A theory of theistic evolution (also called evolutionary creation) proposes that God's method of creation was to intelligently design nature so — after the initial miraculous creation event — physical structures and biological organisms would naturally evolve.

In theistic evolution, the "evolution" can mean a Complete Formative Evolution of all physical and biological features during the entire formative history of nature — with astronomical evolution (to form galaxies and solar systems) and geological evolution (to form the earth's geology) plus chemical evolution (to form the first life) and biological evolution (for the development of life) — or it can refer to only part of the process, with different claims about each of the four aspects of evolution.