Like Galileo, Charles Darwin occupies a central position in discussions of science and religion. This lecture looks at Darwin’s theory of evolution and its complex reception in context. Although evolutionary ideas were already a topic of popular discussion in England, Darwin’s natural selection and common ancestry ideas impinged upon several key theological issues. Most importantly, they provoked a wide range of responses from different religious and scientific figures. Not only could Darwinian ideas be used for diametrically opposed purposes, but also (contrary to common rhetoric), by the end of the century, many mainstream Christian thinkers had incorporated evolution (if not natural selection) into their religious views.