Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
In this show called "Evolution and Americanism" Peter Helland and Dr. E. Michael Jones discuss the historical background to a recent book coming out of the University of Notre Dame called "Faith and Science at Notre Dame: John Zahm, Evolution, and the Catholic Church" by John Slattery. The author quotes John Zahm admitting that he did not believe Notre Dame could become a great research University if it continued to hold to special creation and did not switch to theistic evolution. This was a complete reversal of positions by Zahm. In 1883 he still held to the special creation of the universe by God following closely to the doctrine of the Ten Commandments that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. His mentor, Orestes Brownson, buried under the Basillica at Notre Dame, wrote in the 1870's that geology was being seen as the biggest threat to the Christian faith.
Dr. Jones goes on to explain that at the time Zahm wrote his radical book, "Evolution and Dogma" in 1896 the American Catholics led by the Irish were already conforming their doctrine to Washington D.C. politics. This is part of what is called "Americanism". Although Zahm's book was partly condemned by the Vatican his evolutionary beliefs continued on at Notre Dame through the books of Father John O'Brien. After Vatican II Notre Dame and most all Catholic schools of learning taught Zahm's theistic evolution and the idea of survival of the fittest.
Father Hesburgh ran with this and greatly helped merge Notre Dame and the American Catholics with Washington D.C. and the American government.
In this show called "Evolution and Americanism" Peter Helland and Dr. E. Michael Jones discuss the historical background to a recent book coming out of the University of Notre Dame called "Faith and Science at Notre Dame: John Zahm, Evolution, and the Catholic Church" by John Slattery. The author quotes John Zahm admitting that he did not believe Notre Dame could become a great research University if it continued to hold to special creation and did not switch to theistic evolution. This was a complete reversal of positions by Zahm. In 1883 he still held to the special creation of the universe by God following closely to the doctrine of the Ten Commandments that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. His mentor, Orestes Brownson, buried under the Basillica at Notre Dame, wrote in the 1870's that geology was being seen as the biggest threat to the Christian faith.
Dr. Jones goes on to explain that at the time Zahm wrote his radical book, "Evolution and Dogma" in 1896 the American Catholics led by the Irish were already conforming their doctrine to Washington D.C. politics. This is part of what is called "Americanism". Although Zahm's book was partly condemned by the Vatican his evolutionary beliefs continued on at Notre Dame through the books of Father John O'Brien. After Vatican II Notre Dame and most all Catholic schools of learning taught Zahm's theistic evolution and the idea of survival of the fittest.
Father Hesburgh ran with this and greatly helped merge Notre Dame and the American Catholics with Washington D.C. and the American government.
