Misplaced Priorities

“O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless. With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” Psalm 60:11-12, NRSV One of the more troubling but deeply revealing emails I received while serving at the center of the pro-life movement was from a dear mom whom I’ll call Sarah. Choosing … Read More

Responding to Ken Ham and Other YEC Arguments

Hey Freinds, I’m excited to let you know about a new chapter in the Genesis 1 & Science booklet that’s part of the constructive conversation series. It’s 100% devoted to responding to Ken Ham and common young earth creationist (YEC) objections. There are also quite a few smaller updates throughout the resource, as well as two fresh reviews that you … Read More

Another Opportunity for Shared Impact

The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.Day to day pours out speech,and night to night reveals knowledge.There is no speech, nor are there words,whose voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1-3, ESV Hi All, Updates to the Genesis 1 and Science booklet in the Constructive Conversations series are now live and ready for some good … Read More

Silly Science (Part 2) and Why Creation is Still Good

One of the main contentions of Young Earth Creationism (YEC) is that “the belief in millions of years totally contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture.”[1] Last week we responded to one example YEC advocates Ham and Hodges gave in support of this (see here) and this week we will look at a second related to “disease:” “Evidence of diseases like … Read More

Silly Science (Part 1) and Why Work Hurts

I get frustrated with young earth creationists’ critiques of evolutionary creationism. They’re often full of contradictions and consistently based on uninformed, overly literal interpretations of ancient texts. Here’s a quick example of the kind of contradictions I mean from a recent review of my Genesis 1 and Science in the Constructive Conversation series: “Since evolution cannot be demonstrated by the … Read More

Nuclear Family, 2 of 2

What of Jamie Smith’s critique from Part 1 that many nuclear families are “closed, self-sufficient, autonomous” units with little concern for others, including a church or spiritual family? He’s right but the reasons for this are myriad and complex and certainly not an indictment of the traditional family itself. Further, being self-sufficient isn’t always bad. Paul tells us to “bear … Read More

Reading Genesis 1 with Saint Augustine

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Genesis 1:1-3, NLT I love Genesis 1 and one of the cool things about … Read More

Civility Again: Why We Need to Say More About How We Say Things

I was grieved this week. Not only because children were being separated from their parents as a result of the new “zero-tolerance” policy at the U.S.-Mexico border—something that has been opposed by major evangelical organizations for weeks, but because I saw relationships severed due to the emotional and ugly rhetoric on both sides. We so easily villainize each other and Christians … Read More

How I Changed my Mind About Genesis 1 and Science, Part 5 of 5

I am incompetent to endorse evolution. My point is that the scientific consensus endorses it, and, like B. B. Warfield, as an exegete and biblical theologian I see no need to interpret natural selection for the origin of species within an atheist worldview. Natural selection can be accepted within a framework of trusting Scripture as inerrant as to its source … Read More

How I Changed my Mind About Genesis 1 and Science, Part 4 of 5

If indeed nature and Scripture have the same author, as Christians affirm, then there cannot, ultimately, be any disagreement between what we “read” in one book and what we read in the other.[1]– Dennis R. Venema, Ph.D. and professor of biology Theology shouldn’t merely withstand scientific discovery—it should celebrate it as a display of God’s handiwork.[2]– Daniel M. Harrell, Ph.D. … Read More