Scott Ransom’s mom grounded him from the nonfiction section of the library so that he would not be corrupted by evolutionary ideas from godless secular scientists. But the questions persisted and the fascination grew. Many years later, he’s written a book reconciling modern evolutionary science with ancient Hebrew texts. His book …And It Was So: How Modern Science Sheds New Light on the Biblical Account of Creation goes far beyond the stereotypical debates to land in new insights.
Scott’s website: www.ransombooks.com
Listen on our Podcast or watch on YouTube.
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Thanks. I enjoyed the discussion.
That word “haughty” to describe the “monsters” of Genesis 1 reminded me of Job 41, where God describes Leviathan to Job. I remember being taught it was a crocodile, but then I actually read the account. It sneezes light, breathes fire and smoke, has a strong neck, can raise itself up to terrify even the mighty. God says there is nothing like it on the earth, seeing all the lofty, and is king over all the sons of pride. That’s some weird crocodile!
The author of Revelation uses it as an archetype for the “great dragon.” It makes much more sense to me that God was describing some kind of dinosaur to Job.
Whatever it is, I don’t think you’d want to encounter one down a dark alley. No wonder Job was speechless afterwards (although he still managed to make a small speech about it, even then.)
Well, crap! I am so tired of this. I’ve been struggling with this (science, faith, “truth,” and the theory of everything, etc.) for decades and finally starting to just “let go.” As an former “intellectual” and post-evangelical-grieving-unrequited-Jesus-lover I am already imagining and anticipating the holes, mistakes, and blind spots in Scott’s book and “christian worldview”. And of course such prejudice isn’t fair. Now I am going to have to get the darn book and engage with it. As Scott said, “there is so much we could talk about around this.”
In any case, thanks Perry for this podcast. At least we finally have the answer we have been looking for: Scott’s answered prayer for freedom from commuting and time to write brought on the Covid pandemic in America! Thanks a lot Scott. (Non-sequitur aside.)
הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים “ostentatious”
I think you’ll enjoy Scott’s book.
Perry, Just thought I would mention: You were right! I just (finally) finished reading …And It Was So. Very interesting and entertaining and thought provoking! Reminded me and informed me of science and history I had forgotten or never known.
I studied elementary biblical Hebrew in college and seminary, and I knew that there was “deeper meaning” in the Hebrew roots and pictography, but I was unprepared for Tim Scott’s exposition.
For a number of years I have tried to expunge my “evangelical” brain from the notion that the OT could, or must be, a source of “revealed truth”. Of course, almost anything is possible, and conceivable. But, come on, man!
I am not invested in believing that the bible as a whole is “inspired by God” in any sort of “infallible” way. Nevertheless, Scott’s unapologetic and understated acceptance of Earth’s long time evolutionary development and how the Genesis story can imaginatively and comfortably fit right in with that was ringing bells of “vindication” in my (post) evangelical persona.
Thank you for turning me on to that book. It has changed and opened my thoughts about God, Creation, and Jesus.
Rob
That is fantastic to hear. Thank you for your report!
Rob,
The most productive path I have found is to hold two views in simultaneous tension. Embrace paradox rather than trying to resolve it. This article is an example:
https://evo2.org/origin-of-life-what-we-know/
This sounds like a great book. Are you aware of the book “Navigating Genesis” by Hugh Ross? It looks at the first 11 chapters of Genesis, showing how they fit with science. (I have included his website in the field below.)
I know Hugh Ross, he does good work. See https://evo2.org/scientific-evidence-existence-god/ – this talk, now very old but still reasonably current and accurate, had a huge impact on me.
If you want to understand the God of the bible from an ‘academic’ or ‘scientific’ point of view he will allow that as he has said “try me and see” and Jesus said “if you don’t believe what I say then look at what I do” but there is a caveat to that which you guys don’t seem to be aware of.
Jer 9:23 “to know and understand” and the know comes first! Scientific theories about God do not lead to knowing God himself and he tells us that very plainly: “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom” 1Cor 1:20-21
Knowing God first demands sincerity and truth especially truth because the wisdom of the world means to hide the truth Rom 1:18 and mishandling truth is a sure path to self deception 2Thes2:11 and the world of academia has done that in the key subject of thermodynamics which what you guys are missing in all of your ‘scientific’ stuff. Let me show you what I mean:
Boltzmann Entropy is written [ s = k.ln W ] but this form is only written this way to
a) to make it equal to Clausius classical expression for entropy change where heat is transferred in or out of a system and
b) The ‘k’ and log to base e are arbitrary additions to make the math work out that way
The TRUTH is Boltzmann’s entropy is just [s = log W] where ‘W’ is the number of microstatees in a chosen macrostate and not Wtot because to do so blows away everything Boltzmann discovered about the entropy that is a measure of disorder based on the basis of probability of the system being found in a chosen macrostate.
If we put ‘order’ the inverse of ‘disorder’ back we have a simple rationale from thermodynamics; Internal energy U = Q (heat random energy) + W (Work done on the system = directed energy) and we know only Work can produce order and directed energy must be directed by an entity that can make a choice ie a Mind. Hence the origin of all order is ultimately a mind. Meaning the diversity of life based on unique genes means all life was created and could not actually evolve by any random process.
Since the creation of Order by Work is always irreversible then we know the ordered universe we observe must increase in order back into the past where it must stop at its minimum entropy and maximum order. Therefor we know the universe was created by an infinite God and the bible gives the most consistent account of that. And given the obvious qualities of this infinite mind it would be foolish indeed to believe the account in Genesis is in any way flawed or does not mean what it plainly says.
I understand where you’re coming from. I’m writing a letter to atheists, and I’ve had to tackle some difficult issues along the way.
Part of the problem is, science doesn’t accept miracles. From a materialistic scientific point of view, either Jesus didn’t feed 5,000 and it’s just a made-up story, or else he had to have been running an open-air restaurant (“The Jesus Crust”), since scientifically, it’s not possible to feed 5,000 people from a few loaves and fishes.
The breadiologists would have carefully used breadiometric dating to show, based on the crusts, that the loaves had been baked for about 30 mins at 200 degrees celsius, consistent with Jesus running a set of ovens behind the scenes.
Was Jesus fooling the breadiologists? Not at all. They were fooling themselves into thinking their way of measuring applies to miracles.
This is an example of how, if we look at miracles through a purely scientific lens, it’s quite possible to draw very scientific but very wrong conclusions.
The conversation didn’t get any nearer to what the process of evolution is about or draw me any nearer to God. Monsters and Old Testament myths are the reason I take a grain of salt when it comes to the Old Testament compared to the New Testament. There is value in the Old Testament but only on a spiritually level not on a myth and monster level. I listen to very many different preachers and the ones most disappointing are the ones who never touch upon the New Testament in their sermons and that’s exactly what I found in the conversation.
– THE BIOLOGICAL BIG BANG-
Like gravity that assembles material matter into suns and planets, magnetic fields assemble shards of biological matter into life.
This is bibical