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The Biblical Basis for Modern Science
For decades, Henry Morris has been known as a defender of the Christian faith. Itâ s an auspicious title for such a humble man, yet no one can deny that the grasp Morris has on science and faith issues is staggering.
In this updated classic, Morris walks the reader through historyâ real historyâ by showing the absurdity of evolution. From a wide variety of sciences, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, and geology, Morris presents clear evidence that the Bible gives us an astonishingly accurate record of the past, present, and future.
In this updated classic, Morris walks the reader through historyâ real historyâ by showing the absurdity of evolution. From a wide variety of sciences, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, and geology, Morris presents clear evidence that the Bible gives us an astonishingly accurate record of the past, present, and future.
516 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
37 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Henry M. Morris
132 books65 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Henry M. Morris (1918–2006) was an American engineer and young Earth creationist, widely regarded as the father of modern creation science. He founded the Institute for Creation Research.
Not to be confused with his eldest son Henry M. Morris III.
Henry M. Morris (1918–2006) was an American engineer and young Earth creationist, widely regarded as the father of modern creation science. He founded the Institute for Creation Research.
Not to be confused with his eldest son Henry M. Morris III.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 25, 2009
I'm rather torn about this book. I'd give it five stars for introducing many new angles from which to consider the evidence of evolution vs creation, and for raising much, and very persuasive evidence, in favor of creation. Also, I like that he recognises that creationism doens't mean evolution doesn't or didn't take place, but that he distinguishes between micro-evolution -- evolution of different bird species within birds, or finches with different beaks within finches, etc; and macro-evolution -- the evolution of man from ape, or mammals and birds from reptiles/amphibians, etc. And he quotes many Christian and non-Christian scientists, so a lot of stimulating material here.
But: I'd give him a 2-3 stars for breaking every so often into rather unscientific atheist bashing. Its annoying and makes it rather hard to get through to the good parts. (I made up for this by reading a few pages a week over the last few months, with frequent breaks when I couldn't take it any more.) It also unfortunately means that this book has a near zero probability of being read and thereby influencing a materialist/atheist of any stripe, simply because its tone and lingo is, I think, a bit too extreme.
Worth a careful re-read, I think, with some note-taking and summarising to strip out the argument from the rhetoric.
But: I'd give him a 2-3 stars for breaking every so often into rather unscientific atheist bashing. Its annoying and makes it rather hard to get through to the good parts. (I made up for this by reading a few pages a week over the last few months, with frequent breaks when I couldn't take it any more.) It also unfortunately means that this book has a near zero probability of being read and thereby influencing a materialist/atheist of any stripe, simply because its tone and lingo is, I think, a bit too extreme.
Worth a careful re-read, I think, with some note-taking and summarising to strip out the argument from the rhetoric.
December 8, 2011
this book is so awesome that it accurately conveys how Christianity and science always work in unison. but not just by simply understanding each other, but by glorifying god synergistically.
Read
September 7, 2024Great book. Sorry horrible at writing reviews
November 2, 2014
A well-researched, biblically and scientifically sound defense of creationism. It shows how the Bible fits into several fields of science. Morris covers so many areas that he doesn’t go in depth on any, but does refer to more detailed works. The science is somewhat dated (the book was published in 2002), but it’s fairly current. The points at which I disagreed with Morris were few and minor.
It shows how Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and Babel affected the formation and history of Earth and the universe, which influence how we must study them. It’s packed with supporting verses from the Old and New Testaments.
The book is divided into three broad sciences: physical, Earth, and life sciences. These are then subdivided into topics including cosmogony, astronomy, thermodynamics, chemistry, physics, meteorology, geology, paleontology, biology, anthropology, demography, and ethnology.
Morris says that the biblical account of creation "will seem shocking to evolutionists, of course, but there is nothing impossible or illogical about it in the context of God's creative power and purpose." His goal in the book is to show that "the biblical perspective on every scientific discipline is sound and accurate, often far in advance of its original time of writing." He says that since God’s purpose is the creation and redemption of humanity, it makes sense that humans would have been in the universe since it began.
I especially liked the chapter on biblical supernaturalism, a topic which doesn't get enough attention.
Author Henry Morris is founder of the Institute for Creation Research, a leading creationist organization.
Below are my notes.
Science and True Christianity
The "cultural mandate" or "dominion mandate" of Gen 1:26 & 28 established humans as God’s stewards. It should be understood to mean maximizing the productivity and utility of Earth’s systems and processes to give the greatest glory to God and benefit to humanity. It requires science and technology, or research and development.
The genealogies of Gen 5 and 11, 1 Chron, and Luke 1 are essentially complete, but may contain relatively small gaps. In the Gen 11 genealogy, there may be a gap at the time of Peleg (possibly 1500 years).
The animals Adam named in Gen 2:20 were likely only birds and higher mammals; probably under 1000 animals total.
Biblical Supernaturalism
There are two types of miracles:
1. Miracles of providence (Grade B): Don’t require intervention in basic laws, but require processes to occur at unlikely times or at improbably rates. These may be performed by angels (good or evil).
2. Miracles of creation (Grade A): Require intervention in basic laws. Only God can perform.
Testing alleged miracles
• Is there adequate circumstantial or testimonial evidence?
• Is there adequate reason for God to interfere?
The main need for miracles ceased with completion of the NT (1 Cor 13:8-10). Grade A miracles are possible today, but are rare if they occur at all (except for spiritual regeneration). Grade B miracles do occur today.
Egyptian magicians in Ex 7 performed deceptions, not miracles.
Physical Sciences
God created in 6 days and rested on the Sabbath to provide a model for humanity (Mark 2:27).
God could have created distance starlight already striking Earth. This is consistent with the "appearance of age" that a functioning universe would have. This isn't deceptive, since he tells us what he created and how long it took. Other proposed explanations invoke Riemannian space, relatively, and time dilation.
Craters on Earth may have mostly formed during the Flood, when meteors or comet debris struck Earth.
Earth Sciences
"Four corners of the earth" in Isaiah 11:12 and Revelation 20:8 is better translated "four quarters" or "angles," meaning directions.
"Pillars of the earth" in 1 Sam 2:8, Job 9:6, Ps 75:3 refer to God's strength, or to the "foundations of the earth" or "world," meaning continents.
Radiometric "ages" of igneous rocks are actually "inherited" from the mantle where the rocks originate.
The "waters above the firmament" in Genesis 1:7 could have been a water vapor canopy. This would have caused a greenhouse effect, inhibited rain and storms, and filtered more radiation than the present atmosphere.
In the Flood, there’d be a tendency "for organisms of heavier specific weight, of simpler structure, of lower-elevation habitats, and of lesser capacity for swimming, running, or flying, to be entrapped earlier and buried deeper in the deluge sediments. More complex and active organisms, with upper-level habitats, would be buried later and higher, if that all."
Life Sciences
Dragons (Hebrew "tannim") are mentioned at least 25 times in the Old Testament. The first is Gen 1:21, often translated "sea creatures." These were possibly terrestrial or marine dinosaurs.
Animals were given "the breath of life" (Hebrew "nephesh"); Gen 7:21-22, Ps 104:29-30. Plants, and possibly lower animals, were not.
Several animal names in Old Testament are uncertain; translators often guess at modern animals, but these may be extinct animals.
The Tower of Babel was likely dedicated to the worship of the heavens. Gen 4:11 should say "whose top is dedicated unto the heavens" not "whose top may reach unto the heavens."
There are indications that ancient chronologies of Egypt, Sumeria, etc. are inaccurate.
Noah’s descendants named the Tigris and Euphrates in memory of Eden’s rivers.
It shows how Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and Babel affected the formation and history of Earth and the universe, which influence how we must study them. It’s packed with supporting verses from the Old and New Testaments.
The book is divided into three broad sciences: physical, Earth, and life sciences. These are then subdivided into topics including cosmogony, astronomy, thermodynamics, chemistry, physics, meteorology, geology, paleontology, biology, anthropology, demography, and ethnology.
Morris says that the biblical account of creation "will seem shocking to evolutionists, of course, but there is nothing impossible or illogical about it in the context of God's creative power and purpose." His goal in the book is to show that "the biblical perspective on every scientific discipline is sound and accurate, often far in advance of its original time of writing." He says that since God’s purpose is the creation and redemption of humanity, it makes sense that humans would have been in the universe since it began.
I especially liked the chapter on biblical supernaturalism, a topic which doesn't get enough attention.
Author Henry Morris is founder of the Institute for Creation Research, a leading creationist organization.
Below are my notes.
Science and True Christianity
The "cultural mandate" or "dominion mandate" of Gen 1:26 & 28 established humans as God’s stewards. It should be understood to mean maximizing the productivity and utility of Earth’s systems and processes to give the greatest glory to God and benefit to humanity. It requires science and technology, or research and development.
The genealogies of Gen 5 and 11, 1 Chron, and Luke 1 are essentially complete, but may contain relatively small gaps. In the Gen 11 genealogy, there may be a gap at the time of Peleg (possibly 1500 years).
The animals Adam named in Gen 2:20 were likely only birds and higher mammals; probably under 1000 animals total.
Biblical Supernaturalism
There are two types of miracles:
1. Miracles of providence (Grade B): Don’t require intervention in basic laws, but require processes to occur at unlikely times or at improbably rates. These may be performed by angels (good or evil).
2. Miracles of creation (Grade A): Require intervention in basic laws. Only God can perform.
Testing alleged miracles
• Is there adequate circumstantial or testimonial evidence?
• Is there adequate reason for God to interfere?
The main need for miracles ceased with completion of the NT (1 Cor 13:8-10). Grade A miracles are possible today, but are rare if they occur at all (except for spiritual regeneration). Grade B miracles do occur today.
Egyptian magicians in Ex 7 performed deceptions, not miracles.
Physical Sciences
God created in 6 days and rested on the Sabbath to provide a model for humanity (Mark 2:27).
God could have created distance starlight already striking Earth. This is consistent with the "appearance of age" that a functioning universe would have. This isn't deceptive, since he tells us what he created and how long it took. Other proposed explanations invoke Riemannian space, relatively, and time dilation.
Craters on Earth may have mostly formed during the Flood, when meteors or comet debris struck Earth.
Earth Sciences
"Four corners of the earth" in Isaiah 11:12 and Revelation 20:8 is better translated "four quarters" or "angles," meaning directions.
"Pillars of the earth" in 1 Sam 2:8, Job 9:6, Ps 75:3 refer to God's strength, or to the "foundations of the earth" or "world," meaning continents.
Radiometric "ages" of igneous rocks are actually "inherited" from the mantle where the rocks originate.
The "waters above the firmament" in Genesis 1:7 could have been a water vapor canopy. This would have caused a greenhouse effect, inhibited rain and storms, and filtered more radiation than the present atmosphere.
In the Flood, there’d be a tendency "for organisms of heavier specific weight, of simpler structure, of lower-elevation habitats, and of lesser capacity for swimming, running, or flying, to be entrapped earlier and buried deeper in the deluge sediments. More complex and active organisms, with upper-level habitats, would be buried later and higher, if that all."
Life Sciences
Dragons (Hebrew "tannim") are mentioned at least 25 times in the Old Testament. The first is Gen 1:21, often translated "sea creatures." These were possibly terrestrial or marine dinosaurs.
Animals were given "the breath of life" (Hebrew "nephesh"); Gen 7:21-22, Ps 104:29-30. Plants, and possibly lower animals, were not.
Several animal names in Old Testament are uncertain; translators often guess at modern animals, but these may be extinct animals.
The Tower of Babel was likely dedicated to the worship of the heavens. Gen 4:11 should say "whose top is dedicated unto the heavens" not "whose top may reach unto the heavens."
There are indications that ancient chronologies of Egypt, Sumeria, etc. are inaccurate.
Noah’s descendants named the Tigris and Euphrates in memory of Eden’s rivers.
November 15, 2020
The amount of high quality books as this one is lacking today. Thorough research for a book writing seems quite uncommon. Whether you agree or disagree on the origins issue with this author, there is really few people that have such exhaustive knowledge, let alone organize it all in the most consistent way and present it coherently... pick it up and read. There is a newer version that came out a year or two ago.
December 1, 2024
Giving this one five stars for debunking evolution
May 23, 2013
The book covers the Physical Sciences, the Earth Sciences and the Life Sciences and how Christians can have confidence that the sciences actually support the Biblical account of Creation (not evolution) and the World-wide Flood (not a local flood) despite the years of evolutionary indoctrination attempted by society.
The material is abundant and thus the reader might feel overwhelmed at first especially if this information is new to him/her; however, it is well-worth the time involved.
The material is abundant and thus the reader might feel overwhelmed at first especially if this information is new to him/her; however, it is well-worth the time involved.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews