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Finding Adam: Harmonizing Biblical History with Evolutionary Science

Explore the search for Adam in both the Bible and evolutionary history, examining different attempts to reconcile the two narratives. This article highlights the challenges and limitations of various scenarios and proposes a perspective that allows for a historical Adam within a scientific model consistent with biblical history.

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Finding Adam: Harmonizing Biblical History with Evolutionary Science

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  1. “Adam, where art thou?”

  2. 1. Finding Adam in the Bible 1. Adam is a historical individual 2. Adam is the ancestor of all humanity 3. (1) and (2) matter

  3. 2. Not finding Adam in recent science (1) degree of similarity

  4. 2. Not finding Adam in recent science • degree of similarity (2) type of similarity – pattern of shared ‘mistakes’ (3) original human population much larger than a single pair

  5. 3. So where can we find Adam? Three attempts to harmonise Adam and evolutionary history: (1) old earth creationist (2) classic theistic evolution (3) accommodationist theistic evolution

  6. Bible’s history evolutionary history

  7. Harmonising Adam and evolutionary history least satisfactory: ‘ad-hoc’ • Old earth creationism 2. Classic theistic evolution 3. Accommodationist TE most biblical most satisfactory: consistent least biblical

  8. Adam can’t be found in evolutionary history • Specific scenarios are unworkable: • dating Adam: 1-200,000 yrs ago 10,000 yrs ago

  9. Neanderthal burial

  10. Adam can’t be found in evolutionary history • Specific scenarios are unworkable: • dating Adam: 1-200,000 yrs ago 10,000 yrs ago • relationship with co-existing hominids

  11. Adam can’t be found in evolutionary history • Specific scenarios are unworkable • Bible’s story-line incompatible with evolutionary history • cross and resurrection • flood

  12. Adam can’t be found in evolutionary history • Specific scenarios are unworkable • Bible’s story-line incompatible with evolutionary history • The historical Adam vs a historical Adam

  13. Adam will be found in a scientific model consistent with biblical history

  14. 4. What if we can’t find Adam (yet)? • be comfortable with not (yet) having an answer • don’t ignore the evidence • don’t rubbish the evidence or the scientists • realise how little scientists know • presuppositions limit the answers considered • Proverbs 18v17

  15. overturning models “The geosynclinal theory is one of the great unifying principles in geology. In many ways its role in geology is similar to that of the theory of evolution, which serves to integrate the many branches of the biological sciences…Just as the doctrine of evolution is universally accepted among biologists, so also the geosynclinal origin of the major mountain systems is an established principle in geology.” Clark and Stearn, The geological evolution of North America, (1960) p43.

  16. Desert sand? “... the eolian, that is, wind-blown, nature of such sand accumulations [e.g. the Coconino] is well founded. ... The grains consist of resistant quartz. Less resistant mica grains and ultra-fine clay particles have been abraded to oblivionand/or wafted off-site by wind.” D. A. Young and R. F. Stearley, The Bible, Rocks and Time, IVP, 2008, p.305.

  17. Conclusion We don’t need to rewrite our theology in the light of the findings of science

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