Creationism

If we take the word creationism at face value we might suppose that it means belief in creation – bringing something into being – and/or by implication, a creator. When associated with the origin of the universe itself, the term ‘creator’ becomes synonymous in several religions but especially in the three Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) with a creator-God. The term creationism, not used at all widely until the late 19th century, thus originally referred to this belief. However, since the middle of the 20th century and especially since the 1980s, the term has evolved to take on the specific meaning that the creation of the universe occurred exactly as described in ancient scriptures, for example, the early chapters of the book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament of the Christian Bible) and in the Qur’an. Thus, there are significant numbers of adherents of Judaism, Christianity and Islam who do not accept the standard scientific account of evolution. In this chapter we examine the origins and outworkings of creationism (and of a closely related ‘doctrine’, intelligent design) in Christianity and Islam. We then discuss the relevance of these views to education and especially to higher education