Theology, to be relevant in today’s world, must engage the natural sciences. It is with the field of biological evolution that theology (or at least some theologies!) still has the greatest difficulty. Between the two extremes, of scientists who advocate evolutionary scientism (including genetic determinism) and Christians who support “Intelligent Design,” a meeting of the minds seems impossible. Is there some form of teleology – some “movement towards an end” – which opens a space in which God can be acting in ways that would be effective in guiding creation, and yet be invisible to science? A “pluralist” approach to the mechanisms of evolution, with ‘emergent complexity’ incorporated, seems to allow some opening from the science end. “Emergence” can also play a key role in theologies of evolution. This paper examines promising panentheistic approaches to such a theology, with emphasis on John Haught’s metaphysics of the future, Arthur Peacocke’s ‘theistic naturalism’ and whole-part causation, and Philip Clayton’s multiple forms of causation within a neo-process theology. What emerges is not a ‘natural theology’ Christian apologetics, and is unlikely to persuade advocates of either of the extremes, but it may provide a ‘theology of nature’ starting point for those who seek middle ground, a genuine dialogue of science and theology.
