Ecclesial Evolution: The Application of Evolutionary Ecological Principles to the Life of the Church
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Authors
Rambo, Thomas
Issue Date
2026-04
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
School of Theology Thesis 2026 , University of the South, evolutionary, ecology, church
Alternative Title
Abstract
This thesis argues that the church is a living organism and is therefore subject to the dynamics of evolutionary ecology. Drawing on evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, and organizational theory, it contends that the church exhibits the fundamental characteristics of life—homeostasis, organization, metabolism, growth, reproduction, adaptation, and response to stimuli, and meets the conditions required for evolution by natural selection: inheritance, variation, and selection. The church’s biological and spiritual lives are shown to be inseparable within the created order, such that ecclesial structures and actions represent the full life of the church. Central to the argument is the claim that the church occupies a distinctive ecological niche defined by its vocation to transform human suffering into the kingdom of God. Within this niche, liturgy functions as the primary medium of ecclesial inheritance, encoding and transmitting the church’s identity. Variations in liturgical expression generate diversity within and among congregations, while environmental pressures—demographic change, competition, resource scarcity, and social volatility—act as selective forces. Using models from evolutionary and behavioral ecology, the thesis explores how parishes adapt, decline, or speciate in response to changing environments. A hypothetical case study demonstrates how an evolutionary- ecological framework can guide parish decision-making regarding mission, liturgy, and institutional identity. The study concludes that evolutionary thinking offers the church a valuable analytic and practical lens, not by equating faithfulness with institutional longevity, but by clarifying the trade-offs inherent in ecclesial life and aiding discernment about how the church may remain faithful to its defining vocation amid profound change.
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Citation
Publisher
University of the South