Did the churches actually oppose geology and Deep Time in the early nineteenth century? Probably most who reckon they are educated would answer Yes. But they are wrong , thanks to the likes of the geologist Rev William Buckland of Oxford
Now if you take Genesis literally you will believe this picture
but few after 500BC did so!
So find out more here.
Geology and Genesis Unearthed
The challenge of Geology to Genesis is often perceived to be one of the issues of the “Victorian Crisis of Faith”. Geologists had, since Charles Lyell published his Principles of Geology in 1831, been demonstrating that the earth was somewhat older than Archbishop Ussher’s Six Thousand years. Thus Richard Dawkins wrote, “in 1862 the eminent physicist Lord Kelvin greatly worried Darwin by ‘proving’ that the sun and therefore the earth, could not possibly be more than 24 million years. Although this estimate was considerably better than the 4004 B.C. date for the creation then favoured by churchmen…” (1) The historian Josef Altholz in 1976 argued that “The great majority of religous spokesmen condemned the doctrine of evolution, without regard to its scientific merits, on the ground of its repugnance to the text of the Bible and its tendency to degrade man to the level of beasts…..Both sides (i.e. clergy and scientists) seemed to identify the substance of Christianity with the text of Genesis.” (2) Both assume that most clergy in mid century were biblical literalists.
Read more
As usual in such “Science v. Religion” topics, there are two groups who wish to claim a historical conflict where none exists; evangelising atheists making a cheap shot, and evangelical literalists falsely claiming to represent the One True Tradition
LikeLiked by 1 person
Someone reading your essay here is likely to come with questions about WHICH churches opposed or supported evolution. I wish you had answered those questions.
LikeLike
My paper was restricted to Christians and geology before Darwin wrote The Origin in 1859. There were a few in all churches before 1859 who opposed geology but many accepted it whole-heartedly. As evolution came to the fore, Christians slowly accepted i…See more
Evolution and religion in Britain from 1859 to 2013
Evolution und Religion im Heimatland Darwins An…
MICHAELROBERTS4004.WORDPRESS.COM
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry, see for Britain but not USA https://michaelroberts4004.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/evolution-and-religion-in-britain-from-1859-to-2013/
LikeLike
Pingback: Huxley St George slaying Samuel smoothest of dragons. Evolution and religion in Victorian times | Peddling and Scaling God and Darwin