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Science, Creation and the Bible: Reconciling Rival Theories of Origins
Many Christians are torn between their belief in the Bible and the conclusions of science. This is especially the case concerning the creation narratives of Scripture and the rather different stories that science tells. Physicist Richard Carlson and biblical scholar Tremper Longman address the longstanding problem of how to relate scientific description of the beginnings of the universe with the biblical creation passages found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. Experts in their respective fields, these two authors provide a way to resolve the seeming conflicting descriptions by showing the meaning of the biblical texts as well as the meaning of scientific description. In the process they will uncover Properly interpreting the biblical texts and clearly identifying the nature of scientific claims are key. With those in hand we can see how Christian revelation and scientific findings about the origin of the universe are not in opposition but rather work in partnership with each other.
- GenresTheology
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 1, 2020
While I felt that the authors could afford more depth and elaboration in certain chapters, I understood the brevity of the text was to maintain its accessibility. The summaries at the end of each chapter were super useful in helping readers (like me) who are new to this topic consolidate their thoughts. I would, however, have appreciated a suggested bibliography at the end of each chapter for further reading.
This book is like a free sample given out at a supermarket, meant to tempt one into getting sucked into the product. John Walton's The Lost World of Adam and Eve and The Lost World of Genesis One, also from IVP, would fit nicely into the category of further reading.
For me, an exceptional book would be concise (150-200 pages), accessible, engaging, theologically faithful and causes introspection. This title achieves all the abovementioned attributes; hence, for all these reasons, I heartily recommend this book!
This book is like a free sample given out at a supermarket, meant to tempt one into getting sucked into the product. John Walton's The Lost World of Adam and Eve and The Lost World of Genesis One, also from IVP, would fit nicely into the category of further reading.
For me, an exceptional book would be concise (150-200 pages), accessible, engaging, theologically faithful and causes introspection. This title achieves all the abovementioned attributes; hence, for all these reasons, I heartily recommend this book!
May 5, 2023
This source was written by an expert scientist and expert Biblical scholar working in tandem, which provides a uniquely...unbiased perspective? They have an agenda, but having two different experts reconciling their disciplines is something I haven't seen in other thesis books I've been reading. While short, I recall this book highlights important differences in interpretations of both natural and special revelation and lists examples throughout the Old and New Testament which were helpful for references. I don't think I directly quoted this source, but I used some of the Scripture they referenced, highlighting the fact that the first few chapters of Genesis are not the only parts of the Bible pertaining to Creation.
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August 3, 2011In this brief and general-reader-friendly book, physicist Richard Carlson and Biblical Studies professor Tremper Longman III undertake an attempt at a solution to the perceived conflict between the Genesis creation accounts and modern science. They advocate a reconciliation between the two disciplines, and they do this by making the following argument (their thesis statement, which appears on page 14):
"The first two chapters of Genesis, which accurately present two accounts of creation in terms of ancient Hebrew scientific observations and heir historical understanding, are neither historical nor literal in the twenty-first-century literal sense. Instead, the underlying message of these chapters applies for all time and constitutes a complete statement of the worldview of the Hebrew people in the ancient Near East. They accurately understood the universe in terms of why God created it but not how in the modern scientific and historical sense. This worldview, markedly different from those of their pagan neighbors articulates the principles underlying their understanding of the relation of God to the universe, their relation to the true God, and their relation to each other and to the created order."
This book has a number of strengths, as the authors seek to make their case for this thesis. The principle strength is that it distills a lot of technical and academic thinking and writing into a very readable presentation that introduces some of these concepts and arguments to people who aren't otherwise familiar with them. For instance, the writers use some of John Polkinghorne's work to present a vision of the relationship between science and theology that goes beyond the popular conflict motif to a much more nuanced understanding of two disciplines with different spheres of study and different aims. The second major discussion that lays the groundwork for their thesis surrounds biblical hermeneutics, that is, how we read the Bible. Here again the authors present in simple terms an approach to reading the Bible that pushes people to be self-conscious in how they are interpreting the Bible and opens up the question of genre, the more of less formal conventions that guided both author and audience in understanding the type of text being presented. They discuss at length an incarnational model for understanding the Bible as both a divine and a human book. They also push for the category of myth as being helpful when looking to Genesis 1 and 2 and make a case from some contemporary authors such as C. S. Lewis for the usefulness and legitimacy of Christian myth.
The authors then move on to a reading of the major creation texts in the Old and New Testaments, preparing the way for a careful reading of Genesis 1 and 2 to investigate its place in the canon, its teaching, and its context in the ancient Near East. They assert that Genesis 1 and 2 should be read as a worldview statement for the ancient Hebrews, a statement that is made in a two-layered story, one layer being that of a story of the experiences and understandings of the ancient Hebrews, and a second layer consisting of the theological story they wanted to convey. It is the second, theological layer that is important for us today. They also point out both the similarities and the difference between the two Genesis accounts, concluding that the differences cue us in that these stories aren't meant to be read literally, since the author left in what would otherwise be viewed as conflicting details.
I have many reasons to commend this book. It is readable, and it helps to get people thinking in a critical way about what is perceived as a major conflict for Christians today between science and the Bible. I think many of their ideas are very helpful, and I do think that reading Genesis 1 and 2 against the back drop of the ancient Near East gives much greater understanding of these passages than a surface reading by someone in the twenty-first century alone could. I am also in agreement with the basic outline of the relationship they sketch between science and theology and hope this popular-level treatment brings that understanding to a wider audience. There were, I thought, a few weaknesses in the book. For me the largest one was the lack of useful summaries at the end of the two chapters investigating the creation texts in the NT and OT outside of Genesis 1 and 2. I thought these were interesting chapters, but they didn't seem to add much to the argument. Or, at least, their place went largely unstated beyond a few allusions. I also thought they ignored one of the most important "losses" as they term it, if their non-literal approach to Genesis 1 and 2 is adopted, namely the question of the historicity of Adam and Eve and the implications of that discussion for our understanding of humanity, the image of God, and the origin and character of sin. Although it is a complicated question, its exclusion seems a glaring omission (though it could be argued that it is technically outside their scope in focusing on Genesis 1 and 2, but Genesis 2 and 3 clearly for a unit of story, so decisions about one would likely have implications for understanding the other).
In conclusion, I hope many people read this book, and I do happily recommend it. There are pieces that could have been stronger, but it is overall a very clear statement of a better way of thinking about science and the Bible than the conflict model, and it helpful points Christians in a better direction.
"The first two chapters of Genesis, which accurately present two accounts of creation in terms of ancient Hebrew scientific observations and heir historical understanding, are neither historical nor literal in the twenty-first-century literal sense. Instead, the underlying message of these chapters applies for all time and constitutes a complete statement of the worldview of the Hebrew people in the ancient Near East. They accurately understood the universe in terms of why God created it but not how in the modern scientific and historical sense. This worldview, markedly different from those of their pagan neighbors articulates the principles underlying their understanding of the relation of God to the universe, their relation to the true God, and their relation to each other and to the created order."
This book has a number of strengths, as the authors seek to make their case for this thesis. The principle strength is that it distills a lot of technical and academic thinking and writing into a very readable presentation that introduces some of these concepts and arguments to people who aren't otherwise familiar with them. For instance, the writers use some of John Polkinghorne's work to present a vision of the relationship between science and theology that goes beyond the popular conflict motif to a much more nuanced understanding of two disciplines with different spheres of study and different aims. The second major discussion that lays the groundwork for their thesis surrounds biblical hermeneutics, that is, how we read the Bible. Here again the authors present in simple terms an approach to reading the Bible that pushes people to be self-conscious in how they are interpreting the Bible and opens up the question of genre, the more of less formal conventions that guided both author and audience in understanding the type of text being presented. They discuss at length an incarnational model for understanding the Bible as both a divine and a human book. They also push for the category of myth as being helpful when looking to Genesis 1 and 2 and make a case from some contemporary authors such as C. S. Lewis for the usefulness and legitimacy of Christian myth.
The authors then move on to a reading of the major creation texts in the Old and New Testaments, preparing the way for a careful reading of Genesis 1 and 2 to investigate its place in the canon, its teaching, and its context in the ancient Near East. They assert that Genesis 1 and 2 should be read as a worldview statement for the ancient Hebrews, a statement that is made in a two-layered story, one layer being that of a story of the experiences and understandings of the ancient Hebrews, and a second layer consisting of the theological story they wanted to convey. It is the second, theological layer that is important for us today. They also point out both the similarities and the difference between the two Genesis accounts, concluding that the differences cue us in that these stories aren't meant to be read literally, since the author left in what would otherwise be viewed as conflicting details.
I have many reasons to commend this book. It is readable, and it helps to get people thinking in a critical way about what is perceived as a major conflict for Christians today between science and the Bible. I think many of their ideas are very helpful, and I do think that reading Genesis 1 and 2 against the back drop of the ancient Near East gives much greater understanding of these passages than a surface reading by someone in the twenty-first century alone could. I am also in agreement with the basic outline of the relationship they sketch between science and theology and hope this popular-level treatment brings that understanding to a wider audience. There were, I thought, a few weaknesses in the book. For me the largest one was the lack of useful summaries at the end of the two chapters investigating the creation texts in the NT and OT outside of Genesis 1 and 2. I thought these were interesting chapters, but they didn't seem to add much to the argument. Or, at least, their place went largely unstated beyond a few allusions. I also thought they ignored one of the most important "losses" as they term it, if their non-literal approach to Genesis 1 and 2 is adopted, namely the question of the historicity of Adam and Eve and the implications of that discussion for our understanding of humanity, the image of God, and the origin and character of sin. Although it is a complicated question, its exclusion seems a glaring omission (though it could be argued that it is technically outside their scope in focusing on Genesis 1 and 2, but Genesis 2 and 3 clearly for a unit of story, so decisions about one would likely have implications for understanding the other).
In conclusion, I hope many people read this book, and I do happily recommend it. There are pieces that could have been stronger, but it is overall a very clear statement of a better way of thinking about science and the Bible than the conflict model, and it helpful points Christians in a better direction.
May 19, 2017
The authors did say that they have a high view of scripture a lot of times if the book...almost like the reader might forget.
November 3, 2012
The focus of this book is on how to interpret the creation narratives in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, leading to the goal of "resolving the creation-evolution conflict" (p. 72). Chapters 1 & 2 are good brief introductions to the problems of reconciling the Bible and science. Chapter 3 on biblical interpretation presents a good introduction to hermeneutics and myth and ends with quotations from and a discussion of Peter Enns' book "Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament." Chapters 4 & 5 present and discuss creation narratives other than Genesis 1 & 2 in the Old and New Testaments, although it is not clear how these add much to the stated purpose of the book. On the other hand, Chapter 6 contains one of the best discussions of the similarities and differences of the Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 creations accounts that I have read.
Chapter 7 contains an excellent discussion of the benefits of accepting that Genesis 1 & 2 should not be read literally because there are simply too many differences between them. Once we get beyond reading Genesis 1 & 2 literally, we can then consider the worldview questions and answers that Genesis 1 & 2 do give us: (1) How is it that things exist? (2) Who are we? (3) What does God think of us and the rest of that which exists?, and (4) What are we to do? This then provides rapprochement between science and Christian faith, opens doors for presenting the gospel message to our educated friends, and allows us to celebrate scientific progress in biology, geology and cosmology as encouraging signs of God's wisdom, power, care and faithfulness in his creation.
Although the authors have done an excellent job of discussing how to interpret and understand the Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 creation narratives, which is the necessary first step, it is not at all clear how they have resolved the creation-evolution conflict, since that involves so much more than the age of the universe and the earth. This book does not deal with the theological implications of biological evolution. As the title indicates, it deals only with science, creation and the Bible. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a good, short and well-written introduction to how to read the Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 creation narratives.
Chapter 7 contains an excellent discussion of the benefits of accepting that Genesis 1 & 2 should not be read literally because there are simply too many differences between them. Once we get beyond reading Genesis 1 & 2 literally, we can then consider the worldview questions and answers that Genesis 1 & 2 do give us: (1) How is it that things exist? (2) Who are we? (3) What does God think of us and the rest of that which exists?, and (4) What are we to do? This then provides rapprochement between science and Christian faith, opens doors for presenting the gospel message to our educated friends, and allows us to celebrate scientific progress in biology, geology and cosmology as encouraging signs of God's wisdom, power, care and faithfulness in his creation.
Although the authors have done an excellent job of discussing how to interpret and understand the Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 creation narratives, which is the necessary first step, it is not at all clear how they have resolved the creation-evolution conflict, since that involves so much more than the age of the universe and the earth. This book does not deal with the theological implications of biological evolution. As the title indicates, it deals only with science, creation and the Bible. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a good, short and well-written introduction to how to read the Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 creation narratives.
May 6, 2013
This was a rather simple introduction to the subject of contemporary science and theology. It covers enough ground to make the reader aware of some questions and some authors that can be explored beyond these pages. Their discussion of the differences between Genesis 1 and 2 was quite good and about the only unique contribution to the overall discussion.
There are better treatments on the subject that are more interesting and compelling, like John Walton's book on Genesis 1 and Peter Enns' book on Adam and Darrel Falk's book, Coming to peace with science.
The authors also don't seem to realize that the crux of the debate has more to do with Paul's treatment of Adam than how one understands Genesis 1 and the other theological problems that arise when trying to conflate theology with contemporary science.
If you are new to this discussion then this might be worth reading, but if you are hoping for something fresh, unique, or even worded compellingly, then I suggest looking elsewhere.
There are better treatments on the subject that are more interesting and compelling, like John Walton's book on Genesis 1 and Peter Enns' book on Adam and Darrel Falk's book, Coming to peace with science.
The authors also don't seem to realize that the crux of the debate has more to do with Paul's treatment of Adam than how one understands Genesis 1 and the other theological problems that arise when trying to conflate theology with contemporary science.
If you are new to this discussion then this might be worth reading, but if you are hoping for something fresh, unique, or even worded compellingly, then I suggest looking elsewhere.
July 6, 2012
Ok so I had to release some of my inner theological nerd this summer. I was interested to see how a Physicist (co-author) and a seminary professor (co-author) hashed out differences between creation and evolution. If you are open to dialogue with others, especially those in the scientific community, then read the book. The main question the book attempts to answer is how do we as Christians faithfully keep the authority of scripture while at the same time, live in a world where we have very real challenges such as scientific evolution.
There are both practical and theological challenges to how we treat modern science and relate it to the Bible. There are many bad theological practical practices and bad pseudo scientific claims that affect us all. Having some groundwork to navigate those practices is a good thing for a reader, and that is what the book attempts to do.
There are both practical and theological challenges to how we treat modern science and relate it to the Bible. There are many bad theological practical practices and bad pseudo scientific claims that affect us all. Having some groundwork to navigate those practices is a good thing for a reader, and that is what the book attempts to do.
February 22, 2016
Écrit par un théologien et un scientifique, aidera beaucoup de fondamentalistes à s'échapper du cul-de-sac intellectuel du créationnisme.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews