Novare Science Statement on Evolution

Our mission is to provide premier science instruction methods and materials for Christian students in grades 7–12, to the glory of God. Excellence in Christian education cannot exist where passions and alarms have colored the study before it has even begun. A good education involves bringing students into the ongoing conversation of ideas, insisting on their mature engagement with them. For this reason, Novare’s planned biology texts—Life Science (middle school; forthcoming), General Biology (high school; available in summer 2020), and Microbiology (high school; forthcoming)—will include a complete presentation of evolutionary theory in a manner appropriate to the grade level of each text. Our texts will not cast aspersions or malign the intelligence or character of evolutionary theorists. Neither will they advocate in favor of the acceptance or rejection of evolution. They will present the current state of the scientific consensus as best it can be done at each level.

Novare Science does not take a position on evolution, and for good reason. To explain why, we need to first consider theories. Evolution is a theoretical model, or simply a theory. A theory is a mental model that attempts to explain experimental data and phenomena in the natural world. Evolution is therefore just like other theories such as the atomic model, photosynthesis, the kinetic-molecular theory of gases, and relativity.

Theories should never be spoken of as being “true” or “false.” It is more appropriate to say a theory is either “strong” or “weak,” depending on how well it can explain the data and predict future experimental outcomes. If enough experiments are conducted that cannot be explained by the theory, then that theory is weakened. Conversely, if experiments and data confirm the theory, then it is strengthened but not “proven.” Theories are never “proven.” As such, “true” and “false” are words that do not apply to theories. Therefore, all we can say about the theory of evolution is, “Is it a strong theory, or is it weak?” In other words, how well does it explain experimental data?

A theory can be strong and people can still reject it. (The opposite is also true. UFOs, which many people accept with little or no evidence, are an example of this.) While we acknowledge that evolution is the mother of all debates between evangelical Christianity and the scientific mainstream, our concern lies in advocating and facilitating the best educational practices in the Christian science classroom or homeschool. This means that students should, for starters, be presented with the concepts and mechanics of evolution for the sake of scientific literacy.

Because evolution reaches so far into Christian worldview concerns, there will of course need to be a discussion on the worldview level. One way in which we hope to address this in the future is by publishing a discussion guide in the form of a supplementary booklet (tentatively titled Teachers and Students Discussing Evolution). While the biology textbooks will contain some interaction about worldview concerns, this discussion resource would go much further. We envision it containing primary source readings, incisive discussion questions, and approaches to scientific, philosophical, and biblical angles that will help to foster productive interaction and learning.

As discussed in our book Teaching Science so That Students Learn Science, students should have a safe place to bring their questions. In any learning environment, there will be students who bring with them varying sides of the issue. In economics, government, and Bible courses, good educators strive to present ideas in a neutral way for students to wrestle with rather than simply teaching their own opinions. In the same way, when the day comes in biology class to talk about evolution, educators should create an inviting learning environment, teaching students to interact respectfully with each other and presenting all sides of the issue dispassionately. As in all subjects—and in life as adults—an idea should stand or fall based on its own merits.

Will our books insist upon acceptance of evolutionary theory? No. We will present it as we would any scientific topic: as the mainstream scientific model for explaining origins, with little interaction on worldview matters. Anyone is free to reject evolution, but our job is not to address worldview concerns or to harmonize science with the faith convictions of those who find an idea to be in conflict. There are many other books that speak to those things.

Christianity is a big tent and there are Christian believers to be found at every point along the spectrum of opinion. In fact, many sincere Christians (indeed, the majority of Christians worldwide) accept evolution as at least part of the way God brought about the variety of life on Earth. Just as there is room for a variety of views on many secondary doctrines such as baptism, predestination, and eschatology, there is even room for difference of opinion on evolution. It is part of our communion as the people of God, united in Christ, that we respect differences of opinion on secondary issues.