On Creation and Killing Canaanites: One Simple, Hardly Worth Mentioning (but I feel that I should) Thought

Last updated on: April 28, 2013 at 7:03 pm By Peter Enns

In recent months, these two issues–creation and Canaanite extermination–have been among the more heat-producing that I have dealt with on this blog. Today, I want to make one simple point that concerns both of these issues, and others like it. Nothing creative or profound. Pretty standard stuff, actually, though when push comes to shove (literally) in controversial issues, it is often the first we lose sight of. Here it is: Ancient context matters—a lot. So, when the debate is about... Read more

Science, Faith, and Academic Freedom: notes from a conference

Last updated on: April 26, 2013 at 3:22 pm By Peter Enns

I was in Ohio (pronounced o-HI-o) earlier this week. I hadn’t been there since 2005 when my son and I drove out to visit Kenyon College. After the second trip we decided 8 hours was too far, and that he should go to school in Vermont, a mere 6 1/2 hours away. Anyway, Ohio is still too far, but what drew me back was an invitation to speak at the Thelma Fordham Pruett Conference on the Academy and Religious Faith on... Read more

An Ancient Bible Gives You Ancient “Science,” Not Modern. (I wish we didn’t have to keep saying that.)

Last updated on: April 24, 2013 at 6:49 am By Peter Enns

Today we continue Denis Lamoureux’s series of brief slide shows on his popular book I Love Jesus & I Accept Evolution. Lamoureux covered chapters 1 and 2 in the first post and in today’s (11 minute) presentation he covers chapter 3, where he discusses the nature of “ancient science.” This book is a great introduction to his view of origins called “evolutionary creation,” a term he will explain in this series, and which he prefers to the more common “theistic evolution.” (The... Read more

Were David Koresh and the Branch Dividians Guilty of Plagiarism?

Last updated on: April 20, 2013 at 8:03 am By Peter Enns

NPR ran a story today marking the 20th anniversary of the Branch Davidian standoff and tragic fire that resulted in 80 deaths, including women and children. I was in the throes of my doctoral dissertation in 1993, which means I was out of touch with the normal everyday habits of most humans–like keeping up with the news, eating, showering, marking the passing of the seasons. But now, 20 years hence, this story has a familiar ring to it. This is no... Read more

Senate Blocks Gun Background Check Legislation. In Other News, I’m Done.

Last updated on: April 17, 2013 at 6:04 pm By Peter Enns

Unbelievable. I don’t normally post on politics. Political news doesn’t interest me much, mainly because day to day it’s the same thing. But today is different. This is unbelievable. This isn’t rocket science, senators. And gun lobby: seriously? This is a good day? Unbelievable. Read more

Reading the Old Testament: You Gotta Have Attitude

Last updated on: April 17, 2013 at 5:34 pm By Peter Enns

Christians do not read Scripture for mere historical interest. They read Scripture as members of Christ’s church as a book for Christ’s church, and so ask questions of significance, the nexus between “what it meant” and “what it means.” How one gets from then to now has in my experience proved to be a complex interpenetration of factors both obvious and subtle. But to speak of the significance of a biblical book is to say that the setting of the interpreter... Read more

What is “Evolutionary Creation”? Let Denis Lamoureux Tell You (he wrote the book)

Last updated on: April 15, 2013 at 9:17 pm By Peter Enns

Today’s post is more a 12 minute guest slide show (link below) by Denis Lamoureux, associate professor of science and religion at St. Joseph’s College in the University of Alberta (full bio here). I asked him if he would consider explaining the content of his book I Love Jesus & I Accept Evolution, which is a great introduction to his view of origins called “evolutionary creation,” a term he will explain in this series, and which he prefers to the more common “theistic evolution.”... Read more

97% of scientists accept some form of evolution (there must be something wrong with them)

Last updated on: April 13, 2013 at 8:30 am By Peter Enns

A few days ago I posted the main bullet points for the lecture I gave at the Evangelical Theological Society on April 6. Some of the responses perpetuate common yet unconvincing lines of defense. For example, I began my talk by saying that I accept the scientific consensus as a staring point when discussing the question of human origins. A response I have heard–more times than I care to recall, and that I knew would likely come again even though I think... Read more

The Future of Evangelicalism

Last updated on: April 9, 2013 at 8:50 pm By Peter Enns

Today’s post is by Harold Heie, Senior Fellow at the Center for Christian Studies at Gordon College (full bio here). He is the author of Learning to Listen, Ready to Talk: A Pilgrimage Toward Peacemaking,and his interest is in creating respectful conversations on the internet about difficult topics. Below, Heie introduces the latest respectful conversation, “The Future of Evangelicalism.” I have posted on Heie before, and I am very happy that he asked me to be a part of this conversation. The original... Read more

Framing the Evangelical Discussion of Adam and Evolution

Last updated on: April 8, 2013 at 9:39 pm By Peter Enns

This past Saturday, I gave a paper at the northeast regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, which met on the campus of Alliance Theological Seminary, Nyack, NY. I was asked to talk about my book The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn’t Say about Human Origins. It’s no surprise that how I answer this question (Adam is not a historical person) is not in step with how mainstream evangelicalism tends to handle it (Adam definitely is, in... Read more