THE UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Human Uniqueness: Twenty-First Century Perspectives from Theology, Science and Archaeology Josephine Kiddle Bsc (Biology) MA (Religion) Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy February 2013 This Thesis has been completed as a requirement for a postgraduate research degree of the University of Winchester. The word count is: 89350 THE UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER ABSTRACT FOR THESIS Human Uniqueness: Twenty-First Century Perspectives from Theology, Science and Archaeology A project aiming to establish, through the three disciplines, the value of human uniqueness as an integrating factor for science with theology Josephine Kiddle Bsc (Biology) MA (Religion) Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Doctor of Philosophy February 2013 The theme that underlies the thesis is the challenge presented by science, as it developed from the time of the Enlightenment through the centuries until the present day, to Christian theology. The consequent conflict of ideas is traced in respect of biological science and the traditions of Protestant Christian doctrine, together with the advances of the developing discipline of prehistoric archaeology since the early nineteenth century. The common ground from which disagreement stemmed was the existence of human beings and the uniqueness of the human species as a group amongst all other creatures. With the conflict arising from this challenge, centring on the origin and history of human uniqueness, a rift became established between the disciplines which widened as they progressed through to the twentieth century. It is this separation that the thesis takes up and endeavours to analyse in the light of the influence of advancing science on the blending of philosophical scientific ideas with the elements of Christian faith of former centuries. A shift in outlook, sparked off by the presentation by certain theologian- scientists of the concept of healing this rift by way of dialogue, is pin-pointed as a move away from conflict and towards compatibility. The possibility of so doing is considered in depth and extended, by the thesis, to something more than forms of agreement and towards the achieving of integration between theology and science by way of the agency of human uniqueness. This endeavour, requiring a new approach to the conflicting issues, is presented by means of two studies, one scientific and one theological, considered separately but in parallel, of a human issue of relevance to each, in the twenty-first century – that of human individuality. With the outcome of this presentation being found to be agreement amounting to no more than compatibility, the thesis proceeds to find a means of furthering the way towards integration. Disciplines having a close association with the scientific view of the individual human being and the theological concept of human individuality, are brought into the enquiry – archaeology to assist science and philosophy to aid theology, the common ground being specified as the uniqueness of the human individual. A narrative style, maintained throughout, is based on 'key figures' whose work illuminates the issues discussed and is designed to emphasise the central role of the human individual. The thesis is presented as an original contribution to the science versus theology debate, by virtue of its centring not on conflicting issues but on those of common interest. To this end, the employment of associated disciplines, archaeology in particular, has opened up an approach not previously explored. In its conclusion, the thesis makes a claim for the means suggested for integrating science with theology through the concept of human uniqueness, to be recognised as plausible and worthy of being considered in other fields of confrontation between the two disciplines. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................1 DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ............................................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 4 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER I: SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURY BACKGROUND .............................. 11 CHAPTER II: NINETEENTH CENTURY SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT ........................................ 31 CHAPTER III: THE BEGINNING OF THE INFLUENCE OF ARCHAEOLOGY ................................. 50 CHAPTER IV: TWENTIETH CENTURY INVOLVEMENT OF THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE IN ASSOCIATION WITH ARCHAEOLOGY IN ESTABLISHING THE NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS ... 60 CHAPTER V: THE HUMAN INDIVIDUAL .................................................................................. 84 CHAPTER VI: THE CHRISTLIKE GOD ..................................................................................... 107 CHAPTER VII: THE HUMAN GENOME .................................................................................. 124 CHAPTER VIII: A DISCUSSION OF THE CONCEPTS OF HUMAN INDIVIDUALITY ................... 140 CHAPTER IX: THE UNIQUENESS OF THE HUMAN INDIVIDUAL: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH ............................................................................................................................................. 148 CHAPTER X: THE UNIQUENESS OF THE HUMAN INDIVIDUAL: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL APPROACH ........................................................................................................................... 169 CHAPTER XI: INTEGRATION ................................................................................................. 190 CHAPTER XII: CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 198 BIBLIOGRAPHY: .................................................................................................................... 207 2 DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT STATEMENT No portion of the work referred to in the Thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. I confirm that this Thesis is entirely my own work. Copyright in text of this Thesis rests with the author. Copies (by any process) either in full, or of extracts, may be made only in accordance with instructions given by the author. Details may be obtained from the RKE Office. This page must form part of any such copies made. Further copies (by any process) of copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the permission (in writing) of the author. 3 INTRODUCTION The theme that underlies the thesis is one which arose with the emergence of scientific ideas from seventeenth century philosophical trends towards rationality, which accompanied the Enlightenment – the challenge presented by science to the traditions of Christian theology and the conflict it predicted. Through the subsequent centuries as science advanced as a discipline, a split with theology became apparent, the challenge from biological science being particularly felt in respect of Christian doctrine, the threads of common interest of former times disintegrating. Relating aspects of biology to the human condition gave grounds for conflict which centred on the uniqueness of human beings amongst all other living creatures by virtue of 'origin' – the contention being about the manner in which the uniqueness had come about. For theology, 'origins' were part of the Divine purpose and the uniqueness of humanity was a gift of God. The origin of species was, for biology by way of evolution, human uniqueness emerging through neural advancement, this view being supported by the progress of nineteenth century prehistoric aspects of archaeology. A late twentieth century shift towards some form of reunion of the disciplines through the serious and scholarly work of certain theologian-scientists gave hope for a reduction of conflicting ideas in the twenty-first century by establishing a measure of compatibility, though any suggestion of integration was only tentative. The thesis is designed to take up this apparent reluctance as a challenge, endeavouring to present human uniqueness, not as a source of conflict, but as an agent of integration. Using a narrative style in order to bring out the central theme of humans as individuals, the case for the integration of the disciplines of science and theology is presented through the means provided by propositions put forward by selected writers, whose concern has been the relationship between science and theology, viewed from the background of the agreement and opposition that their ideas aroused. This background is traced, historically, through the trends of thought emerging from the philosophical science of the English Enlightenment, through the stages of scientific advancement to the twentieth century separation of science and theology, together with the influence of the developing discipline of archaeology. These trends, reflecting both compatibility and conflict arising between the disciplines, are represented as Moderate and Extreme views, both scientific and theological, and are analysed on the basis of the varying interpretations of the concept of human uniqueness. The issues of disagreement apparent in late twentieth and early 4 twenty-first centuries, when associated with new knowledge