ASSEMBLIES OF GOD
Holman QuickSource Guide to Understanding Creation
A Biblical and Scientific Overview
by Steve Badger
Pastors and church leaders needing a refresher on the current state of the creation-evolution debate will find this book challenging and enlightening. The authors are physicists working in the aerospace industry. They endeavor to integrate their faith in the Creator God of the Bible with their scientific knowledge and worldview — a difficult but laudable task.
As creationists (in the broad sense), they affirm the trustworthiness of the Scriptures. They state, “The inerrant biblical message about creation is foundational to our faith and that scientific truths about creation will not contradict the Bible.”
This work is comprehensive, covering ancient Near Eastern creation stories and their relationship to the Genesis creation account; an analysis of Genesis 1 and other biblical references to the Creator’s work; a contrast between the general and the special revelation; and the effect of a person’s worldview on understanding radiometric dating, the age of creation, and patterns of integrating science and the Bible (e.g., concordism and accommodation). This book is well-illustrated and well-written. The authors clearly define technical terms.
Whorton and Roberts label the three positions that most Christians currently embrace as “Scientific Creationism,” “Progressive Creationism,” and “Evolutionary Creationism.” One of the strengths of this book is the fact the authors evenhandedly critique these three theistic positions instead of trying to defend one position over the others. They close with a plea for Christians to focus not on what divides us but on what unites us.
Anyone needing a reference guide on creation-evolution will benefit from this book.
Reviewed by Steve Badger, Ph.D., professor of chemistry, Evangel University, Springfield, Missouri.