EVOLUTION, ECOLOGY, AND FAITH

One of the polarizing questions in today’s culture is the question of evolution and its relationship to faith. Many presume an antagonism between the theory of evolution and the Christian faith and find it difficult to conceive of a harmonious relationship between them. This lecture will address this apparent disjunct and consider the theory of evolution in light of the resources of the Catholic tradition. It will do so in the context of the implications of the debate for Christian anthropology and for a holistic understanding of the unique role of humans in creation as stewards and mediators.

This event is the first in our Creation, Evolution, and Our Place in the Cosmos series taking place in fall 2023.

Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, is a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist who has served as the Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College since 2016. She holds a doctorate in civil (environmental) engineering and a master’s degree in theology from the Catholic University of America, as well as a master’s degree in soil science from the University of Connecticut and a B.S. degree in biogeography from McGill University. She has lectured and written widely on questions at the interface between science and theology and ecology and faith. Sister Damien Marie is the director of the new “Educating for Laudato Si’ Initiative” sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.