Pleroma Design, Qur’ānic Approach to God Intervention in Nature

Document Type : Scholary

Authors

1 Department of Qur’ān and hadīth sciences, Interdisciplinary Quranic Studies Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of philosophy of mind, Interdisciplinary Quranic Studies Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jcis.2023.366410.1347

Abstract

This article argues that the Holy Qur’an is not in line with any of the three common beliefs about God's intervention in nature, including evolutionism, creationism, and intelligent design, and instead proposes a fourth approach and refers to it as the pleroma design. The pleroma design theory posits that God directly intervenes in the creation of life, while at the same time allowing evolutionary changes with the mechanism of natural selection. This theory provides an explanation that is both metaphysical and empirical in a way that is not contradicting. Unlike creationism, the pleroma design theory is unique in aligning with theological and philosophical principles without denying the evolution theory as the main contemporary scientific paradigm. It is also not committed to the naturalistic requirements imposed by evolutionists or relying on scientific and experimental evidence or pseudoscientific explanations advocated by intelligent design proponents. Ultimately, the theory of pleroma design illustrates that from one point of view, there is at the very least a complementary relationship between science and religion rather than conflict, and the other view would point to a compatible relationship between science and religion.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

The noble Qur’an
Abdullahirad, H. (2016), «Researching the theory of intelligent design and its challenges with the theory of evolution (is the theory of intelligent design a purely scientific theory?)». Philosophical Researches, No. 9, 303-326.
Alousi, M. (1994), Rooh al-Ma'ani fi Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim. Beirut, Dar al-Kotob al-elmiyah.
Aviezer, N. (2010), «Intelligent Design versus Evolution». Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, No. 1, 1-9.
Bowler, P. J. (1975), «The Changing Meaning of ‘Evolution’». Journal of the History of Ideas, No. 36, 95.
Darwin, Ch. (1859), On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. facsimile of the first ed. London, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Dembski, W. & M. Ruse (2004), (Eds.), «Debating Design: From Darwin to DNA». General Introduction, London, Cambridge University Press, 3-12.
Endler, J. (1986), Natural Selection in the Wild. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Farahidi, Kh. (1988), Kitab Al-Ain. Qom, Hijrat Publications.
Fazlullah, M. (1998), Min wahi al-Qur'an. Beirut, Dar al-Malak.
Futuyma, D. J. (2005), Evolution. Sunderland: MA: Sinauer Associates.
Ibn Ashour, M. (1999), Al-Tahrir va al-Tanweer. Beirut, Al-Tarikh Al-Arabi Institute.
Ibn Kathir, I. (1998), Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem. Beirut, Dar al-Kotob al-elmiyah.
Ibn Manzoor, M. (2005), Lasan al-Arab. Beirut, Dar al-Kotob al-elmiyah.
Koleini, M. (1983), Al-Kafi. Tehran, Islamic Publishing House.
Makarem, N. (1992), Tafsir-e-Nemuneh. Tehran, Dar al-Kotob al-Islamiya.
Mayr, E. Foreword in Michael Ruse (1982), Darwinism Defended: A Guide to the Evolution Controversies. (Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley, 1982), xi–xii.
Manni, F. (2019), «An Apophatic View of God and Creation». Religious Inquiries, No. 8, 81- 102.
Meshkini, A. (1987), Evolution in the Qur'an. Tehran, Islamic Culture Office.
Millstein, R. L. (2021), «Evolution». The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/evolution/>
Moreland, J. P., S. Meyer, Ch. Shaw & W. Grudem (2017), «Theistic Evolution: A Scientific». Philosophical, and Theological Critique, Crossway.
Peyrowjaafari, M. & M. Enayatirad (2017), «Examining the efficiency of intelligent design theory in the challenge of science and religion». Journal of Religious Thought, No. 69, 3-28.
Qomi Mashhadi, M. (1989), Tafsir al-Kanz al-Daqayeq and Bahr al-Gharayib. Tehran, Printing and Publishing Organization of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Razi, F. (1999), Mafatih al-Ghaib al-Tafsir al-Kabir. Beirut, Dar Ihya al-Torath al-Arabi.
Rohani Mashhadi, F. (2020), «Explaining the relationship between "single soul" and "Adam": the analysis of the concept of "soul" in the system of Qur’anic verses». Journal of Qur'an and Hadith Sciences, No. 52, 117-138.
Id. (2021), «Criticism of the dualism of creation and evolution based on the Qur'an». Andisheh Navin Dini, No. 17, 193-212. ‎
Id. (2022), «Critique of existing readings on the stages of human creation in the Qur’an». Journal of The Holy Qur’an and Islamic texts, No. 13, 185-210.
Rohanimashhadi, F. (2020), «Adam’s Istifā in Qur’an and human evolution». HTS Theological Studies, No. 76, 5795.
Ruse, Michael (2022), «Creationism». The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2022/entries/creationism/>.
Sahabi, Yadullah (2008), Evolution and Creation of Human. Tehran, publishing company in cooperation with Mehdi Bazargan Cultural Foundation.
Shazeli, S. (2004), Fi zilal al-Qur'an. Beirut, Dar al-Shoruq.
Tabari, M. (1991), Jame al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an. Beirut, Dar al-Marafah.
Tabatabai, M. (2011), Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an. Beirut, Al-Aalami Publishing House.
Tabrasi, F. (1993), Al-Bayan Fi Tafsir al-Qur'an. Tehran, Nasser Khosrow Publications.
Thomson, K. S. (1982), «The Meanings of Evolution». American Scientist, No. 70, 521–539.
Van Valen, L. (1973), «Book Review: Festschrift for George Gaylord Simpson». Science, No. 180, 4085.
Tusi, M. (n.d.), al-Tebian fi Tafsir al-Qur'an. Beirut, Dar Ehya al-Torath al-Arabi.
Web, Intelligent Design: Is it scientific? Understanding Science, https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/id_checklist.
Zamakhshari, M. (1986), al-Kashaf al-Haqayegh an Ghawamiz al-Tanzil. Beirut, Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi.
Journal of Contemporary Islamic Studies
Volume 6, Issue 1
Winter & Spring 2024
January 2024
Pages 115-125

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics