I’m a young Christian (Reformed Anglican) guy. I’ll be a college freshman this fall(studying Classics) I’ve always been really interested in the relationship between Christianity and science. I want to delve into the issue more deeply. I have no problem with evolution or an old earth, but I firmly believe in biblical inerrancy. I take the same position as Bruce Waltke on this issue. I’d call myself an evolutionary creationist. I believe that God directs every single step of evolution. I also firmly believe in an historical Adam and Eve. I’ve looked at a lot of theistic evolution books, and most of them deny the existence of an historical Adam who brought sin and death upon humanity through the fall. I’m not a fan of guys like Peter Ens. I’m not looking to debate this. I’m asking if there are any books written by evolutionary creationists who accept biblical inerrancy and believe in the existence of an historical Adam who brought sin and death upon humanity through the fall?
Hi CC - I think you would be a fan of John Walton. As a member of the Wheaton faculty, he has signed their faith statement which affirms a historical Adam and fall. He has written multiple works on interpreting Genesis in the light of its ancient Near East provenance.
Also, I would like to suggest that you treat your next few years of study as an opportunity to explore new and different ideas. I speak from experience. I had to go through a reckoning with agnosticism during my Princeton years, but at the end of the process my commitment to Christ and to His flock was much stronger. Part of the reason it was stronger was that I had interacted with people and ideas that did not make me feel comfortable. I would not trade a year in the crucible at Princeton U for ten years anywhere else.
Grace and peace,
Chris Falter
I did think of a book that received praise from Walton recently called Scripture and Cosmology by Kyle Greenwood. That is more specifically related to the Cosmos, but inerrant Biblical Interpretation in light of the Ancient Near East. It also has some beautiful sections on how great men of God wrestled with major Cosmolgies from Augustine to Calvin with some reflections on the relationship between Scripture, the Authority of Scripture and Science (without getting to heavy into Cosmology).
I would affirm Chris’ exhortation to read other viewpoints and listen to what people have to say. If I didn’t do this I’d still be a YEC but I wanted to study the Cosmos for myself and was blown away at the beauty of what I found.
Tremper Longman has a Genesis commentary you might find interesting. He has a different take than Walton on some things. Adam and Eve are viewed as real people in history and the Fall as a historical event, though I don’t think he takes an Augustinian view of original sin. Here is a short article where he explains his take on Adam.
It’s my impression that there are two kinds of EC books; the ones that delve into the science but don’t always leave people completely satisfied when it comes to their theological questions, and the ones that delve into the theology in a way that tries to make room for the science, but don’t necessarily get into the scientific details much. Adam and the Genome is one that tries to attack both sides, and since it was published recently, it is the topic of a lot of articles and discussions right now. One good way to learn is to read something and then read other people’s responses to what you read, both people you agree with and people you are farther away from. It helps crystallize for you what the issues are.