Journal: Eikon
Volume: EIKON 04:2 (Fall 2022)
Article: In Quest Of The Historical Adam: A Biblical And Scientific Exploration
Author: Kyle D. Claunch

Eikon 4.2 (Fall 2022) p. 126

In Quest Of The Historical Adam: A Biblical And Scientific Exploration

REVIEWED BY

Kyle D. Claunch

Kyle D. Claunch is Assistant Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Eikon 4.2 (Fall 2022) p. 127

William Lane Craig. In Quest of the Historical Adam: A Biblical and Scientific Exploration. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2021.

Introduction

The interpretation of the opening chapters of Genesis has been a subject of debate throughout the history of Christianity, but the urgency of the question increased with the publication of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species in the mid-nineteenth century. Since that time, some version of macroevolution has been the consensus understanding of the biological diversity of life on our planet in the scientific academy. The academic consensus has also gained considerable purchase at the popular level so that it is accurate to say that biological macroevolution is the common understanding of the development of organic life, including human life.

It is not difficult to see why the prevalence of this scientific consensus puts considerable pressure on one’s Christian theological commitments. The issues involved are legion. If the first chapters of the Bible are understood as a straightforward historical narrative, with the “days” of creation constituting a literal evening and morning (that is, a 24-hour day), then the earth is necessarily far too young for the evolution of life on our planet according to the common understanding. Even if one interprets Genesis 1 in a way that allows for a much older creation (such as the “day-age” theory or some versions of the literary framework hypothesis), the theory of the development of biological life by means of evolution still seems to undermine the biblical account of the creation of Adam and Eve as qualitatively distinct from other life forms, bearing the image of God. For this reason, many who hold to an old earth view of creation reject the claim that evolution can account for biological diversity, especially the development of human life.

Eikon 4.2 (Fall 2022) p. 128

Furthermore, leading trends in paleoanthropology (the study of human fossils) and population genetics tell us modern man (Homo sapiens) emerged from multiple ancestral groups and regions, not from a single pair. This has become part of the evolutionary consensus. If true, what are Christians to make of the doctrine of original sin? If we are not all descended from Adam, how can we all be condemned in Adam (You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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