과학과 종교 이슈/과학과 종교: 책과 자료

[책] CREATION OR EVOLUTION: Do We Have to Choose? by Denis Alexander.

별아저씨의집 2010. 5. 6. 11:45


작년 여름에 이 책을 살까말까 고민하다 다른 책이 많아 안 사왔는데 이번 여름에는 사야할 듯 합니다.

리뷰는 ASA 저널에 실렸더군요.



Reviewed by Loren Haarsma and Deborah Haarsma, Physics and Astronomy Department, Calvin College


Denis Alexander is well known to the ASA, as editor of Science and Christian Belief and director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. He has led a distinguished career as a research biologist, including leadership of the Molecular Immunology Programme at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge. 


In Creation or Evolution, he offers a clear and compelling case for theistic evolution, the view that God used evolution to bring about all the species on Earth, including humans. This is one of several recent books on evolution for evangelical audiences, four of which were reviewed by Bethany Sollereder in the March 2009 issue of PSCF.


Alexander begins by discussing principles of biblical interpretation and the doctrine of creation. This is an excellent approach for his predominantly evangelical audience since it addresses faith concerns first, rather than diving straight into the scientific evidence. These chapters are full of biblical references, including examplesof biblical characters who interpreted God’s word literally

and were mistaken (consider David’s response to Nathan’s rebuke, or Nicodemus’s response to Jesus). 


Chapters 3–5 provide an excellent summary of scientific evidence for evolution, at a level accessible, although challenging for readers who have not had college science. He briefly reviews the evidence for great age, but quickly moves on to fascinating details of fossils, genes and development, the many types of mutation (from point mutations to chromosome fusions), and the interplay of environmental pressures and adaptation. He includes a variety of excellent examples, from retroviral insertions to “ring species,” which allow scientists to study speciation

processes as they are happening. Anyone but an expert will learn some fascinating science from the examples Alexander provides. 


In chapter 6, Alexander responds to some common objections to evolution, both scientific and theological. In chapter 7, he returns to biblical interpretation, this time focusing on Genesis 1 and its meaning for us in light of Ancient Near Eastern cosmology. Chapter 8 is an interesting historical review of the church’s response to evolution, including Warfield, Orr, and Wright who wrote positively of evolution in The Fundamentals, while critiquing the unfortunate atheistic and other baggage it has acquired.


Chapters 9–13 tackle human origins—the biblical account of Adam and Eve, the fossil and archeological evidence for hominids, the genetic evidence for common ancestors with apes, and the theological issues of death before the Fall, pain and suffering, and original sin. He centers the discussion on five interpretative models of Adam and Eve, ranging from an ahistorical parable

meant to teach eternal truths, to the miraculous creation of two ancestors of humanity 10,000 years ago. This is a useful device for giving readers a range of options, although some of the options receive little attention in favor of his working hypothesis: that the human race

began about 200,000 years ago, but Adam and Eve were a pair of Ancient Near East farmers living about 10,000 years ago. 


When discussing the difficult faith issues, Alexander digs into the Bible, reviewing many relevant passages. At times, it would have helped to hear more about the

theological positions Christians have historically held on issues such as the transmission of original sin and the soul. His discussion of pain and suffering is compassionate and pastoral.


Chapters 14 and 15 are a response to intelligent design (ID), critiquing both the scientific and philosophical arguments. Supporters of ID probably will not feel that Alexander has addressed some of their best recent arguments; however, it is clear that Alexander has read several

ID books and articles and is replying thoughtfully to the arguments presented there. 

The final chapter, 16, tackles the wide-open research area of how life first arose on the early Earth. While acknowledging that the gaps in our scientific knowledge are far greater than what we know, Alexander has no theological trouble with origin of life research. He writes, “In none of this account have we been talking about ‘blind natural forces.’ … These are God’s chemicals and God’s molecules that we are talking about.” 


Alexander’s stated goal is to promote dialogue, to help Christians learn to disagree in a loving way without adding to the Gospel. We highly recommend it for consideration by Christians who are open to an old earth but are unsure about evolution, and as an excellent resource (especially with its extensive endnotes and useful index) for Christians who accept evolution as the means God used.