Editorial biography
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was a British naturalist whose theory of evolution by natural selection profoundly impacted theological and philosophical discourse about God. His seminal work, On the Origin of Species (1859), challenged traditional arguments from design by proposing natural mechanisms for biological complexity previously attributed to divine creation. Darwin's personal religious journey evolved from Anglican belief to agnosticism, wrestling with theodicy particularly after his daughter's death. His theory sparked enduring debates about divine action, teleology, and the compatibility of evolution with theism. The Descent of Man (1871) further complicated theological anthropology by extending evolutionary theory to human origins. Darwin's work fundamentally transformed discussions of natural theology, inspiring various theological responses including theistic evolution, process theology, and renewed examinations of providence and divine action in nature.