Science, Creation and the Bible E-Book

Richard F. Carlson

• Herausgeber: IVP Academic
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Seitenzahl: 233

Beschreibung

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 - how theology and science differ, and what they both contribute - what the key biblical passages actually say - how the ancient Hebrews themselves understood the meaning of Genesis 1--2 - how the rest of Scripture helps us understand these passages - what we can gain from science and what its limits areProperly 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.

Leseprobe

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Science, Creation and the Bible

Reconciling Rival Theories of Origins

Richard F. Carlson and Tremper Longman III

www.IVPress.com/academic

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InterVarsity Press P.O. Box 1400 Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426 World Wide Web: www.ivpress.com E-mail: [email protected]

© 2010 by Tremper Longman III

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press.

InterVarsity Press® is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895, or visit the IVCF website at www.intervarsity.org.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible,New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Design: Cindy Kiple Images: pederk/iStockphoto © james steid/iStockphoto

ISBN 978-0-8308-6815-5 (digital)ISBN 978-0-8308-3820-2 (print)

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To

Karen Jean Carlson Muyskens

child of God

daughter

wife, mother, sister, aunt, niece

friend, mentor, colleague

professor, student

leader, volunteer

backpacker, hiker, runner

cheerful giver

patient, kind, gentle, wise spirit

missed

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Before the mountains were born,

before you gave birth to the earth and the world,

from beginning to end,

you are God.

PSALM 90:2

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1: Theological and Scientific Sources and Their Interpretation

2: Characteristics of Theology and Science Relevant to the Conflict

3: Biblical Interpretation— A Key Element in Resolving the Creation-Evolution Conflict

4: Creation in the Old Testament

5: Creation in the New Testament

6: Genesis 1:1–2:3 and Genesis 2:4-25

7: Genesis 1 and 2 as a Worldview Statement of the Ancient People of Israel

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Notes

Praise for Science, Creation and the Bible

About the Authors

More Titles from InterVarsity Press

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Jason Hine for his contribution to the early writing of this book when it was taking form. He also aided in the development of the themes and content as he contributed to and took part in presentations at church seminars where the ideas for the book were initially tried on live audiences. Many people have helped in forming this book through their commentary at seminars, Bible study classes, Sunday school classes, and college and seminary courses. Jason was a participant in many of these.

Dr. Rebecca Rio-Jellife played a crucial role as adviser while the book was being written. Her helpful critical comments aided in the formation of the logic of the presentation, and she provided valuable tutoring regarding style during the writing. We thank her for her extraordinary efforts and the time she devoted to the preparation of the manuscript. She had a hand in all that is good about this book.

Introduction

Many Christians are torn between their belief in the creation narrative in the Bible and the conclusions of contemporary science, views that seem irreconcilable. Conflict exists over a number of issues. This book has grown out of our belief in the possibility of reconciling modern science with our Christian faith. One can commit oneself to the Christian faith but also perceive our world through the lens of science. Science and faith together may give a more complete understanding of our universe and our world, including ourselves.

This book began to take shape many years ago, long before the coauthors met. Fifty years ago Richard Carlson began to study physics; at the same time he was drawn into Christianity through a Christian group on the campus of the University of Redlands. Both pursuits gave direction for ensuing years. Physics became a passion that led to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, followed by teaching at the University of Redlands, and years of nuclear physics research. However, his growing Christian faith became the foundation for all of his life. He became aware of a deep conflict between the biblical understanding of creation and the contemporary scientific picture on beginnings. This troubled him because it seemed that these unlike enterprises addressed the same phenomenon, God’s creation in two books, the Bible and science. The resolution of this conflict has been on Richard’s mind ever since. To that end, he took a course of study at Fuller Theological Seminary toward a master’s degree in theology and biblical studies. Now he could examine the conflict. After years of studying both sides of the issue, he has concluded that the “irreconcilable” viewpoints are different but complementary readings of creation accounts.

Coauthor Tremper Longman III has no scientific heritage. As a non-Christian, he learned about evolution in high school and simply looked with skepticism at the biblical creation account. Before he entered college at Ohio Wesleyan, he became a Christian, and in the next years he met with friends in study to nurture their growing faith. His studies continued at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he became committed to the exploration of Scripture. Doctoral study at Yale in Near Eastern languages and literature prepared him for teaching and thinking about the Bible, particularly about the creation-evolution problem. He taught at Westminster Seminary for eighteen years and the past eleven years has taught at Westmont College as the Robert Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies. Over these years Tremper has taught and written a book on Genesis. He has seen many students enter his classes having established their own understanding of the Genesis account of creation, which they consider to be correct. Some turn their view into a matter of orthodoxy, insisting that interpreting Genesis 1 as other than twenty-four-hour creation days is to cave in to “secular science” and to depart from God’s truth. Tremper has considered the creation-evolution issue in light of his studies of biblical teaching about creation, and he also finds the conflict to be satisfactorily resolvable.

Recently our paths crossed for the first time, and we decided to collaborate on a joint study of the creation-evolution conflict using both theological and scientific approaches. Our aim is to bring the two enterprises together at a valid and peacemaking position, fully satisfactory to Christians.

The conflict arose when Charles Darwin, in his 1859 work, TheOrigin of Species, concluded that his exploration and observations implied that the creation of the earth and life on the earth differed from the six-day Genesis 1 creation account. Darwin’s scientific conclusions undermined the belief of many Christians that the biblical account accurately portrayed historical and scientific understandings of beginnings. But the seeds of the conflict were planted earlier in the nineteenth century when progress on the study of the earth produced evidence suggesting that the earth may be older than the six creation days of Genesis and that life progressed from earlier forms. During the past two hundred years, all of science, including earth science, biology, cosmology and physics, have advanced. The developments in technology in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries opened the door to the microworld of the molecule, atom, nucleus and fundamental particle, and into the relativistic world of extremely high speeds. Continuing research in science and developments in technology provide us today with a more complete understanding of the earth, the cosmos and all life forms. It is not surprising therefore that the Genesis 1 creation narrative, unchanged over the years since it was formulated by its sacred author some three thousand to four thousand years ago, differs significantly from current scientific views.

Prior to the advances in science over the past 200 years, there was no scientific or historical challenge to the literal reading of Genesis creation. And earlier theories on how language works also supported a literal reading. But the controversy in the past 150 years over the understanding of Genesis and the reliability of contemporary science has led us to try to resolve this conflict while affirming our Christian faith and scientific conclusions.

We profess our deep commitment to Christian faith and the biblical teaching about creation. At the same time, we believe contemporary science addresses questions on how physical and biological proc­esses began and continue to develop, while theology and philosophy answer why for the same questions. The creation-evolution conflict hinges on two issues: (1) the question of the trustworthiness of contemporary scientific understanding of the beginnings of the universe, the earth and life on the earth, and (2) the question of the faithful reading of the two creation passages in Genesis 1:1–2:3 and Genesis 2:4-25 in their literal or nonliteral forms.

Why would such a long-standing conflict concern us? First, our purpose is to encourage all Christians to ground their theological and scientific beliefs in an impartial search for truth. Second, we want to remove false barriers that discourage non-Christians from considering the Christian gospel. We want to attempt to present an accurate description of both the scientific and the theological enterprises, including suggestions for a systematic reading of the Bible. Above all, we hope to suggest a way to resolve the creation-evolution conflict and bring conciliation between scientific and spiritual truths that underlie faith. To that end we propose the following thesis:

The first two chapters of Genesis, which accurately present two accounts of creation in terms of ancient Hebrew scientific observations and their historical understanding, are neither historical nor scientific 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.

If the first two chapters of Genesis present the fundamental character of the ancient Hebrew people rather than a factual scientific account of beginnings that meets contemporary standards, then it is not appropriate to try to reconcile contemporary science with the Genesis accounts.

The science-faith conflict arises from the two sets of sources (chapter one), the theological and the contemporary scientific. First, the theological information in the creation account of Genesis 1 constitutes what most Christians regard as the Genesis creation material, including the scientific and historical data as understood by the ancient sacred writer. But Genesis presents more about creation than simply Genesis 1, for Genesis 2 constitutes a second creation account, one that has similarities to but also differences from the first. Genesis 1 gives a cosmological view of creation, whereas Genesis 2 focuses on the creation of and provisions for humanity. The second source of information, the scientific data, depicts the beginning and development of the universe, the earth and life on the earth, including humanity. American Christians differ in their interpretation of the biblical material and their evaluation of the legitimacy of modern science. But they agree that the Bible is the foundational source that provides the basis for all Christian knowledge and application. This application includes the four American views on creation and science. These viewpoints are principally a consequence of differences in interpreting the Bible and lead to differences in the understanding of the Genesis 1 creation narrative. In addition, the four viewpoints represent different evaluations of contemporary science. Herein lies a good part of the source of the conflict.

Identifying the characteristics of each field, theology and science, may contribute toward resolving the creation-evolution conflict. The interests, methods, sources of information, limitations, their relationship to common sense, the need for careful interpretation of basic data and how each can contribute to the other are noted (chapter two).

Theology and science are each seekers after truth. The primary source for theology is the Bible, and we endorse the high view of the Bible as articulated by the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. In science, measurable data along with the hypothetical- deductive method produce its results. Each enterprise has aspects that are counterintuitive. In Christian theology, Jesus is understood as both fully God and fully human. Science shows that all entities in the universe exhibit themselves sometimes as particles and sometimes as waves. Fast objects shrink and get heavier. Inability to understand a phenomenon or a concept is not necessarily a criterion of its truthfulness.

A systematic interpretation of controversial biblical passages constitutes a crucial step in understanding their application today, especially to resolve the theology-science conflict (chapter three). The differences among Christians in their understanding of the Bible (in particular, Genesis) are a major source of contention in the conflict. Among the many helpful biblical interpretive methods, our chapter three focuses on one that carefully considers content, context and the intent of the biblical writer. In addition, special emphasis is given to the nonliteral genre of parable or story, first noting Jesus’ extensive and effective use of parable and then examining the use of story and parable in the writing of trusted Christian authors. Jesus shows that parable and story are effective and legitimate genres. The identification of the genre of a biblical passage can be difficult but important, including in the cases of Genesis 1 and 2.

Next is a discussion of the Bible as possessing both divine and human (incarnational) aspects. The incarnational can be observed in a biblical author writing with the culture, context and experience of the first recipients of the passage or book in mind. This ensures for those recipients an accurate understanding of the message. Hence, couching the Genesis creation accounts using the form of other ancient Near Eastern accounts, familiar to the Hebrews, is not surprising and is legitimate. A parallel exists here between Jesus and the Bible, as both are divine and incarnational. The incarnational aspect of each demonstrates God’s accommodation to real humans at specific times and places. The chapter ends with a short discussion of the interpretation of scientific data.

The application of the principle of using Scripture to interpret Scripture constitutes another step in the attempt to understand the message of creation in Genesis through the examination of all principal biblical passages related to creation. From the Old Testament (chapter four), Isaiah 40, Job 38–41, and a bit from the proverbs and the creation psalms are analyzed along with parts of John 1, Colossians 1, Hebrews 1, and Romans 1 and 8 from the New Testament (chapter five). The interpretive method of chapter three is applied, the purpose being to end up with a thorough analysis of the Genesis creation passages (chapter six), all contributing to the attempt to understand the intent for their first ancient hearers/readers. The analyses of the passages in chapters four and five show how the content of the creation story of Genesis 1 and 2 moves throughout the Bible in telling a greater story than simply an ancient scientific and historical account.

Genesis 1 and 2 are correctly understood in terms of accounts of the ancient Hebrew understanding of science and history, but not correctly in modern terms (chapter seven). Instead, Genesis 1 and 2 together contain a second message hidden under the creation story, its importance expected to be consistent with that of other uses of creation throughout the Bible. Our proposal is that the “story under the story” in Genesis 1 and 2 represents the ancient Hebrew’s worldview and thus constitutes the primary relevance of these opening chapters in the Bible for all time and for all peoples. These worldview themes are found throughout all of Scripture, implying their relevance for all times, in particular for today. Understanding Genesis 1 and 2 in this way removes the requirement that they be consistent with contemporary science, for they had in the past and now have a much more important role to play.

The current scientific picture of beginnings and subsequent developments of the universe, the earth and life are most likely more valid than invalid. But these “how” explanations cannot be extrapolated to comments on issues beyond those of science. For example, one illegitimate application of cosmology and biological evolutionary theory includes the idea that the understanding of beginnings in terms of naturalistic science implies the nonexistence of God, or that humanity is only a more developed ape. Christians correctly judge these as invalid and dangerous applications, and conclude that science can only legitimately apply to the how questions of science.

The plan of this book is to systematically move step by step toward resolution of the conflict. The first step is to note the basic sources of information that lead to the conflict—the biblical information of Genesis 1 and 2 and the scientific understanding of beginnings.

1 Theological and Scientific Sources and Their Interpretation

The analysis of the creation-evolution conflict begins by taking note of its origin, the information contained in the theological and scientific sources relevant to the problem. These and their conflicting interpretations constitute fundamental factors resulting in the conflict.

Theological Sources

The word genesis means origin. Most people regard Genesis 1 as the Bible’s account of creation. But a second creation account immediately follows in Genesis 2. A complete biblical understanding of creation requires awareness of all biblical writings about creation, analysis of which will be completed in due course.

The biblical translation used throughout this book is the New Living Translation of the Bible. This particular translation was chosen because of our confidence that the scholars who took part in translating and editing this version of the biblical text fulfill their purpose as stated in “A Note to Readers”:

The goal of any Bible translation is to convey the meaning and content of the ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts as accurately as possible to contemporary readers. . . . The resulting translation is easy to read and understand, while also accurately communicating the meaning and content of the original biblical texts.[1]

Genesis 1.

1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

6Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” 7And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. 8God called the space “sky.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.

9Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. 12The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

13And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.

14Then God said, “Let great lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them mark off the seasons, days, and years. 15Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. 16God made two great lights, the sun and the moon—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

19And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.

20Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” 21So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 22Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”

23And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.

24Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. 25God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

26Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like ourselves. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

27So God created human beings in his own image.

In the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

28Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

29Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

31Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Genesis 2.

1So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 3And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

4This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.

When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. The LORD God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. 6Instead, springs came up from the ground and watered all the land. 7Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

8Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. 9The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10A river watered the garden and then flowed out of Eden and divided into four branches. 11The first branch, called the Pishon, flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found. 12The gold of that land is exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. 13The second branch, called the Gihon, flowed around the entire land of Cush. 14The third branch, called the Tigris, flowed east of the land of Asshur. The fourth branch is called the Euphrates.

15The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—17except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

18Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 19So the LORD God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. 20He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.

21So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.

23“At last!” the man exclaimed.

“This one is bone from my bone and flesh from my flesh!

She will be called ‘woman, because she was taken from ‘man.’”

24This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

25Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

Interpretation of Theological Sources

The familiar creation account sometimes referred to as the “Genesis 1 account” continues through Genesis 2:3. But Genesis 2:4-25 constitutes a second creation account, much to the surprise of many Christians.

The reader of a particular translation of the Bible depends on the accuracy of its translators. A higher level source may be found in the Hebrew version of the Old Testament, known as Biblia Hebraica Stutt­gartensia, and a contemporary version of the Greek New Testament such as the Nestle-Aland version. But most Christians do not read Hebrew or Greek and hence must depend on the quality of the chosen translation. Most modern English translations, including the New International Version, Today’s New International Version, the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the English Standard Version and the New Living Translation all prove satisfactory for biblical passages regarding creation. The Genesis 1 and 2 texts just presented accurately represent the Hebrew and will serve well for the purposes of examining Genesis as a step in addressing the conflict.

Next we turn to a summary of four American viewpoints on the creation-evolution conflict.[2] Each point of view—creationism, intelligent design, partnership and independence—is associated with a distinct principle of biblical interpretation and evaluation of the relevant science. This provides background important to the resolution of the conflict.