The gifted philosopher and theologian Stephen H. Webb (1961-2016) appeared on our radar screen all too briefly before his very untimely passing. Please see my remembrance of him here. Our old friend and colleague Casey Luskin interviewed Dr. Webb for the ID the Future podcast, and I’m glad to offer a pair of those interviews that have been newly reposted this week in Webb’s honor.
Find them here:
- “Answering a Strange Theological Objection to Intelligent Design: Occasionalism”
- “Philosophy, Faith and Science: Webb on Intelligent Design and Academia”
If the term “occasionalism” doesn’t ring a bell for you, it’s one of the more bizarre accusations that have been aimed at the ID movement by people smart enough to know better.
After receiving his PhD from the University of Chicago, Professor Webb taught at Wabash College where he wrote, among other books, The Dome of Eden: A New Solution to the Problem of Creation and Evolution. He spoke with Casey about his experience of academic persecution after seeking to teach a course on evolutionary theories of the origin of religion. Webb observes the irony that when it comes to religion, Darwinists are of course free to apply their corrosive analysis, but when others turn a critical gaze on Darwinian thinking, that is considered out of bounds.
Webb describes his own origins as a Darwin skeptic with interests in intelligent design. He traces his initial explorations to a recognition of the brittle defensiveness that is a familiar aspect of Darwinian apologetics. He noticed the strange way that otherwise thoughtful and independent scholars turned into servile “lackeys” when the subject of evolution came up.
Enjoy these two fascinating conversations between Casey Luskin and Stephen Webb.