that the influence of this new approach is spreading.

The goal for this special issue is to provide a critical overview of this rapidly expanding field of EP, to examine some of its fundamental assumptions and key findings, and in one or two articles to briefly introduce a competing approach called Intelligent Design Psychology. The co-editors for this special issue, Westmont College biologist Jeffrey Schloss, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary psychologist Eric Johnson, and myself (a social psychologist), have asked psychologists, philosophers, biologists and theologians to thoughtfully explore EP, and to provide JPT readers with an introduction and critique of the field. Hence, many of the following articles will provide a brief but valuable overview of EP, some more critical then others. Many of the following articles were written by academicians who are clearly skeptical of the claims of Darwinian evolutionary theory, some written by those who are sympathetic, and some who take no position. We have decided not to include strongly pro-Darwinian evolution/ evolutionary psychology articles, determining that a number of such articles and texts exist already, and in fact are summarized in the articles that follow. And while a more expanded dialogue will be necessary and valuable in the future, there must be a starting point that informs and disseminates critical information before a meaningful discussion can begin. The articles that follow in the next two issues accomplish this expertly.

REFERENCES

Buss, D. M. (1995). Evolutionary psychology: A new paradigm for psychological science. Psychological Inquiry 6, 1-30.

Dembski, W. A. (1999). Intelligent design: The bridge between science and theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Gould, S. J. (2000). More things in heaven and earth. In H. Rose & S. Rose (Eds.) Alas, poor Darwin: Arguments against evolutionary psychology New York: Harmony Books.

Johnson, P. E. (1991). Darwin on trial. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Johnson, P. E. (1997). Defeating Darwinism by opening minds. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Kirkpatrick, L. A. (1999). Toward an evolutionary psychology of religion and personality. Journal of Personality 67(6), 921-952.

Rose, H., & Rose, S. (2000). Alas, poor Darwin: Arguments against evolutionary psychology New York: Harmony Books.

Tooby, J., & Cosmides, L. (1992). The psychological foundations of culture. J. H. Barkow, L. Cosmides, & J. Toohy (Eds.), The adapted mind: Evolutionary psychology and the generation of culture (pp. 19-136). New York: Oxford University Press.