I could see myself recommending this book to parishioners who are looking to begin thinking about the evolution debate. At only 5 chapters long (with 5 appendixes for those who want to go a bit deeper) and less than 200 pages of larger font, this book is readable and could be realistically completed by most interested readers of the topic. An excellent resource for entering into the foray.
Chapter One is only five pages long and works as an analogy. It details the ancient debate about the fixedness of the earth and the movement of the sun. The standard interpretations of scripture in the Middle Ages were challenged in 1543 when Copernicus published his famous work, “On The Revolutions of the Celestial Orbs, in which he advanced the view that the earth and the planets orbited the sun. Copernicus’ science threatened standard interpretations of passages such as 1 Samuel 2:8; 1 Chronicles 16:30, Ecclesiastes 1:5 and Psalm 19:4-6, 93:1, and 104:5. But eventually, the church was able to understand those passages in light of a heliocentric view. If the church was able to do that, why couldn’t we also do the same thing as it relates to evolutionary science?
I loved chapter two because it is an 18 page road-map for how to properly interpret scripture. It’s a manual for proper hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is an intimidating word, and an even more intimidating field. But it’s so foundational to this discussion. Lennox explains what it means to take a text “literally” and how to properly approach a text that also includes metaphorical language. The author reminds us of how important it is for us to “be humble enough to distinguish between what the Bible says and our interpretations of it” (35). I could see this chapter being very helpful to lay readers on how to approach scripture in light of the specific question on how science should inform our understandings of what Scripture is saying.
Chapter three includes a helpful summary of different interpretations of Genesis 1-2. While the author admits to holding to the “old earth creationism” perspective, his historical survey would be helpful for anyone to gain an overall sense for the main questions that emerge and the main answers that exist. The chapter gives a lay-of-the-land in a straightforward and simple way without divulging too far into tangential details or over-analyzation.
In Chapter four, Lennox covers the debate about the origin of humans. This is less of a survey, and more of a teaching about the implications of the text. Throughout the chapter, Lennox continues to remind us to pay close attention to the text of Scripture – what does it actually say, and what is left unsaid? A close reading of Scripture is of utmost importance. And lastly, Chapter 5 maps out the theological (rather than the potentially scientific) messages of Genesis 1.
In his recommendations for how to approach this topic, Lennox recommends we avoid two extremes:
- We must beware of tying our exposition of Scripture so close to science that the former falls if the latter changes.
- We would be very unwise to ignore science through obscurantism or fear, and to present to the world an image of a Christianity that is anti-intellectual. No Christian has anything to fear from true science.
So, what is the best way forward? Lennox has four salient considerations (p86):
- Pay attention to the current scientific evidence for an ancient earth.
- Recognize that young-earth creationists should humbly agree that their view is, at the moment, implausible on purely scientific grounds.
- Embrace the fact that Scripture…does not require an interpretation of a young earth. Other interpretations do not compromise the authority of Scripture.
- Admit we don’t know everything. Humility is often seen in the greatest scientists, and is also a Christian virtue.
On the last page of Chapter 5 Lennox refers back to the age-old adage: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things charity.” His book is an admirable example of what that can look like in real life.
Throughout the book, Lennox employs an irenic tone, an admirable characteristic within a world of conflicting interpretations. My appreciation for this book therefore goes far beyond what it says and is centered more on how the author says it. A valiant example for how Christians should be able to approach and talk to one another when discussing this hyper-controversial topic.
Questions & Hope 