The Thomistic Institute

Creation vs. Creationism – University of America Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P.

Jan 30, 2026
Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P., a theologian and former DOJ trial attorney with degrees from Yale and Fribourg, discusses Aquinas and evolution. He explores how Genesis speaks theologically, the distinction between God as first cause and secondary causes like evolution, and how theology, science, and philosophy use different methods. He also considers how first humans and souls fit into a Thomistic framework.
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INSIGHT

Different Purposes Of Scripture And Science

  • Science and Scripture address different kinds of questions and need not conflict when interpreted properly.
  • Genesis offers theological truths rather than modern scientific or strictly historical accounts.
INSIGHT

Primary And Secondary Causality

  • God is the transcendent first cause while creatures are dependent secondary causes with genuine causal power.
  • Evolutionary processes can be real secondary causes without negating God's primary causality.
ADVICE

Study Science Humbly And Seriously

  • Engage in natural science because it studies creatures that come from God and reveals truth about creation.
  • Do not let scientific study supplant theological claims about God, which use different methods.
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