special creation The belief, in accordance with the Book of Genesis, that every species was individually created by God in the form in which it exists today and is not capable of undergoing any change. It was the generally accepted explanation of the origin of life until the advent of Darwinism. The idea has recently enjoyed a revival, especially among members of the fundamentalist movement in the USA, partly because there still remain problems that cannot be explained entirely by Darwinian theory. However, special creation is contradicted by fossil evidence and genetic studies, and the pseudoscientific arguments of creation science cannot stand up to logical examination.

special creation The belief that the origin of life and the diversity of life result from acts of God whereby each species was created separately. Evolution is implicitly rejected as the explanation of these phenomena. See creationism and creation ‘science’.

special creation The belief that the origin of life and the diversity of life result from acts of God whereby each species was created separately. Evolution is implicitly rejected as the explanation of these phenomena. See CREATIONISM; CREATION ‘SCIENCE’.

special creation The belief that the origin of life and the diversity of life result from acts of God whereby each species was created separately. Evolution is implicitly rejected as the explanation of these phenomena.