Written by Isaac Manly, MD

Jul 01, 2003 at 12:00 AM

There have been conflicting accounts regarding Darwin's spiritual beliefs. We know his wife was a very devout Christian, and we know he studied for the ministry at Cambridge University, but chose not to be ordained.

For over fifty years claims have been made that he accepted Christianity toward the end of his life. One account which was circulated under the title "Darwin's Last Hours" quoted an English evangelist, "Lady Hope," as claiming that he asked her to speak to his servants and some neighbors about "Christ Jesus — and His Salvation." However, in a book edited by Emmett L. Williams, researched carefully and written by Professor Wilbert H. Rusch and John W. Klotz, evidence is cited completely denying the authenticity of this report. In letters Darwin characterized himself as an agnostic. It would appear that Darwin's spiritual belief was caught in the snare of his own theory, a continuing danger for those who accept the teachings of evolution as truth. He was chronically ill in his latter years with abdominal complaints suggestive of psychological distress, and as a doctor I am not surprised.