The Sacred Chain: How Understanding Evolution Leads to Deeper Faith

“You don’t have to choose between the well-established science of our day... and authentic Christian faith,” according to this comprehensive and passionate study. Stump (Science and Christianity) constructs a wide-ranging and nuanced case that dismantles literalist interpretations of the Bible. He notes, for example, that in Genesis, the reported cubic footage of Noah’s ark could not have physically contained “two of all living creatures.” Elsewhere, he adeptly reframes evolution using biblical precedents that suggest God “didn’t create things the way they were ultimately intended to be” (for instance, instead of filling the world with people, God urged Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply”). Other sections detail how Stump’s own perusal of scientific research brought alive “God’s creativity and delight in creation” in deeper ways. Throughout, Stump marshals fine-grained textual analysis to convincingly frame the Bible as a divinely inspired text written by ancient people with “very different scientific knowledge” than today’s humans have. He’s less persuasive on how souls evolved in humans, which he links to the development of bipedalism and language. Still, his logical and nuanced approach stands a good chance of reaching those struggling to find a meeting point between the natural and the supernatural. Admirers of Janet Kellogg Ray’s Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? will be pleased. (Apr.)