Here on Veracity, we talk quite a bit about three different models that Christians use to understand the “how” questions of Creation: How did God create the world? How long did it take God to create?
The three models are “Young Earth Creationism,” “Old Earth Creationism,” and “Evolutionary Creationism.” Some people get a little scared by the terminology. For example, some might say, “Atheists believe in evolution, so why should a Christian believe in it?” Or others might say, “Muslims say they believe in creationism. Is this about promoting Islam?”
Definitions are important, and here at Veracity, we go at great lengths to try to properly use these terms in such a way that respects and submits to the “plumb line” of Holy Scripture, the final standard for Christian authority. Each of these views, “Young Earth Creationism,” “Old Earth Creationism,” and “Evolutionary Creationism,” have various strengths and weaknesses to them. Here at Veracity, we discuss different topics like this (and many others!!), offering different points of view, challenging one another to think about what we believe. As you study these topics, you get to decide which viewpoint makes the most sense and which view is the most faithful to God’s Word. As Veracity founding-blogger, John Paine, reminds me, Veracity exists not to tell people what to think, but rather to encourage people how to think.
Recently, I have been invited to participate in Table Talk sessions for a discussion on Genesis 1-11 with our lead pastor, Travis Simone, during the Summer Bible Study at our church. You can view the latest session here with some commentary, as well as explore other blog entries related to the topic. Recent topics in this series include “Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither?,” “Tim Keller on Interpreting Genesis,” and “Does Genesis 1 and 2 Contradict One Another?” Simply browse the latest blog entries, or look for the “Search” option on the right hand side of the blog, and punch in something like “creationism” or “genesis,” and then click on “go” to pull up some articles that might help you think a little more deeply on these subjects.
Thank you for stopping by Veracity!
Veracity 
July 1st, 2015 at 5:53 pm
Clark, too many Christians seem to feel it is unwise to think too much about our faith but from all I have learned Christianity is the one faith that the more one thinks and studies about it the more we realize how truthful God’s Word is. After all Jesus told us to love God with our minds. David
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July 7th, 2015 at 1:31 pm
For folks who wonder if possibly all three of these “creationist” views are compatible with Christian faith, you might want to read a blog posting at Julie Roy’s website. Julie Roy is a radio broadcaster for Moody Bible Radio, a ministry of the evangelically conservative Moody Bible Institute.I have some difficulty with the term “theistic evolution” that is used instead of “evolutionary creationism,” but overall the article briefly describes each viewpoint without endorsing or explicitly rejecting a particular perspective:
http://julieroys.com/analyzing-3-views-of-origins-are-any-heresy/
I know that Julie Roy personally does not accept “evolutionary creationism,” but she is open to both the “young earth” and “old earth” viewpoints. If you read the article, it will link you to a debate she had on her “Up For Debate” radio program that discusses the phenomena of dinosaurs and their relationship to the Bible.
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