The God of Chance & Purpose

The God of Chance & Purpose: Divine Involvement in a Secular Evolutionary World grew out of years of wrestling with a simple but pressing question: if evolution is filled with randomness, can one still speak meaningfully of divine guidance and care? In this book I argue that one can-and must-by rethinking both chance and providence in light of contemporary science.

I begin by tracing how modern biology, cosmology, and the language of probability have reshaped our intuitions about order and chaos. Rather than treating chance as the enemy of faith, I show how it can be understood as a feature of a creation granted authentic openness and freedom. Against both strict determinism and an absent deity, I sketch a theological account in which God works persistently, yet non-coercively, within a world of indeterminate processes.

The chapters are intentionally structured for use by students, pastors, and interested lay readers who need a clear map through the often-polarized debates over evolution and faith. Key terms are defined carefully, arguments are presented step by step, and each section closes with questions suitable for small-group discussion or classroom engagement. Readers will gain a more nuanced vocabulary for preaching, teaching, or writing about divine action, suffering, and hope in a scientifically informed age.

This volume pairs especially well with my textbook *Macroevolution, Contingency and Divine Activity* for courses on doctrine of creation or science and religion, and with *The Way of Self-Giving Love* for those who wish to ground discussions of chance in a deeper account of God's character. My aim throughout is not to simplify the issues, but to make them intelligible-and spiritually fruitful-for those who refuse to choose between intellectual honesty and Christian faith.