Four Views on the Historical Adam (Counterpoints)

by Denis O. Lamoureux; John H. Walton; C. John Collins; William D. Barrick

and

2 more

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2013

Overview

As a part of the Counterpoints series, Four Views on the Historical Adam clearly outlines four primary views on Adam held by evangelicals, featuring top-notch proponents of each view presenting their positions in their own words and critiquing the positions with which they disagree. You will come away with a better understanding of the key biblical and theological issues at stake and of the implications of Adam for contemporary Christian witness and church life.

Key Features

• Provides numerous perspectives on Adam
• Compares and critique multiple distinct views
• Includes contributions from a diverse assortment of distinguished scholars and theologians

Contents

• Introduction: “Adam, to Be or Not to Be?” by Matthew Barrett and Ardel B. Caneday
• “No Historical Adam: Evolutionary Creation View” by Denis O. Lamoureux
• “A Historical Adam: Archetypal Creation View” by John H. Walton
• “A Historical Adam: Old-Earth Creation View” by C. John Collins
• “A Historical Adam: Young-Earth Creation View” by William D. Barrick
• Pastoral Reflection 1: “Whether or Not There Was a Historical Adam, Our Faith Is Secure” by Gregory A. Boyd
• Pastoral Reflection 2: “We Cannot Understand the World or Our Faith without a Real, Historical Adam” by Philip G. Ryken

Top Highlights

“Another reason some propose for abandoning the biblical record of mankind’s origins resides in the scholarly preference for identifying the ancient Near Eastern myths (such as Enuma Elish) as the prototype for Israel’s creation account.⁸⁶ However, those scholars assume that the biblical account originated with Moses, and they often summarily reject any concept of Moses’ employment of older records⁸⁷ unrelated to the Mesopotamian myths. What if Genesis 1–3 represents the original account that the later Mesopotamian materials skewed and spun to their own particular purposes, rewriting the factual record?” (Pages 223–224)

“Adam’s representative role for the human race flows from his reality as a historical person, as introduced in an historical narrative.” (Page 270)

“A second model is Nonteleological Evolution, the view that, while the supernatural may exist, it does not intervene after the universe comes into existence. In prior centuries this view was known as ‘deism.’” (Page 20)

“First, there is Naturalistic Evolution, which is highly dependent on philosophical naturalism.” (Page 20)

“Evolutionary creation asserts that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit created the universe and life, including humans, through an ordained, sustained, and intelligent design-reflecting evolutionary process.” (Pages 42–43)

Product Details

• Title: Four Views on the Historical Adam
• Authors: Denis O. Lamoureux, John H. Walton, C. John Collins, William D. Barrick, Gregory A. Boyd, Philip Graham Ryken
• Series: Zondervan Counterpoints Series
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2013
• Logos Release Date: 2015
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Adam (Biblical figure); Evangelicalism; Reformed Church › Doctrines
• ISBNs: 9780310499299, 9780310499275, 0310499291, 0310499275
• Resource ID: LLS:CNTRPNTSFRHSTDM
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T22:53:27Z

About the Editors

Matthew Barrett (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is assistant professor of Chris tian studies at California Baptist University as well as the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine. He is the author of several books, including Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration.

Ardel B. Caneday (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of New Testament and Greek at the University of Northwestern — St. Paul in the department of biblical and theological studies, where he has taught for more than twenty years. He is the coauthor of The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance and Assurance.