BOOK REVIEWS . 213 
the spirit of Christian naturalism. Provided we remain faithful to this 
spirit, we are free to accept, at least provisionally, a less radical 
solution than that of absolute natural evolution, if the present state of 
science makes it advisable; 
8) The application of the principles of Catholic Theology and Philoso- 
phy-principles themselves certain—to the concrete data of the sciences of 
observation, elevated into“an absolute certainty the conviction of the 
simple naturalist who holds a very radical system of transformism. Such 
application leads us to accept at least as eminently probable the theory 
which derives all living beings from one or a few very simple types of 
organisms, which is Darwin’s own view. On the other hand, since there 
are scientific difficulties against the theory of absolute evolution, Dar- 
win’s special hypothesis of a special intervention on the part of God at 
the origin of life seems legitimate, at least for the time being. 
4) The Catholic theory concerning the natural activity of secondary 
causes is capable of explaining a natural transformist evolution as 
Darwin understood it, and entitles us to reject as entirely superfluous 
the additional special intervention postulated by those who hold the fixity 
of specie or by the moderate creationists. (pp. 5-6). 
In his proof from tradition, Dorlodot mentions that “the Fathers who 
dealt with this matter, up to the 8th century, are unanimous in holding 
that there was no special divine intervention in the formation of the 
world beyond the creative act by which God called forth the universe 
from nothing at the beginning of time.” (p. 66). The Fathers mentioned 
are Origin, Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine. Dorlodot seems to have 
some doubts about the authority of Origin because this Father “while 
holding the creation of the world from nothing, thought that this crea- 
tion was eternal.” Now there can be no question of a “natural evolution 
of the world, for if everything was made simultaneously there is no 
room for evolution.” But “neither is there room for special divine inter- 
ventions chronologically distinct from the creative act at the beginning 
of things.” (p. 70). 
Gregory’s theory is called a “theory of absolute evolution in the case 
of living things as well as the organic world. It formally denies any 
special intervention on the part of God other than the unique impulse, 
the mia hrope, of the original creation.” (p. 79). 
The works of St. Augustine on which Dorlodot bases his conclusions 
as to that Father’s opinions on this question are;—De Genesi contra 
Manichaeos, Confessions, De Genesi ad litteram, Chapters XI., XII., 
XIII., of the Civitate Dei. The teaching on evolution is in the twelve 
books De Genesi ad litteram. There is only a parenthetical reference to 
the Retractationes, The author’s conclusion in regard to St. Augustine 
is that this Father was the firmest believer in absolute natural evolution, 
and, if “inaccurately translated texts had not stopped him, we should be 
able to place St. Augustine side by side with St. Gregory of Nyssa as 
