| |
Young Earth Creationism
(YEC)* |
Old-Earth Creationism (OEC)* |
|
Evolutionary Creationism (EC) (aka Theistic
Evolution) (first 2 of 4)* |
|
Evolutionary Creationism (EC) (aka Theistic
Evolution) (last 2 of 4)* |
| (note:
kya = thousand years ago) |
A&E as recent specially
created ancestors (6-10 kya) |
A&E as ancient ancestors
(40 to 200 kya) |
(kya =
thousand years ago) |
A&E as spiritual
ancestors (45 kya to 200 kya, most likely 45 to 100 kya)** |
A&E as a group of
ancient ancestors (100 to 200 kya)** |
(kya =
thousand years ago) |
A&E as recent
representatives, much later than eary humans** |
Progessive humankind;
A&E not literal** |
| A&E
Relation to other humans |
Physical & spiritual
parents of all humans |
Physical & spiritual
parents of all humans |
A&E
Relation to other humans |
God selected A&E to be
spiritual ancestors to all humans
(with souls), all others were only advanced animals and died out. |
This assumes that God used
evolution to create humankind. Option - God could have revealed himself to
all humans in a single event. |
A&E
Relation to other humans |
Humans came about 150 kya;
A&E are recent (6-10 kya) evolutionary reps selected by God (possibly
Genesis 2 vs Genesis 1 or proto-Israel) |
Does not apply. A&E only
symbolic/archetypes |
| A&E
Occupation and Location |
Middle East, farmers |
Not well addressed.
Historically, very unlikely to be anything but hunter gatherers. |
A&E
Occupation and Location |
Probably hunter/gatherers
from East Africa or surrounding environs. |
Probably hunter/gatherers
from Africa |
A&E
Occupation and Location |
Adam & Eve could be
middle-eastern farmers |
Locations, occupation, or
time does not have particular significance in this model. |
| Theological
approaches: |
Literal'1
interpretation, but contrary to other interpretations. |
Literal'1
interpretation on A&E, but different on age of Earth. |
Theological
issues: |
Literal and figurative
mix. |
Mostly allegorical. |
Theological
issues: |
Literal and allegorical mix |
Mostly allegorical |
| First
humans with souls/ spiritual life |
A&E, 6-10 kya, followed
by all offspring (all humankind). |
A&E, 75 - 250 kya,
followed by all offspring (all humankind) |
First humans
with souls/ spiritual life |
Literal & figurative
A&E 40 to 150+ kya, first God awareness for all others |
Entire group. |
First humans
with souls/ spiritual life |
From early homo s. sapiens,
although unknown relationship with God. |
"Progressive"
responsibility, just as children progress as they grow up. |
| Sin/sinning |
Came from A&E's
sin. |
Came from A&E's sin |
Sin/sinning |
Sin: first rebellion against
God for A&E, then spread biologically, socially, and/or spiritually to
all others. |
Unclear: a) Over a period of
time all individuals in group sinned; or b) when one sinned it was applied to
group, or c) groups' sinful actions. |
Sin/sinning |
A&E would be first
sinners, but unclear on where sin began in others. |
"Progressive"
responsibility, just as children progress. Or it could be that sin represents
many acts of sinning over prior history. |
| Physical
death & death from sin |
Physical death only on Earth
after A&E's sin. No comment on spiritual death. |
Human physical death: on
Earth after A&E's sin. No comment on spiritual death. |
Physical
death & death from sin |
Physical death: always here.
"Death" from sin: for all sinners: maybe 'spiritual' death.3 |
Physical death: always here.
"Death" from sin: for A&E & following sinners: maybe
'spiritual' death.3 |
Physical
death & death from sin |
Physical death: always here.
"Death" from sin: for A&E & following sinners: maybe
'spiritual' death.3 |
Physical death: always here.
No comment on "Death from sin" or 'spiritual death.' |
| Genealogies |
Literal'1 - No or only
minor 'gaps' in genealogies. |
Scripture only showed
highlights: 34 to 194 kya gap after A&E family. |
Genealogies |
Scripture only showed
highlights: 40 to 90 kya gap after A&E. |
Scripture only showed
highlights: 34 to 194 kya gap after A&E family. |
Genealogies |
No or minimal 'gaps"
for A&E |
Genealogies were
allegorical. |
| How
Image of God applies |
From A&E on: Spiritual,
rational, volitional, reps of God on earth, & able to relate to God as
persons |
From A&E on: Spiritual,
rational, volitional, reps of God on earth, & able to relate to God as
persons |
How Image of
God applies |
From A&E on: Spiritual,
rational, volitional, reps of God on earth, & able to relate to God as
persons |
From A&E on: Spiritual,
rational, volitional, reps of God on earth, & able to relate to God as
persons |
How Image of
God applies |
Depends on view- either from
first humans or from A&E. |
Unclear, possibly
progression as children progress. |
| Compatibility
with Paul's statements on Adam |
Compatible |
Compatible |
Compatibility
with Paul's statements on Adam |
Compatible |
Seems incompatible, unless
Paul speaking about Adam as group or from his cultural understanding. |
Compatibility
with Paul's statements on Adam |
Seems incompatible. Some
argue Paul was speaking from his cultural understanding. |
Seems incompatible. Some
argue Paul was speaking from his cultural understanding. |
| How
author got story |
Assumes God's revelations
and/or oral traditions helped inspired writer(s). |
Pre-history, assumes
divinely given to writers possibly in vision(s). |
How author
got story |
Pre-history, assumes divine
conveyance to writers possibly in vision(s). |
Pre-history, assumes divine
conveyance to writers possibly in vision(s). |
How author
got story |
Assumes God's revelations
and/or oral traditions helped inspired writer(s). |
Pre-history & early
history that doesn't require literal history |
| Compatibility
with mainstream science |
Problems with multiple
branches of mainstream science. Not accepted by 98% of scientists.2 |
Problems with DNA mainstream
science. Not accepted by at least 98% of scientists.2 |
Compatibility
with mainstream science |
Compatible - there is no
scientific evidence this didn't happen. |
Compatible - there is no
scientific evidence this didn't happen. |
Compatibility
with mainstream science |
Compatible |
Compatible |
| Leading
arguments against this view |
Besides problems with much
of mainstream science, question of why God would create humans in a way that
mimics scientific evidence of evolution and DNA. |
Why would God create humans
in a way that mimics science? Also, this model is contrary to strong DNA
evidence humans started with much more than 2 persons. |
Leading
arguments against this view |
Use of some figurative
aspects to creation of A&E,
contrary to literalistic1 view. |
Relies on very heavy use of
allegory in Genesis account. This likely would cause big problems with many
evangelicals theology. |
Leading
arguments against this view |
Serious theological issues
on when souls, sin, spiritual death happened and what, if any, humans
relationship with God was before A&E. Contrary to traditional literal
view. |
Assumes Genesis 1-11 was
symbolic with some limited spiritual meaning (especially unusual on souls
& death). Serious theological issues for Evangelicals and a question of
why God allowed story to be so confused. |
| Incidental
Issues |
Where did Cain's wife come
from? Doesn't explain the agriculture, music, metalwork & cities
described in Genesis 4. |
Doesn't explain the
agriculture, music, metalwork & cities described in Genesis 4. |
Incidental
Issues |
Could be affected positively
or negatively by new scientific evidence. Also, requires genealogies to have
'highlights' - not a complete list. |
Requires genealogies to be
'highlights' -not a complete list. Also, because it greatly predates written
history, this assumes God would have had have given information to inspired
writer probably in visions. |
Incidental
Issues |
|
If God was involved in later
human history (Abraham through Jesus), why would he not have been directly
involved in the creation of souls and the beginning of great spiritual
significances of the A&E story? |
| Advantages |
Closest to literalistic
cultural traditions & theology. |
Fairly close to literalistic
cultural traditions & theology, excepting Universe/earth creation
"days." |
Advantages |
Closest EC view to
Evangelical tradition with literal A&E as spiritual parents of humankind,
while still acceptable to science. |
|
Advantages |
Perserves a literal A&E
(although not much like Genesis literal account), while compatible with
science. |
Clears up beginning of soul
& sin problems by suggesting it was gradual process over time. Fully
compatible with science. |
| Options |
|
A variation of this assumes
that God used evolution, but with miraculous modification to create A&E.
See "A&E as spiritual ancestors" |
Options |
Optionally, A&E could be
Genesis 2 creation (6-10 kya) vs Genesis 1 for prior humans (150 kya) |
A&E could be leaders in
group of ancestors or they could be biblical symbols of the larger group. Or
God could have revealed himself to the whole group in a dramatic event. |
Options |
A&E could be
proto-Israel and/or could be Genesis 2 creation (6-10 kya) vs Genesis 1 for
prior humans (150 kya) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
