Denis O. Lamoureux (born May 27, 1954) holds a professorial chair of science and religion at
St. Joseph's College at the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...
, in
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, Alberta, Canada. He has doctoral degrees in
dentistry
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...
,
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, and
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...
. The author of ''Evolutionary Creation'' and of ''I Love Jesus and I Accept Evolution'', he has also written (along with
Phillip E. Johnson) ''Darwinism Defeated? The Johnson-Lamoureux Debate on Biological Origins'', on the
creation–evolution controversy
Recurring cultural, political, and theological rejection of evolution by religious groups (sometimes termed the creation–evolution controversy, the creation vs. evolution debate or the origins debate) exists regarding the origins of the Eart ...
(Regent College, 1999).
Lamoureux, an
evangelical Christian
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
and a former
Young-Earth creationist, calls himself an
evolutionary creationist, and lectures and writes widely on the topic.
Lamoureux has been involved in several public debates with prominent creationists and atheists. He has also been involved in a televised debate moderated by Steve Paikin of TV Ontario.
In an important new contribution, ''Evolution: Scripture and Nature say Yes''
[Lamoureux, D. (2016). ''Evolution: Scripture and Nature Say Yes.'' (Zondervan).] Lamoureux has argued for a return to what he calls the original meaning of
Intelligent Design
Intelligent design (ID) is a pseudoscientific argument for the existence of God, presented by its proponents as "an evidence-based scientific theory about life's origins". Numbers 2006, p. 373; " Dcaptured headlines for its bold attempt to ...
, which he defines as "the belief that beauty, complexity and functionality in nature point toward an Intelligent Designer." Lamoureux argues that Intelligent Design should properly be understood as a religious (metaphysical) belief, not a scientific one. Therefore, he denies the claim by proponents of "Intelligent Design Theory" such as
Michael Behe
Michael Joseph Behe ( ; born January 18, 1952) is an American biochemist and author, widely known as an advocate of the pseudoscientific principle of intelligent design (ID). He serves as professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University in Pennsy ...
that it is scientifically testable as a process distinct from evolution. Instead, Intelligent Design should be understood as fully consistent with the evolution of life by mutation and natural selection operating through natural processes, because these processes are ultimately controlled by God.
In his latest book,
The Bible & Ancient Science: Principles of Interpretation' (2020), Lamoureux presents evidence for an ancient scientific understanding in the Bible, which removes the need for what he calls scientific concordism, the attempt to match the Bible with modern science. Lamoureux teaches that since the ancient Jewish people believed - and revealed in their Scriptures - in ancient scientific concepts like the firmament, a three-tier universe, and a geocentric universe, to name a few, modern Christians should not try to align the Bible with science, thus freeing them to enjoy the splendors of modern science. Lamoureux argues that being freed from scientific concordism does not deny a devout reverence for Scripture. For example, he teaches that each time nature is used in Scripture, particularly in the Old Testament, it is simply the incidental circumstances used by the Holy Spirit to reveal inerrant spiritual truths. Lamoureux calls this the ''Message-Incident Principle''. Similarly, Lamoureux teaches that the Holy Spirit accommodates by coming down to the level of the ancient writers and readers, for they would not understand modern scientific concepts. The spiritual message is what was important. He calls this ''Biblical Accommodation''. Lamoureux displays his reverence for Scripture by using the term ''inerrancy'' over a hundred times and feels his principles of biblical interpretation are a more honest approach to the Bible.
Publications
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pdf
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References
External links
Denis Lamoureux at St. Joseph's College, University of Alberta
1954 births
Living people
Canadian evangelicals
Place of birth missing (living people)
Theistic evolutionists
Academic staff of the University of Alberta
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