The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human OriginsBaker Books, 2012 M01 1 - 192 pages Can Christianity and evolution coexist? Traditional Christian teaching presents Jesus as reversing the effects of the Fall of Adam. However, an evolutionary view of beginnings doesn't allow for a historical Adam, making evolution seemingly incompatible with what Genesis and the apostle Paul say about him. For Christians who accept evolution and want to take the Bible seriously, this presents a faith-shaking tension. Peter Enns, an expert in biblical interpretation, offers a way forward by explaining how this tension is caused not by the discoveries of science but by false expectations about the biblical texts. Focusing on key biblical passages in the discussion, Enns demonstrates that the author of Genesis and the apostle Paul wrote to ask and answer ancient questions for ancient people; the fact that they both speak of Adam does not determine whether Christians can accept evolution. This thought-provoking book helps readers reconcile the teachings of the Bible with the widely held evolutionary view of beginnings and will appeal to anyone interested in the Christianity-evolution debate. |
Contents
When Was Genesis Written? | 9 |
Stories of Origins from Israels Neighbors | 35 |
Israel and Primordial Time | 61 |
Understanding Pauls Adam | 77 |
Paul as an Ancient Interpreter of the Old Testament | 93 |
Pauls Adam | 119 |
Adam Today Nine Theses | 137 |
Notes | 149 |
162 | |
169 | |
Other editions - View all
The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins Peter Enns Limited preview - 2012 |
The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins Peter Enns Limited preview - 2021 |
The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins Peter Enns No preview available - 2021 |
Common terms and phrases
Abraham Adam and Eve Adam story Adam’s disobedience ancient Near Eastern argued Astruc Atrahasis Babylonian beginning Bible biblical criticism biblical scholars Cain century BC chapter Chronicles context cosmos created creation stories creative cultural David’s death and resurrection Deuteronomy divine earth emphasis added Enuma Elish evolution and Christianity example exile Exod Exodus faith flood story focus garden story Genesis Gilgamesh gods gospel Habakkuk Hebrew historical Adam human origins interpretive Isaiah Israel’s creation Israel’s story Israelites issue Jesus Jew and gentile Jewish Jews Judaism Kings look Marduk means Mesopotamian modern monolatry Moses Moses’s N. T. Wright narrative Old Testament one’s Paul says Paul’s Adam Paul’s understanding Pentateuch postexilic period primordial problem Pseudepigrapha questions readers refers reflects resurrection of Christ Romans scientific Scripture Second Temple seems self-definition simply sinful temple theological Tiamat tradition understood universal verse Wellhausen wisdom words writings written Yahweh ʾadam