A Worldview Approach to Science and Scripture: Making Genesis Real
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Overview
There are a number of well-known areas of disagreement when it comes to discussions of the relationship between Christianity and science--most relating to the early chapters of Genesis. Observing that the traditional Christian positions, such as Young Earth and Evolutionary Creation, fail to properly account for the relevant theology, science, and history, geologist Carol Hill instead proposes a Worldview Approach. This approach seeks to uphold fundamental Christian doctrines while also taking into account the findings of modern science, and recognizing the prescientific worldview of the biblical authors. Hill argues that numerous apparent conflicts between Scripture and science can be resolved by understanding the ancient worldview of the Scriptural authors and how it differs from our modern, scientific worldview. This framework opens the door to resolving longstanding points of contention including:
- The six days of creation
- The Garden of Eden
- The numbers and chronologies of Genesis
- Noah’s flood
- Evolution
- Adam and Eve
For each of these topics, Hill explains the meaning of the relevant biblical passages, the scientific data, and how the Worldview Approach resolves apparent conflicts. Anyone who has wrestled with these topics will find A Worldview Approach to Science and Scripture to be an invaluable resource for truly understanding the biblical texts and scientific findings, as well as discovering new solutions for these controversies.
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- Seeks to promote harmony between Christianity and science
- Intends to be an apologetics book modeled after Bernard Ramm’s 1954 classic work The Christian View of Science and Scripture
- Approaches the topics through a “Worldview Approach” to science and Scripture in order to reconcile and harmonize these two seemingly opposing subjects
- A Worldview Approach
- The Six Days of Creation
- The Garden of Eden
- Noah’s Flood: Historical or Mythological?
- Noah’s Flood: Global or Local?
- Flood Geology
- Evolution and the “New” Genetics
- Adam and Eve and Origins
- Putting It All Together
Top Highlights
“ interaction with, and revelation to, their ancestors.” (Page 160)
“Natural selection. Natural selection occurs when the environment acts as the selective agent by which combinations of characteristics best fit that particular environment; that is, it determines the ‘survival of the fittest.’” (Page 110)
“‘How could Noah’s ark have floated up-gradient to the mountains of Ararat if the flood was local?” (Page 82)
“ event is Genesis 41:56: ‘And the famine was over all the face of the earth’” (Page 72)
“A Worldview Approach interprets the Bible as the inspired revelation of God, where the biblical authors were allowed to express their interaction with God from their own literary and pre-scientific knowledge base. Does this make the Bible untrustworthy, in that it has incorporated the naïve views of the ancients? No, because these pre-scientific views are part of real history. If the Bible does not conform to real history, it is not a historical document, and it is then that the stories of Genesis become mythological and thus untrustworthy.” (Page 14)
This is one of the best one-volume works on the creation/evolution dialogue in print.
— Kenneth Keathley, Senior Professor of Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
An excellent scientific treatment of the world of Genesis, using full-color illustrations and readily understandable explanations, that will be an essential textbook for any class on creation and an indispensable resource on the subject for lay readers.
— Michael L. Peterson, Professor of Philosophy, Asbury Theological Seminary
This book does a much-needed service for all Christians troubled by the relation of their faith to science. While other writers have also taken the position that Genesis is to be understood from the standpoint of the worldview of its own time, Hill has spelled out just how to do that in nontechnical language and convincing detail.
— Roy Clouser, Professor Emeritus, The College of New Jersey
- Title: A Worldview Approach to Science and Scripture
- Author: Carol Hill
- Publisher: Kregel
- Print Publication Date: 2019
- Logos Release Date: 2021
- Pages: 225
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- Subjects: Creation › Biblical teaching; Intelligent design (Teleology); Biblical cosmology
- ISBNs: 9780825446146, 0825446147
- Resource ID: LLS:WRLDVWPPRCHGNRL
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T03:54:07Z
Reviews
0 ratings
Paul Gerardi
1/8/2025
Whenever what is stated in the Bible does not line up with what (modern) science says is so, the author believes we should go with the science and just understand that the writers of the Bible were simpletons (pre-science) in their worldview and God was OK with that. If that is so, then the Bible is untrustworthy, is not the Word of God, is of no actual value in knowing about God, or ourselves, and should not be believed at all when it talks of things that science tells us plainly are impossible - such as the existence of a God in the first place, a virgin birth, accurate and detailed prophecies made hundreds of years before the events (they must have been added afterward by "followers"), miracles, or the spontaneous resurrection of a dead man. God's inspiration of all the Scripture that comprises the Bible means it is always accurate and true - or it is not the Word of God. Whatever freedom in linguistic style, language, etc. was granted the humans who God chose to record His Word, one thing must be accepted - NOTHING they wrote could be of their own interpretation (see 2 Peter 1:20). Because if it was, then the Bible is the word of ignorant men and not the omniscient God, and we should just disregard it altogether, except perhaps as an exercise in seeing just how much the human worldview has changed over time. E.g. The author's argument that despite the language of Genesis clearly intending to convey that God created the world by fiat in 6 days of roughly 24 hours each, just like they are today, ("and there was evening and morning the nth day") that's just a pre-science worldview and not scientific reality. If we agree with the author, then we all know there couldn't be a day or night on the first three days if God made the sun on the 4th day (conveniently forgetting God had created light on day 1 and separated the light from the dark at the same time, setting up the literal day). Instead of asking "what could that light have been which God used to delineate days and which predated the sun by 3 days?" (Hint: it was the manifestation of God's glory, see Rev 21:23-25)the author simply slides into the day-age claims that a "day" was a long period of time. Forget that when God gave the Jews the Law He clearly stated that the reason for the 6 days of work and 1 day of (sabbath) rest is based on the 6 days of God's creative work and the 7th day when He rested from his work OF CREATION (See Exodus 20:8-11). The author attempts a weak argument telling us the days had to be symbolic for the long ages because the 7th day in Exodus doesn't have "evening and morning" attached and so wasn't an actual day but is a long age which is still going on today. Something which is demonstrably false as God is NOT still resting but is actually WORKING, and Jesus Himself told us that. Because of sin, the "sabbath rest" is not ongoing but is IN THE FUTURE for all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is our sabbath, and at the end of the age when the devil and sin and death are cast into the lake of fire, we will finally experience and be in the true Sabbath of God. But until then the Father is working, and Jesus is working, to redeem lost sinners (John 5:17-30). Instead of trusting science over God's Word, we should start from God's Word and then re-evaluate what we think we've discovered by "science". There was a movie some years back where the script writers had the scientist/theologian say to his students "Science and scientific finding do not make the statements in the Bible true. Scripture is always true. Scientific support of the Scripture only means the science is true. Because we know that the Scripture already is." I've been a scientist and engineer for almost 50 years. And I can attest to the truthfulness of that statement. If something in science is in disagreement with the clear reading of God's Word - our "science" is flawed and we need to revisit it. I'm glad I bought this book on sale and didn't waste full price on it. I wanted an example of how NOT to deal with apparent disparities when discussing God and science in our adult Sunday School classes, and it fits that niche.Robert N
1/2/2025
"The book of Genesis stems from the Mesopotamian culture..." This reveals the authors focus in the 50 years of studying the Bible. I too have studying the Bible for 50 years. The Bible is God's word and not the work of any culture and not the work of man. This is an evolutionary liberal viewpoint. Just cursory reading reveals that the Bible is not a work of man, but the Spirit of God. Christ over culture. The word of God predates Mesopotamia and the cultures of that time... those cultures are all post-Flood. The insights into pre-history ante-diluvian times is in Genesis. Furthermore, no man was there to witness the creation until Adam was created. For too long have Christians compromised with culture fearing the rejection of man and his "science falsely so called". Genesis is a historical narrative of history God deems most important to bring men to the Son, the Savior. Adam to Noah to Abraham to Israel to the nation of Israel including the tribe of Judah and King David of that tribe to the descendant of David, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Creator, and Savior of whosoever calls upon Him in faith. He is the LORD of Lord, the Lamb seen in Revelation and the King of Kings. The Bible is not about culture... it is about Christ...