Ep. 148 Science, Faith, and Evolution with Dr. Stacy

This episode explores the tension many Christians feel when science, evolution, and creation are discussed together. Brandon Wallace interviews Dr. Stacy, a chemist and Catholic scholar, about how to think about evolution without panic, scientism, or false certainty. We discuss why the age of the earth is not the object of Christian faith, how Catholic thought makes room for both science and miracle, and why humility matters when reading both nature and scripture.Dr. Stacy's substack01:52 - Forethought 10:00 - Interview start  10:27 - Introducing Dr. Stacy and her work 10:57 - Where to find Dr. Stacy and her writing 12:15 - Dr. Stacy's journey from chemistry to Catholicism 14:16 - Microevolution, macroevolution, and the faith question 15:05 - Why we do not have all the pieces of the evolution puzzle 16:03 - Genetics, reproduction, and change over time 17:01 - Darwin, domestication, and why species are hard to define 18:22 - Aristotelian and Thomistic metaphysics in Catholic thought 19:47 - Why scientism feels imposing in education 21:22 - Thinking historically as a Catholic 22:20 - Why students crave certainty from science 23:45 - Science as the study of God's handiwork 25:12 - Fossils, radiometric dating, and limits of scientific certainty 27:59 - Scientific consensus is not the same as final fact 30:17 - Why certainty can become a trap in evolution debates 31:11 - Young Earth creationism, geological exceptions, and ancient catastrophe 34:14 - Radiometric dating and why half-life matters 35:57 - Stable periods, Clovis culture, and change over time 36:56 - Humans, Neanderthals, and the Adam and Eve question 39:20 - Population models of first humans versus a miraculous beginning 43:43 - Quantum mechanics, indeterminacy, and consciousness 46:46 - Burial practices, symbolic thought, and human awareness 50:21 - Why young Earth creationism can feel like a test of faith 54:32 - Microevolution versus macroevolution in practical terms 57:17 - Cilantro, receptor genes, and the limits of species definitions 58:16 - Closing thanks and final remarks