40 Questions About
Creation and Evolution, by Kenneth D. Keathley and Mark F. Rooker is one
volume in a new series of “40 Questions” book edited by Benjamin L. Merkle. If the other volumes of the series are as
well-written and researched as this one, I will buy them all.
Keathley and Rooker advise the readers that they are an
“old-earth creationist” and a “young-earth creationist,” respectively and admit
that there may be times when their preferred view creeps into the examination
of the issue (23).
The first four questions concern why the discussion of
creation is important – what affect a view of beginnings effects reading the
rest of the Bible and interacting with life cosmically.
Questions 5 through 10 look at the relationship of the text
in context – what does it say God did?
How does Genesis 1 and 2 relate, if at all? This set the textual stage for the rest of
the book.
Questions 11 through 16 look at six different Christian – or
“creation-affirming” – ways that the word “day” can be understood. I did not know all of the views and found it
interesting to consider how they come to their conclusions, especially as the
consideration of how the initial readers would have understood the word “day”
is a major issue in understanding the whole Creation account, as I understand
it.
Questions 17 through 22 look at the variety of theological
and geological arguments for the age of the earth. This section has moved me to a more agnostic
view of the issue – that is, “I don’t know.”
Questions 23 through 31 consider what the “Image of God”
means, whether Adam and Eve were real people – and if it matters, issues of the
Fall and death, and stories of the Flood and its extent.
Questions 32 through 40 look at what evolution and Darwinism
teach – they are not the same!, how a Christian might hold to evolution, and
what Intelligent Design is.
I am very impressed with this book both in the way it examines
a wide varieties of views on the subject, being as fair and complete as one
possibly can, and with its examination of all the major topics in the
discussion.
This book will be extremely helpful to people thinking
through the issue and for leading discussion groups on the subject. Hopefully, it will also lead to a tolerance
among Christians about the things that we cannot know for certain and lead
Christians to examine the texts very carefully and in the light of the rest of
the Scripture to see what must be accepted as true.
I hope the forthcoming books in this series are as
well-written and thought-provoking!
[I received this book free from Kregel in
exchange for an honest review. This
review appears on my blog and on Amazon.com.]
#40Questionsaboutcreationandevolution
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