Van afwijzing naar aanpassing. Nederlandse gereformeerden over Darwins evolutietheorie, 1900-1960

Abstract

From rejection to adaptation. Dutch Calvinists on Darwin's evolution theory, 1900-1960. Dutch Calvinists rejected Darwin's theory completely and unanimously until the end of the nineteenth century. After that period the attitude changed slowly. Two of the leading theologians (Kuiper and Bavinck) were the first to accept the idea of the evolutionary origin of plants and animals, while rejecting natural selection as an explanation of the process. It is remarkable that the vast majority of theologians did not follow this lead. They adhered to an unswerving fundamentalism. In the first half of the twentieth century a mere handful of Calvinist scientists subscribed to the idea of evolutionary development. None of them adopted the selection theory. Their basic objection was that the theory was of a 'mechanistic' (i.e. non-design) character. At the same time there were quite a number of scientists who fiercely opposed any form of evolutionary thinking. It was only in the late fifties that evolution theory got a foothold in Calvinist society. The seminal event was the introduction of biology at their university (Free University, Amsterdam). J. Lever, professor of zoology, reconciled Darwin's theory with Calvinist religion and succeeded in making the theory respectable, at least for the intellectuals.