Can Catholics believe in evolution?
In Darwin and Doctrine, Catholic biologist Dr. Daniel Kuebler offers a clear and trustworthy guide for anyone trying to make sense of how evolution fits with Catholic teaching. Whether you’re wrestling with doubts or just want to learn more, this book gives honest, science-based answers grounded in the truth of the Church.
Darwin and Doctrine: The Compatibility of Evolution and Catholicism
By Daniel Kuebler
Word on Fire | August 12, 2025
Hardcover | 304 Pages | 6” x 9”
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About Darwin and Doctrine: The Compatibility of Evolution and Catholicism
“Salve, porta,” declares the ancient Marian antiphon Ave Regina Caelorum. “Hail, Gate of Heaven.” This is just one of the countless titles lavished on Mary, the Mother of Jesus, throughout two thousand years of Catholic tradition: she is the New Eve, the Ark of the Covenant, the Seat of Wisdom, the Morning Star, the Mystical Rose—the list goes on and on.
But is all of this emphasis on Mary unbiblical or unnecessary? What is Marian devotion all about?
Gate of Heaven: Reflections on the Mother of God offers readers of all backgrounds—Catholic, non-Catholic, and even non-Christian—a meditative summation of the Church’s love for Mary. This unique collection features passages from Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and various saints and spiritual masters; a rich treasury of prayers, poems, and hymns; and a foreword and poetry from Sally Read, the author of The Mary Pages: An Atheist’s Journey to the Mother of God. Structured around the four Marian dogmas, four Marian antiphons, and four key roles of Mary revealed in Scripture—Daughter of Zion, Mother of Jesus, Mother of the Church, and Queen of Heaven—these pages invite us into the Church’s loving gaze, one that always looks through Mary to Christ, and through the gate to the heaven it contained.
In Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, the philosopher Daniel Dennett referred to evolution as a “universal acid,” an idea that necessarily alters our way of thinking about everything—largely by eating away at our belief in a loving, providential Creator. And since the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859, countless believers have sensed an apparent conflict between evolution and the Christian faith, abandoning the latter in light of the robust evidence for the former.
But does the science of evolution necessarily lead to atheism or override the doctrines of Christianity? If not, how exactly can they fit together in a single search for truth?
In Darwin and Doctrine: The Compatibility of Evolution and Catholicism, molecular and cell biologist Daniel Kuebler investigates the evolution-creation question from within the framework of the Catholic tradition. After a brief history of the Church’s engagement with evolutionary theory, Kuebler systematically yet swiftly answers the big questions that can move the dialogue forward:
- What exactly does the scientific data demonstrate about evolution?
- What does the Catholic understanding of creation, and the creation of man, entail?
- And how can we integrate the truths from both science and theology into a cohesive whole?
Thoughtful, accessible, and inspiring, Darwin and Doctrine surveys the whole lay of the land—past, present, and future—of the Catholic approach to evolution. And it offers all readers—Catholic, non-Catholic Christian, and non-Christian alike—a fascinating exploration of the compatibility and mutual flourishing of science and religion.
Here’s What People Are Saying . . .
“Darwin and Doctrine provides an invaluable synthesis of science and theology that graciously addresses topics that can often become sources of controversy. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see how Catholicism provides a framework to unite faith and reason in the quest to understand the origins of God’s creation.”
– Trent Horn, author of The Case for Catholicism
“Many Catholics are unsure how biological evolution fits together with the truths of faith. How do the Genesis accounts of the Fall of man fit with scientific discoveries about human origins? Is the role of chance in evolution inconsistent with divine providence? What about the death and violence inherent in the evolutionary process? Daniel Kuebler draws on his expertise as a biologist, his solid grounding in the faith, and his great pedagogical skill to give illuminating and satisfying answers to these and many other questions in this marvelous and much-needed book.”
– Stephen M. Barr, professor emeritus of theoretical physics and president of the Society of Catholic Scientists
“Despite the questions and assumptions of conflict between evolution and faith, very few books address the issues with the clarity, candor, and insight of this one. Kuebler's love for the Catholic faith and for biological science is palpable. He is a leading voice in the dialogue between the Catholic faith and modern science, and Darwin and Doctrine will certainly prove to be his most important and lasting contribution to date.”
– Christopher T. Baglow, academic director, Science & Religion Initiative, McGrath Institute for Church Life, University of Notre Dame
“This is an important book that reveals the compatibility of a Darwinian evolutionary account of the origins of life and the Catholic Church’s understanding of God’s providential work in creation. It is specifically written for the undergraduate or the educated layperson who is trying to understand both sides of the evolution-creation debate within the rich context of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Of particular significance, this book responds well to many of the objections raised by Catholic creationists who often deploy philosophical arguments to suggest that, in principle, evolutionary change is impossible. In my view, if one accepts that hydrogen and oxygen, two gases, can chemically react with each other to produce water, a liquid, then one should be able to accept that, in principle, two lizards can mate and give rise to a snake.”
– Fr. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, OP, professor of biological sciences and sacred theology, University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines)
“In an age where perceived conflicts with science have led many to feel estranged from the Church, Darwin and Doctrine is a master class in Catholicism’s ‘both/and’ vision of the relationship between faith and reason. Drawing from decades of research and teaching experience, Daniel Kuebler presents a comprehensive yet accessible exploration of the most pressing questions at the intersection of creation and evolution. The book speaks to those who feel compelled to reject evolution in defense of their Catholic faith, as well as those who are tempted to abandon their faith, thinking science has debunked Christianity. With remarkable clarity, this must-read book offers a way to understand evolution not as an obstacle to faith but as a testament to the Creator’s guiding hand in the natural world.”
– Matthew J. Ramage, professor of theology and codirector of the Center for Integral Ecology, Benedictine College
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Daniel Kuebler is a professor of biology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where he teaches courses on evolution, cell physiology, and science and faith. He holds a BA in English, an MS in Biology from the Catholic University of America, and a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. His scientific research involves studying the properties of adult stem cells isolated from human bone marrow, adipose, and placental tissue. He is the vice president of the Society of Catholic Scientists, an international society of Catholic PhD-level scientists with over two thousand members. He is also on the board of the Magis Center, which explores the intersection of science, reason, and faith and provides materials for high school students on these topics. Kuebler is the coauthor of The Evolution Controversy: A Survey of Competing Theories and has written both academic and popular articles on issues related to science, religion, and ethics. His work has appeared in Our Sunday Visitor, Aleteia, First Things, Evangelization & Culture, and the Church Life Journal. He has six kids and resides with his wife, Nellie, in Steubenville.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Daniel Kuebler is a professor of biology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where he teaches courses on evolution, cell physiology, and science and faith. He holds a BA in English, an MS in Biology from the Catholic University of America, and a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. His scientific research involves studying the properties of adult stem cells isolated from human bone marrow, adipose, and placental tissue. He is the Vice President of the Society of Catholic Scientists, an international society of Catholic PhD-level scientists with over two thousand members. He is also on the board of the Magis Center, which explores the intersection of science, reason, and faith and provides materials for high school students on these topics. Kuebler is the coauthor of The Evolution Controversy: A Survey of Competing Theories and has written both academic and popular articles on issues related to science, religion, and ethics. His work has appeared in Our Sunday Visitor, Aleteia, First Things, Evangelization & Culture, and the Church Life Journal. He has six kids and resides with his wife, Nellie, in Steubenville.
Contents
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Evolution and Creation: The Unity of Faith and Reason
3. The Church’s Historical Engagement with Evolutionary Theory
4. A Catholic Understanding of Creation
5. The Science of Evolution
6. The Order of Evolution: Reconciling Chance and Purpose
7. Evolution and Aquinas: Emergence, Change, and the Potentiality of Matter
8. Human Origins: From the Dust of the Earth
9. Original Sin and the Evolution of Man
10. In the Beginning Was Reason: Matter from Mind
Bibliography
Index
