When Did Sin Begin?

Loren Haarsma

Description

The question of the "historical Adam" is a flashpoint for many evangelical readers and churches. Science-and-theology scholar Loren Haarsma--who has studied, written, and spoken on science and faith for decades--shows it is possible both to affirm what science tells us about human evolution and to maintain belief in the doctrine of original sin. Haarsma argues that there are several possible ways of harmonizing evolution and original sin, taking seriously both Scripture and science. He presents a range of approaches without privileging one over the others, examining the strengths and challenges of each.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology
• History of science

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 17 août 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493430697
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

“ When Did Sin Begin? explores an important issue in the current discussions about Scripture and science. The book models integration at its best, with serious and well-researched work on both the science side and the Scripture side of this discussion. Even when I disagreed with some points along the way (as one inevitably does), I could not fault the author for any failure to treat Scripture or the theological tradition with anything less than full seriousness. I recommend the book as a well-informed entry into many of the current debates among Christians about creation and human origins.”
— Douglas J. Moo , Wheaton College Graduate School
“In this timely book, Haarsma deals with the apparent dissonance between the doctrine of original sin and the biological evolution of humanity. Throughout the text, he systematically works through a variety of scenarios related to the origin of sin within an evolutionary context, clearly delineating the subtle differences between each approach and carefully working out the theological ramifications as well. Rather than narrowing in and promoting one particular point of view, Haarsma has laid out the parameters for a multitude of options, setting the stage for the reader to consider various possibilities. This book offers much food for thought and serves as a model for how we can wrestle well with difficult questions like this in the church.”
— Ryan Bebej , Calvin University
“This book embodies and enhances the effort to ‘integrate faith and learning.’ Here a theologically-engaged scientist lays out—reverently and methodically, from several angles—the key points at which human evolution intersects with the doctrine of sin. The result is a valuable update on the contemporary discussion, helping theological traditionalists like me to encounter the various alternatives and reflect on their respective implications.”
— Daniel J. Treier , Wheaton College Graduate School
“ When Did Sin Begin? presents a broad range of scholarship and viewpoints with civility and evenhandedness. Whether one is a theological novice or expert, timid or bold concerning the science, Professor Haarsma’s work offers a hospitable welcome to this important topic.”
— Justin Barrett , president, Blueprint 1543
“The subject of evolution and human origins continues to be a hot topic for Christians wrestling with the evidence and with the implications for their faith. Of the many books on the market, most focus on the truth or falsehood of scientific claims or on the proper understanding of the biblical texts. Few have focused on the potential impact of human evolution on a particular theological doctrine. Haarsma does just that with When Did Sin Begin? , exploring an array of possible scenarios of human origins and assessing the implications for the timing and nature of sin entering the world, the historicity of Adam and Eve, and our understanding of original sin.”
— Gregg Davidson , University of Mississippi

© 2021 by Loren Haarsma
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakeracademic.com
Ebook edition created 2021
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4934-3069-7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® , NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations labeled “NRSV” are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Contents
Cover
Endorsements
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Theology and Science in Harmony and Counterpoint
1. Scripture, Science, and the Holy Spirit
2. Creation, Evolution, and Divine Action
3. Suffering and Death before Humans
4. Human Evolution
5. The Soul, the Imago Dei , and Special Divine Action
6. Adam and Eve in Scripture
7. The Doctrine of Original Sin through Church History
8. What Is Sin?
9. What Changed When Sin Began?
10. Whose Fault Is It?
11. Difficult Questions for Each Type of Scenario
Conclusion: God’s Answer Is Still Christ
Scripture and Ancient Writings Index
Subject Index
Back Cover
Acknowledgments
I WROTE THIS BOOK for three audiences. First, it is for Christians who question scientific theories of human evolution because they appear to conflict with Christian doctrines about original sin. Second, it is for Christians who question the doctrine of original sin because they don’t see how to reconcile it with the scientific evidence for human evolution. Third, it is for people of any religious view who are curious how Christians might harmonize these things.
Work on this book was supported by the BioLogos Evolution and Christian Faith program and Calvin University. I am grateful to the American Scientific Affiliation for enabling many helpful conversations on this topic over several decades. Thank you to Rachel Hekman and Amy VanZanen for research assistance. Thank you to Deborah Haarsma, John Walton, Tremper Longman, Daniel Harlow, Gregg Davidson, Lyle Bierma, Daniel Treier, John Hilber, Gerald Hiestand, Clayton Carlson, Joel White, John Cooper, Ben McFarland, Cara Wall-Scheffler, Justin Barrett, Ryan Bebej, Darrel Falk, Matthew Lundberg, Ralph Stearley, Steve Wykstra, and Steve Roels for valuable feedback on earlier drafts.
Introduction
Theology and Science in Harmony and Counterpoint
YOU SIN. I SIN. EVERYONE SINS. Individually and collectively, we do morally wrong things and cause much suffering. Calling this “sin” is actually the start of good news. It signals that a holy and loving God wants better for us. God has a rescue plan in operation. Christianity, from its earliest days, affirmed that Jesus Christ is at the center of that rescue.
Human Evolution and the Doctrine of Original Sin Seem Dissonant
The Western church for centuries has followed St. Augustine’s formulation of the doctrine of original sin. Augustine taught that God created Adam and Eve holy and righteous; they chose to sin in the garden of Eden; sin damaged them; the guilt and damage were passed by inheritance to their descendants—all of humanity. The doctrine of original sin isn’t just about how the historical first sin occurred. It summarizes many things taught throughout Scripture about God’s goodness, human responsibility, the pervasiveness of sin, and the need for Christ’s atonement.
Theologians before and since Augustine disagreed with him on some points. But throughout church history most Christians, like Augustine, assumed that Adam and Eve were literal historical persons who were created miraculously by God a few thousand years ago in or near Mesopotamia and that all human beings are descended from just those two. So it is not surprising that many Christians perceive dissonance between the theology of original sin and modern scientific theories of human evolution. Scientific evidence indicates that disease, predation, and death were in the world long before humans existed. Genetic similarities between humans and animals indicate common ancestry. Human genetic diversity points to humanity descending not from just a single pair but from a larger ancestral population probably never less than thousands of individuals.
One line of thinking is that if Augustine’s interpretation of Genesis 2–3 is not true, then there was no original sin, no fall, and no need for Christ’s redemption. From this perspective, it seems like the entire gospel of Christianity is at stake.
The central premise of this book is that there are several possible ways to harmonize the doctrine of original sin and the science of human evolution , taking seriously both what Scripture teaches and what we learn from science. The first half of this book describes a range of scenarios; the latter half discusses theological strengths and challenges of each.
Is the Doctrine of Original Sin Really Such a Big Deal?
Sin is a big deal. All of Scripture agrees on this. Sin breaks our proper relationship with God. Sin would separate us from God eternally without God’s rescue.
God’s shocking answer to sin is the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Word of God, “begotten from the Father before all ages,” 1 “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:6–7). He became an infant. He grew and lived as we do. He did not sin, but he suffered the terrible consequences of our sin—including denial and betrayal by friends, mob hatred, unjust condemnation by religious and secular authorities, and death by torture. His resurrection and ascension completed and vindicated his work of atonement. Consider how vast the problem of sin must be if God would do all that to solve it.
How did we humans find ourselves in need of such rescue? God created us. God is good. God loves us. Why aren’t we sinless? Over the centuries, that question has been answered in a variety of ways.
The author of Genesis 2–3 lived in a particular cultural context and had important universal truths to communicate. The surrounding cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia had stories of their gods creating the world, fighting one another, and forming human beings. They also had stories about a past golden age. In that context, the author of Genesis 2–3 needed to communicate some universal truths. The wor