2<\/a>).<\/p>\nAlbert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Fazale Rana, vice president of Reasons To Believe, Ph.D. in Biochemistry, provide the counterpoint defending the traditional understanding of Adam and Eve as essential to the Christian faith.<\/p>\n
The NPR story is fairly predictable. It emphasizes two widely separated extremes in evangelical thinking, but doesn\u2019t have the time to really dig into the complexities of the discussions or the range of possible views. This is interesting, but not particularly informative. In the post today I don\u2019t want to focus on the question of Adam \u2013 instead I would rather pose a related question for discussion.<\/p>\n
Why do so many Christian scholars stick their neck out on this issue?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nWhat is the motivation?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nThe end of the NPR story is what really caught my attention \u2013 and it is the aspect that I would like to highlight.<\/p>\n
This debate over a historical Adam and Eve is not just another heady squabble. It\u2019s ripping apart the evangelical intelligentsia.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvangelicalism has a tendency to devour its young,\u201d says Daniel Harlow, a religion professor at Calvin College, a Christian Reformed school that subscribes to the fall of Adam and Eve as a central part of its faith.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get evangelicals who push the envelope, maybe; they get the courage to work in sensitive, difficult areas,\u201d Harlow says. \u201cAnd they get slapped down. They get fired or dismissed or pressured out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Evangelicalism is not content to devour the young \u2013 the middle-aged and elder statesmen are also fair game. I don\u2019t think I could work at an evangelical school \u2013 not because I expect my faith to unravel, but because I would not be comfortable if required to conform my understanding of the faith by a statement and commitment that goes beyond the ancient creeds and a general appreciation for the authority of scripture. While theology certainly helps to inform my interpretation of creation, life, and purpose, we err when we declare for some reason or other that a fact can not be a fact because of its theological consequence. This was true in the day of Galileo and is true today.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis stuff is unavoidable,\u201d says Dan Harlow at Calvin College. \u201cEvangelicals have to either face up to it or they have to stick their head in the sand. And if they do that, they will lose whatever intellectual currency or respectability they have.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf so, that\u2019s simply the price we\u2019ll have to pay,\u201d says Southern Baptist seminary\u2019s Albert Mohler. \u201cThe moment you say \u2018We have to abandon this theology in order to have the respect of the world,\u2019 you end up with neither biblical orthodoxy nor the respect of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mohler and others say if other Protestants want to accommodate science, fine. But they shouldn\u2019t be surprised if their faith unravels.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
But is the problem really accommodation and a desire for acceptance?<\/strong><\/em> Did Pete Enns, Richard Colling, Dan Harlow, John Schneider, Darrel Falk, Bruce Waltke, Tremper Longman, and more, put their jobs on the line, in many cases losing them, because they valued the acceptance of the world, the intellectual and academic world, above all else?\u00a0 This suggestion, often repeated, is excessively cynical and damaging to both individuals and to dialog. It is method used to disparage individuals and remove the need for real conversation.<\/p>\nI agree with Dr. Mohler that if we say we have to abandon theology to have the respect of the world we will have neither. But that is not really the issue. The full context and intent of Dr. Harlow\u2019s comment and this ongoing discussion is not to retain respect for the sake of respect, but to remain engaged in a sincere search for truth \u2013 God\u2019s truth. If the evidence for evolution and a non-traditional view of Adam and Eve really is overwhelming \u2013 and I believe that it is \u2013 we have no choice but to go with the data. This isn\u2019t a search for the acceptance of the world but a profound need to retain personal intellectual integrity. I am convinced that science, specifically evolution, and faith are compatible because I am convinced that both are true \u2013 we can and will work out the details.<\/p>\n
The conversation is important, and worth taking a stand on, not to achieve personal acceptance and respect \u2013 but because the issue has caused so many to struggle with faith, lose faith, or refuse to consider faith. Here we can quote St. Augustine.<\/p>\n
If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? (The Literal Meaning of Genesis Ch. 18)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
God is the God of truth and we should not fear to seek truth wherever it is found, and this includes scripture and it includes our pursuit of a scientific explanation and understanding of the workings of God\u2019s creation. St. Augustine\u2019s reflections in the passage from which the quote above was taken are particularly relevant \u2013 when more than one interpretation of scripture is possible, and more than one intent can be ascribed to the author, we should leave room for the ambiguity and let future study either confirm both or determine the truth.<\/p>\n
Above all let us be governed by love<\/strong><\/em>. We need to avoid cynicism and the appearance of cynicism. Those who question the traditional view of Adam are not sacrificing all to seek the approval and respect of the world. Those who feel that the traditional view is a lynchpin of our faith are not out to win the approval of men, secure power, or appease donors. We won\u2019t get anywhere if we disparage and distrust the motivations of others. Nor will we witness effectively to those outside of the faith or struggling with faith. This is a family discussion we need to have. It would be nice if we could model the discussion of a healthy and loving family as we move forward.<\/p>\nWhat do you think? What drives this discussion? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nCan we agree to disagree and take our time working through the issues? Or is it essential to take a strong stand here and now, either for or against?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nIf you wish to contact me directly you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net<\/p>\n
If interested you can subscribe to a full text feed of my posts at Musings on Science and Theology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NPR had a story on Morning Edition this last Tuesday entitled Evangelicals Question The Existence Of Adam And Eve. You can download, listen, read a transcript of read the story at the link.\u00a0 The short piece \u2013 7:44 \u2013 involves commentary and snippets of interviews with a number of people, many of whom have come […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1785,480],"tags":[2549],"class_list":["post-19409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adam","category-science-and-faith","tag-intellectual-integrity"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp.patheos.com\/community\/sites\/40\/2010\/10\/France_Paris_Notre-Dame-Adam_and_Eve-ds2.jpg\" "\\"France_Paris_Notre-Dame-Adam_and_Eve")
<\/a>NPR had a story on Morning Edition this last Tuesday entitled Evangelicals Question The Existence Of Adam And Eve<\/a>. You can download, listen, read a transcript of read the story at the link.\u00a0 The short piece \u2013 7:44 \u2013 involves commentary and snippets of interviews with a number of people, many of whom have come up in various posts on the blog as we\u2019ve looked at the question of Adam.<\/p>\n