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Beyond the Firmament: Understanding Science and the Theology of Creation
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Average Rating:  out of 10 Reviews
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Price: $16.00
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Sale: $14.40
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Manufacturer: Watertree Press
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EAN (European Article Number): 9780978718619
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Number of Items: 1
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Binding: Perfect Paperback
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Author: Gordon J. Glover
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Publisher: Watertree Press
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Dewey Decimal Number: 523
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Publication Date: 2007-08-30
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Reading Level: 228
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Description: As debates within the Church over the scientific details of creation become more frequent, the experts seem to grow more entrenched while the rest of us only become more confused. Somewhere between the endless arguments over distant starlight and Carbon-14 dating, calculating the mathematical improbabilities of things that already exist, and parsing ancient Hebrew and Greek, somebody needs to ask the simple question, If 3,500 years of scientific progress can t help modern Christians figure out Genesis, then how could the ancient Israelites possibly have understood it so well? What secret did this newly liberated gaggle of Hebrew nomads take with them out of Egypt that holds the key to understanding God s telling of His own creation story? Beyond the Firmament challenges all creationist camps whether Young-Earth, Old-Earth, or Theistic Evolutionist to step outside of traditional paradigms and recognize how our modern, Western, post-Enlightenment scientific worldview actually blinds us from seeing the simple truth of Creation as it was originally intended; and how our failure to grasp the theological significance of the biblical creation model puts science and faith on a collision course.
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Customer Reviews
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Review Summary: Science for Christians |
Date: 2008-09-11 |
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Details: This book is written for Christians who believe the Bible and are concerned that their belief might be threatened by modern science. The author carefully reviews various scientific conclusions that have seemed to some Christians to challenge biblical teaching. He then evaluates the often inadequate response of Christians to these challenges and demonstrates that the Bible can incorporate scientific findings in a natural way. The book is well-written by a scientist who once accepted a "literal" interpretation of the Bible. |
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Review Summary: An excellent insight into how to approach the topic |
Date: 2008-06-05 |
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Details: I thought this book was excellent. I've long been troubled by what I thought was an unnecessary and hurtful conflict between many in the Christian faith and the scientific community. I've been apalled at some of the nonsense coming out of "Answers in Genesis" or the "Creation Science Institute". It's genuinely damaging to one's witness when your credibility as a thinking person is instantly dismissed because so many people associate Christianity with a young earth dogma.
Best parts of the book: Insight into the common themes among near east "creation stories" that the original readers of Genesis would have been familiar with. Also, the author does one of the better jobs of suggesting a means of how to approach Genesis in a way that lets the Book speak for itself without us instantly slathering it in a 20th century mindset.
Also, the examples from history are very powerful. I was familiar with the heliocentric controversy but had not been entirely clear on the controversy over the spherical earth. If nothing else, those two embarrassing chapters in Christian history should give any Young Earth Creationist pause, lest they continue to part of yet another sad chapter today.
Weaker parts: Towards the later chapters, it feels a bit repetitive in parts. Also, he would do well to provide folks with some more guidance on what else to read to better understand the science he is summarizing. It is in the footnotes, but a reading guide at the end would be good.
Sadly, I think the audience most in need of reading this will toss it aside, hissing "heresy" rather than even consider the points the author makes. |
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Review Summary: This is the place to start. |
Date: 2008-05-23 |
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Details: The whole conflict between faith and science has been trumped up. Does this surprise you? This book will convince you.
This book is divided up into four sections. "What do we know and how do we know it?" is a preliminary, basic overview of what is called "epistemology" in fancy terms, making distinctions between natural and special revelation that carry the next two sections. "What can the Bible tell us about nature?" is a look at the special revelation in the Bible and discusses the boundaries of what it can tell us and why we can't just assume over-literalized interpretations when interpreting it. In the next section, "What can nature tell us about itself?", Glover describes what science can tell us about the beginning of the universe and the origin our our solar sytem, and then describes why radiometric dating methodology is reliable. The last section, "What about evolution?" is a summary of evolutionary theory.
Glover's strong points are his knack for analogy and his conversational style. His humility and honesty about the limitations of science make bearable the experience of shattering the "godless atheist" facade so many evangelicals have constructed in front of mainstream science. He explains some heady concepts (including a bit of mathematics and physics) very simply, and just in case it starts seeming too dense, he doesn't linger there long; for more advanced readers, he provides references to more technical works.
This book was not meant to grapple with theological issues associated with Adam or the Fall; it does try to provide a case for not simply dismissing any data that might make us take a second look at our first guess on those topics.
This book is accessible but not condescending, enjoyable and humorous at times but not a slick car-sales job, earnest but not overbearing.
For anyone who might be interested in looking into the issue of evolutionary creationism (Glover's term of choice in lieu of "theistic evolution"), Beyond the Firmament is the place to start.
Also make sure to check out his website at http://blog.beyondthefirmament.com. |
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Review Summary: The Bible does not teach Young Earth Creationism |
Date: 2008-03-13 |
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Details: How different would Christian evangelism be if all of the Young Earth Creationists (YECs) gradually folded their tents and gave up their sincere but misguided fight that is so detrimental to Christian evangelism, especially toward the scientific community. Since YECs believe that the Bible trumps science every time, no argument from science is ever going to make this happen. This book, written by an evangelical Christian layman for conservative evangelical Christian adherents of Young Earth Creationism, Old Earth Creationism (OEC) and Intelligent Design, takes a giant step toward achieving the above goal.
Gordon J. Glover maintains that YECs and OECs are equally wrong in their approach to interpreting Genesis 1 & 2 (and other references to creation in the Bible). His main theme is that Genesis 1 & 2 are not scientific accounts of the origin of the universe and that both YECs and OECs err in trying to interpret it that way. He makes a very good case from the Bible itself that God accommodated his message to what the Israelites of that time could understand, and that God's message was theological, not scientific.
This approach is not new. It has been well developed in a number of commentaries on Genesis, including but not limited to John H. Walton's "The NIV Application Commentary-Genesis," C. John Collins' "Genesis 1-4," and Henri Blocher's "In the Beginning." What is new here is a discussion of the issues in a form much more accessable to Christian laymen. The author is neither a scientist nor a theologian, and, while his writing style is a bit flippant at times, he makes his points well, forcefully and understandably. He also acknowledges that it is going to take a lot of time for YECs to make the transition to a different way of understanding God's message in Genesis.
The author describes his reluctant acceptance of evolution as just another natural process through which God has been operating in his providental governance of the universe. In that vein, he expresses his dislike of the term "theistic evolution" as not making any more sense than "theistic meteorology." He cites a number of clearly stated, understandable reasons why biological evolution is currently the most reasonable explanation of the facts that scientists are observing in nature.
The author goes on to very clearly demonstrate that "creation science" is not science, that science is not the enemy of Christianity, and that science does not lie. He summarizes his position on "creation science" in four bullet points on page 105 as follows:
(1) Creaton science removes the Bible out from under the protection of the ancient Near-Eastern worldview - where truth did not always have to be expressed in scientific terms, and subjects it to the rigors of the modern materialists' worldview - which requires truth to always be precisely communicated in scientific terms.
(2) Creation science marginalizes the timeless theological realities of the creation story by exposing the timely physical details to scientific ridicule.
(3) Creation science hands the secular world a Biblical straw-man that can be easily torn down, along with the entire Christian faith.
(4) Since all scientific propositions are subject to falsification, creation science puts the Lord our God to the test!
I only wish that there were some way that Young Earth Creationists (and a few Old Earth Creationists) could be exposed to this book. I highly recommend it.
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Review Summary: Another Winner |
Date: 2008-01-24 |
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Details: I am working on a Doctorate in Religius Studies. My area of study is primarily focused on how to best interpret the Bible. This is a book that informed, inquisitive, and serious Christians should read. I like others have been brought up in a very conservative theological enviroment. I have accepted certain ideas about interpretation because these have come from trusted sources. I am open to truth since I believe all truth is Gods truth. This book will help you to stretch your thinking while at the same time encourage you to continue to study to 'the glory of God'. This is a must read for those interested in interpretation and those interested in understanding Genesis, the book of beginnings. This should also be most helpful for those concerned about the creation evolution debate. It takes a more reliable historical literary approach, which differs from and clarifies the weaknesses of both entrenched views. (that is from an interpretive perspective) A good read, a real blessing. Pastor Ken |
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