Category Archives: Creation

Augustine and the “Literal” Interpretation of Genesis

Posted on April 25, 2019 by rjs5

Sometimes St. Augustine makes my head ache. He is fascinating, faithful, and far from perfect. His literal interpretation of Genesis is not really what we would term literal in the modern sense. Craig Allert, in Chapter 7 of Early Christian … Continue reading →

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God, A Competent Creator!

Posted on April 16, 2019 by rjs5

Chapter five of Daniel Harrell’s book, Nature’s Witness: How Evolution Can Inspire Faith, begins with a joke (p. 69): A scientist tells God that he’s figured out how to create life from the dust of the ground, just like God … Continue reading →

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A Training Ground?

Posted on March 28, 2019 by rjs5

Craig Allert in Early Christian Readings of Genesis One, makes reference in passing to a comment by Basil of Caesarea (ca. 329-379 AD) regarding the purpose of creation. This is worth some consideration. We find Basil’s comment in NPNF2-08. Basil: … Continue reading →

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The Eighth Day

Posted on March 19, 2019 by rjs5

In Chapter 6 of Early Christian Readings of Genesis One Craig Allert turns to readings of the days of Genesis in the early Church Fathers. He looks at three writers, Theophilus of Antioch (ca. 120-185 exact dates uncertain), Ephrem the … Continue reading →

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Creation is Much More!

Posted on March 14, 2019 by rjs5

Quite a number of years ago David Wilkerson published an excellent article in Christianity Today: Bigger Than We Think. The archived article is only available with a subscription, but we can consider the major points here. The Christian doctrine of … Continue reading →

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Atheism is an Age Old Problem

Posted on March 7, 2019 by rjs5

One of the most interesting insights is the nothing new under the sun phenomenon, at least when it comes to human nature. We’ve been working through Craig Allert’s new book Early Christian Readings of Genesis One. Several years ago I … Continue reading →

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Ex Nihilo!

Posted on March 5, 2019 by rjs5

In Chapter 5 of Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins John Walton argued at length that in the opening chapter of Genesis God is ordering the cosmos and creating sacred space. It does not describe creation ex nihilo – out of … Continue reading →

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In Seven Days

Posted on February 28, 2019 by rjs5

Consider Genesis 1. In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while the spirit of God swept over the face of the waters. … Continue reading →

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Only the Literal Meaning?

Posted on February 26, 2019 by rjs5

Craig Allert is leading us through a careful consideration of the early church fathers and their interpretation of Genesis One. The most important guidelines are to (1) read the writings in their context and (2) avoid the temptation to proof-text. … Continue reading →

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God Acts in Creation

Posted on February 5, 2019 by rjs5

God’s acts in creation but his action is mediated. He generally acts through some intermediary – even if it is just his word. Robert Bishop in Ch. 2 of of Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins elaborates on a Christian understanding … Continue reading →

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