Who Was Adam?: A Creation Model Approach to the Origins of Man

The authors of this study are distressed that many people, from scientists to judges, define creationism as a religious view rather than a legitimate scientific theory, and they attempt to redeem it as a science. (It is worth noting that both authors hold doctorates, one in chemistry and one in astronomy.) Early on, they state they define a creationist as ""anyone who believes in the existence of a supernatural Creator,"" but it quickly becomes clear that in fact they mean something much narrower. Their model posits that God created the first people, Adam and Eve; that humanity began in a specific geographic location, the Garden of Eden; and that this creation took place between 10,000 and 100,000 years ago. They then marshal evidence from various disciplines, such as archaeology and astronomy, to support their views. They also argue that ""changes in Earth's cosmic radiation environment"" have dramatically decreased human lifespan-thus it is wholly plausible that people once lived the 100-plus years of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. The authors depart from their scientific grid only to toss out a canard common in evolution-versus-creation debates: the insistence that adopting a ""naturalistic process of evolutionary descent"" leads to a world stripped of meaning. Rana and Ross are to be commended for purging their prose of unnecessary scientific jargon; the writing is clear enough that a lay-person can follow along. Nonetheless, this book is unlikely to persuade anyone who is not already in agreement with the authors' views.