At BioLogos, we believe that God created humans in biological continuity with all life on earth, but also as spiritual beings. God established a unique relationship with humanity by endowing us with his image and calling us to an elevated position within the created order (read more about “What We Believe”). However, we do not hold a single position on the historical Adam. There have always been multiple views on this in the BioLogos community, including views not presented in the Zondervan book. You can browse the thoughts of Pastor Tim Keller (blog,PDF), Pastor Dan Harrell (video), biologist Denis Alexander (PDF), theologian Alister McGrath (video), and biblical scholar N. T. Wright (video). The reading list below gives other books and articles that review multiple views on Adam. Beware that the various positions do not always use standard nomenclature. For example, Denis Lamoureux’s view is labeled “evolutionary creation” in the Zondervan book, but is called a “symbolic” or “retelling” view by other scholars.
While BioLogos has not adopted a single position on the question of Adam, we are actively promoting dialogue and scholarship on this issue. Several of our Evolution and Christian Faith grants went to scholars investigating the historical Adam, including interdisciplinary teams of scientists, theologians, and philosophers. Some early results of that scholarship emphasize the importance of considering multiple views while holding to core Christian beliefs , including multiple theories of original sin. BioLogos also provides introductions to the questions of theimage of God and death before the fall.
Four Views on the Historical Adam shows that evangelical Christians are far from agreeing on the particulars of Adam and Eve. But this book also makes clear that there is strong agreement among evangelical Christians on the fundamentals of the Christian faith. We agree that all Scripture is inspired by God and authoritative, even while disagreeing on the interpretation of some passages. We agree that the evidence in God’s creation should be taken seriously, while disagreeing on how best to reconcile it with Scripture. We agree that God created humanity in his image, while disagreeing on how that fits with evidence for common ancestry with animals. We agree that all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, while disagreeing about how and when sin entered the world. Most importantly, we agree that salvation is found in Christ alone, and on that there is no disagreement.
We hope you’ll join us as we host a discussion on this important topic, beginning with John Walton.