Religious faith possible without denying science

In a recent edition of Christianity Today, respected Evangelical scholar John Walton revisited the creation story of Genesis. I took special note of the article by Kevin Emmert because it was in the leading print voice of the Evangelical Christian world and because John Walton teaches at Wheaton College, my alma mater.

I am in great debt to Wheaton College for its rigorous academic standards and for the school’s passion for the Christian gospel. I am always pleased to claim Wheaton College as my higher education home base.

I learned to think at Wheaton. When I pursued graduate school education, I faced new intellectual challenges. There was no greater challenge than being a devout Christian in a world with exploding scientific knowledge. I worked very hard to find scientific understanding and Bible understanding that would embrace both science and vital religious faith.

I recently had a vigorous discussion with another clergyperson about the shortage of Christian churches that deliberately bring modern science and thoughtful theology together. The lack of such churches makes an impact that is devastating for the person who wants a vital faith in God without denying the facts presented by science.

In his interview, Walton embraces what was unthinkable when I was studying at Wheaton. According to Walton, the Genesis creation stories are not about the beginning of all things. Rather, they are about the values that underlie the Israelite, Muslim and Christian traditions.

The great leap that Walton makes is his insistence that the creation stories be read and interpreted in the context in which they were written and with an understanding of the Hebrew language in which they were written. With these two affirmations, Walton not only unlocks a better understanding of the so-called creation stories but also pushes us toward a better understanding of the whole body of writings that make up the Bible. Context and language, every person who reads the Bible seriously must remember these two factors.

When Walton frees Genesis 1-3 from beginnings and moves them to values, he destroys any conflict between religion and science that the devout Christian might have. The doors of scientific research are thrown wide open. Concretely, the devout Evangelical believer can seriously consider the widely accepted theory that the universe began 13.8 billion years ago with the Big Bang.

The Big Bang and its effects on modern scientific thought are helpful to many people. The 13.8 billion years gives ample time for evolution to bring us to the modern world in which we live. However, in reality, does it say anything about the beginning of all things?

My favorite quote from philosopher Soren Kierkegaard quickly comes to mind. “Beware of the person who says ‘Aha! I have found the beginning!’ He has not found the beginning. He has simply become tired.” Science has apparently given a plausible time line to all of us to ponder.

However, science has not given an answer to “Why did it happen?” or “What caused it to happen?” In reality, science has no tools with which to speculate why a beginning happened or to discover the uncaused cause that set a beginning in motion. Time itself becomes a great mystery that stretches in both directions from the Big Bang.”

13.8 billion years is a lot of time, so much that the age of the universe becomes irrelevant to the discussion of beginnings. Even in theory, does the beginning of all things have any meaning?

Another fascinating comment from the Christianity Today article comes when Walton is asked about evolution. His response was one of near disinterest. The devout believer is free to pursue his/her own best conclusions.

With seeming ease, Walton set aside what has been one of the great tensions among Christian believers. Walton does not believe theories of evolution are worth division of Christian brothers and sisters.

The reading of the Christianity Today interview of John Walton was refreshing. When I reread the early chapters of Genesis, I read on to the story of Cain’s murder of his brother, Abel. It was a death that made no sense.

When Cain was confronted with his murderous deed, he responded with a question. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” It is a much more serious question than the question of the beginnings of all things, as interesting as the discussion can be.

13.8 billion years is a lot of years and makes for a lot of discussion. I read Walton’s comments as an honest and helpful attempt to move us forward in a nearly pointless discussion.

Let’s move on to Genesis 4 and answer the greatest question ever asked. Am I my brother’s keeper?