Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Pangea Blog

Home

Home
Progressive Christian
How the Heavens Go?

How the Heavens Go?

Last updated on: July 6, 2011 at 8:25 pm by Kurt Willems

How the Heavens Go? 2011-07-06T20:25:09-07:00 Kurt Willems

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I recently posted a blog about the journey that i have taken towards having an open mind about evolution and science in general. Although i do not feel obligated to recant or retract anything that i have stated, i want to clarify some things so that no one gets worried about my beliefs.

1. I trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and believe that he was with the Father before the foundations of the cosmos.
2. I trust the bible as authoritative and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

3. I am committed to attempting to exegete Scripture forwards from the 1st century rather than backwards from the 21st century.

4. The bible is compiled of several genres that must be read as literature. Inspired yes!!! but that does not remove the cultural implications or the intent of the original authors who wrote: historical narrative (tell story), didactic literature (straight forward language), wisdom literature (timeless truths), prophetic literature (foretelling or forthtelling), apocalyptic literature (imagery soaked)

5. Ask the questions: What am I assuming about the text based on my modern experience? What is the writer’s reference point?

Keeping these issues in mind, i must clarify that I have an open mind to evolution because the bible is not a science book. I have heard it said by someone lately that “the bible tells you how to go to heaven; not how the heavens go.” For instance, the Genesis account never says that God made it this way or that; it simply says that God created and “it was very good.” The first three chapters of Genesis are written as poetry, so they should not be viewed as proposing a bunch of propositions. I would say that Biblically speaking, we ought to view this section of Genesis as conveying certain theological truths (God loves the world that he created, God blessed humanity with his image, etc.); but not as particularly concerned with modality (how he created it all [ie. 7 days]). Some may say that if we question this then everything is up for grabs; but I say that is exactly why we MUST KEEP GENRE, CULTURE, AND CONTEXT in mind. Lets read poetry as poetry. Lets read the narratives of the gospels as exactly that; narratives about the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord. Now, lets return to Genesis 1 for a moment…

1. This passage is not meant to give us a scientific formula for creation.

2. Genesis 1 is written as a piece of poetry

3. Most Christians throughout history did not view the six days of creation as literal 24 hour periods

A. Poetry does not seek to analyze something, as much as it seeks to convey a message.
B. The word ‘Day’ in scripture can also mean a long period of time.
C. If this is read as literal: why is the marker of a 24 hour day [sun, moon, stars] not even created until day four?

4. Taking the Bible seriously does not mean accepting whatever ‘makes sense’ on the surface; it was not written in 21st century.

5. This poetic text is not concerned with how, but with Who.

Those are some basic comments about the Genesis account of Creation. I want communicate that there has always been Christians who have simultaneously held to some understanding of Darwin’s Theory (by the way, i see it as exactly that; a theory). It is a lie propounded by the fundamentalism of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that the Bible and Evolution must be viewed as in antithesis (for instance, Asa Grey was a devout Christian and took over Darwin’s work after he died). However… The BIBLE AND ATHEISM ARE AT ANTITHESIS! and i want to affirm my belief in a loving creator who was willing to die for his creation!!!!!

With that all sorted out, I again want to emphasize that there are several Bible believing Christians that are open minded towards some of the teachings of evolution, not all of the teachings, but some. It is only radical evolution that has been distorted as ‘atheistic’ (the view of Dawkins, etc.) that is rediculous and opposed to what i believe about my Savior and Lord.

Here is a link to a conservative Christian webpage about this issue: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-god.html

Also some Books by Evangelicals who hold to Theistic Evolution…

“The Language of God” by Francis Collins

“Coming to Peace With Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology“
by Darrel R. Falk (biology professor at Point Loma Nazerine University)

“Three Views on Creation and Evolution” Edited, J.P. Moreland

Here is a chart that explains the basic views on creation [double click to see full view]…

Evolution

Theology

Previous Post

May 19, 2008

Home Made Rocket Pack!

Next Post

May 21, 2008 Surprised By God's Voice...

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category (Series) All Out War-Spiritual Warfare (Series) Church Plant Journal (Series) Dear Reader... (Series) Earthquakes...Signs of the Times? (Series) Entering the... Conversation (Series) Evangelical Culture Myths (Series) Everything is Meaningless [Pete Enns] (Series) Evolving Evangelicalism (Series) Hell Yes. Hell No! Who Cares? (Series) Hidden Worldviews (Series) If Evolution is Right, what about Adam? (Series) in less than 300 words (Series) Jesus and Nationalism (Series) Liberating Women for Ministry? (Series) Life-Changing Books (Series) Markers of Church Plant Movement (Series) Nonviolence 101 (Series) Philemon - Reconciliation (Series) Quote to Ponder (Series) Red Letter Dialogues (Series) Resource of the Week (SERIES) Revelation Sermons (Series) Share Something Sundays (Series) Simplicity in the Burbs: $2 a day (Series) The Binding of God [Open Theism] (Series) The Creed: Anabaptist Reflections (Series) Values for Church Leadership (Series) Video to Ponder Anabaptism Animal Advocacy Books Church Ministry Church Planting Community Culture Eschatology Eucharist Evangelical Reject Evolution Fundamentalism Greek Greg Boyd Guest Contributors Hell Holy Spirit Israel/Palestine Kingdom of God Lent Missional N. T. Wright Nationalism New Creation Nonviolence Open Mic Open Theism Parenting Passover Paul Philemon Podcast Politics Restorative Justice Revelation (the book of) Rob Bell Ron Martoia Sermon Shane Claiborne Social Justice Speaking Engagement Spiritual Warfare Spirituality Temple Theology Tim Geddert Tribulation Uncategorized universalism Video Blog Women in Ministry Worship Music Youth Ministry

Select a Month August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 October 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 December 2016 October 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Roman road was Paul traveling when he encountered Jesus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jericho Road Roman Forum Road Corinthian Way Damascus Road

Support this
Column