The Bible, Rocks and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth [Paperback]

Davis A. Young (Author), Ralph Stearley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2008

Is the Earth relatively young or very old? We've all heard the controversy. The consensus regarding the age of the Earth, based on the best geological evidence, is that it is billions of years old. But many Christians believe that the Bible teaches the Earth is only a few thousand years old at best. What are we to make of this discrepancy? Geologists Davis Young and Ralph Stearley tackle this issue head-on. Thoroughly examining historical, biblical, geological and philosophical perspectives, the amply illustrated Bible, Rocks and Time takes a comprehensive and authoritative look at the key issues related to the Earth's antiquity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The long-awaited return of Dave Young's Christianity and the Age of the Earth has finally come and in a wonderfully new version. Young and coauthor Ralph Stearley present us with a unique scholarly treatment of geology's relationship to a key issue of biblical interpretation. They relate well the historical engagement of theology and geoscience with comprehensive support for the establishment of Earth's great antiquity. Every church library, Christian high school and college, seminary and bookstore should have this volume available as an essential reference." (Dr. Jeff Greenberg, professor of geology, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois )

"This deeply learned book by two committed Christians is the best of all proofs that science and religion properly understood are coworkers and not antagonists. It is fair-minded, it is sincere, it is informative, and above all else it is fun to read." (Michael Ruse, Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science, Florida State University )

"The basic geology in The Bible, Rocks and Time is 'rock solid.' Despite my background of over a half-century of geologic teaching and research, I could find nothing with which to argue. The book represents a most welcome change, an authoritative and well-documented major work combining solid science and religious history to stand in sharp contrast against the vast religio-scientific literature by those with little sophistication about either or both. This book could and probably should be used as a geology text for Christian colleges, or it might well be the basic text for an innovative 'pro and con' geology course in more traditional colleges and universities." (Donald U. Wise, Professor Emeritus of Geology, University of Massachusetts--Amherst )

"The Bible, Rocks and Time is a thoughtful book by Christian scientists for anyone interested in reconciling Genesis and geology. Planet Earth and life on our planet have long, complex and deeply interesting histories written in rocks and fossils that will never go away. Here professors Davis A. Young and Ralph F. Stearley lead us through a timely and constructive synthesis of religion and science." (Philip D. Gingerich, professor of geology and paleontology, University of Michigan )

"What an enjoyable tour of the history of geology, the interaction between geological study and biblical exegesis, and the current field of geology itself! Professors Young and Stearley have shown us why the geological evidence for the age of the Earth is persuasive. Their love for the Bible and for the world that God made, their commitment to a biblical worldview, and their patient explanations of scientific principles are exemplary, as is their respect for those Christians with whom they disagree. Thank you, Professors, for writing such a helpful book, which I will be glad to have people read." (C. John Collins, professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary )

"This book is a masterful, scholarly, engaging and readable defense of the claim that standard geology's dating of the Earth is consistent with a high view of Holy Scripture and sound Christian doctrine. Its challenge to young-Earth creationism is daunting--not only scientific but biblical, theological, philosophical and apologetical as well. It is the best book I know on this topic." (John W. Cooper, Ph.D., professor of philosophical theology, Calvin Theological Seminary )

About the Author

Davis A. Young (Ph.D., Brown University) is Professor of Geology Emeritus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His books include John Calvin and the Natural World, The Biblical Flood: A Case Study of the Church's Response to Extra-biblical Evidence, Portraits of Creation: Biblical and Scientific Perspectives on the World's Formation and Science Held Hostage: What's Wrong with Creation Science and Evolutionism.

Ralph F. Stearley (Ph.D., University of Michigan) is professor of geology and chairman of the department of geology, geography and environmental studies at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His current research interests include the history of paleontology and stratigraphy and Christian reactions to evolutionary thought.

Product Details

• Paperback: 510 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (August 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830828761
• ISBN-13: 978-0830828760
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #230,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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97 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Evangelical Biblical Scholar's Response, October 27, 2008

By 

Peter Enns "peterennsonline.com" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bible, Rocks and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth (Paperback)

An issue that is very important to me, both apologetically and spiritually, is for Christian theology to be in honest conversation with scientific research, particularly as it affects our understanding of Genesis and origins. Young and Stearley have produced a hefty volume aimed at demonstrating that "several purported scientific claims advanced by young-Earth creationists do not stand up to scrutiny and fail to establish a young age for the Earth. These claims are generally based on incomplete information, wishful thinking, ignorance of real geologic solutions, selective use of data and faulty reasoning" (475). Despite this blunt assessment of young-Earth creationism, the authors' treatment of their opponents' views are characterized by great patience and charity. If simple dismissal of the young-Earth view were their aim, they would hardly have spent 500 pages (small font) establishing their case, nor would the authors have gone out of their way so often to strike such a wonderfully pastoral tone.

Our authors are both associated with the geology department at Calvin College, Young as Professor Emeritus and Stearley is professor of geology and department chair. Young will be particularly known by a broader Evangelical audience as the author of Christianity and the Age of the Earth (1982) and Creation and the Flood: An Alternative to Flood Geology and Theistic Evolution (1977). The present volume is a rewrite of the former, spurred on by Davis's colleague Stearley. Young should also be known to many of us as the son of the late Westminster professor of Old Testament, E. J. Young. That connection is not superfluous, as Young's treatment of origins from a geological point of view is fully cognizant of the theological and doctrinal issues with which Evangelicals struggle and the need to bring science and Scripture into vibrant conversation. And as I said before, the tone is pastoral: the authors have no interest in winning a rhetorical battle. Rather, their wish is to provide a thorough assessment of the available evidence, evaluate young-Earth creationism, and encourage those who hold an Evangelical faith with a paradigm for holding the two worlds together.

I first became aware of the book when, about three years ago, Young sent me the chapters on "The Bible and the Antiquity of the Earth" (chapters 6 and 7 of this seventeen chapter volume). Although their treatment of the biblical story in the ANE context is relatively brief in comparison with the book as a whole, whose focus is certainly geology, I was nevertheless very impressed at their treatment of this very important issue. More than that, the authors understood full well that the challenges of scientific research require alternate paradigms for understanding the nature of Scripture other than what is offered by young-Earth creationism. Toward that end, these two chapters rehearse the well-known position that Genesis is not a science book, but a document that spoke originally to a very ancient people. To expect a scientific model from Genesis is to misunderstand Genesis and to render incomprehensible the vast scientific data at our disposal. The authors are to be commended for moving their readers toward such a responsible synthesis.

Young and Stearley have produced a volume that not only deals a very serious blow to young-Earth creationism, but one with which Evangelical theologians and biblical scholars must reckon. The authors offer an implicit challenge to any contemporary interpreter who wishes to understand the nature of human origins in isolation from the world of scientific inquiry. If modern geology is on the right track, the age of the Earth is nearly 4.6 billion years. This challenges the young-Earth assumptions of Scripture and of the history of Judaism and Christianity until relatively recently (a topic the authors cover patiently for about 140 pages in chapters 1-5). Few Evangelicals would quibble with this, but the implications are far reaching. The scientific data, coupled with our growing knowledge of ANE literature, make a concordance model (one which reconciles science and Scripture) highly problematic to those with training in either field. Also, this seemingly innocent recognition that the actual age of the Earth does not correspond to what the Bible presents has broader implications, namely, that other portions of Genesis do not comport with scientific investigation.

From a geological point of view, the most relevant biblical episode is the Flood. Much of the book is aimed at discrediting the view that the fossil records make most sense in a catastrophic deluge model, which is the heart of a young-Earth apologetic. To speak plainly, the implication of geological investigation is that the Flood is to be understood not as a bare description of an historical event, but as an ANE story, necessarily limited in its scope, but that nevertheless tells a powerful and theologically rich story about the nature of God ands his relationship to the world. No doubt, this will not sit well with many Evangelical readers, but any counterargument will have to engage our authors on the level of evidence rather than personal preference.

Some may rejoin that such a position divorces the Bible's theology from historical events. Yes, this is true of the Flood story, but that does not mean that all of Scripture is divorced from history. This slippery slope argument will do little good in trying to present a balanced view of the issues discussed in this book. The topic under discussion is the Flood--not the resurrection, Paul's second missionary journey, or David's reign in Jerusalem. The geological evidence plus the ANE texts we have at our disposal pertain only to this particular portion of Scripture; they do not affect the historicity of the Christian faith in general.

Still, the evidence does most certainly affect our understanding of the historical nature of the Flood, and this is not small thing. In brief, what remains sorely needed in my opinion is deliberate conversation between biblical scholars and scientists (not just geologists, but physicists, biologists, anthropologists, etc., etc) on the question of origins.

On the whole, I found the book to be wonderfully well organized and presented. There are charts, graphs, and a good number of photographs. It was, however, for this humble biblical scholar, quite a challenge to get through. Even though the authors go to great lengths to present the material in as accessible a manner as possible, the discussion is necessarily somewhat technical and imbued with the jargon of the discipline. I was definitely taken out of my comfort zone of Hebrew infinitive constructs and Jewish hermeneutics and dropped down into the middle of such things as faunal succession, ecological zonation, localized natural traps, long-lived regional-scale depositional environments, Lompoc diatomite mass mortality layer--you get the idea.

Still, readers with serious interest in the intersection between Bible, origins, and science (which I hope is everyone) should attack this book with great enthusiasm, as it will profit anyone, even those without a background in science. Those that might benefit the most, however, are least likely to read it, i.e., those who feel that our understanding of Scripture can proceed in blissful isolation from advances in human thought. But their refusal to enter this vital conversation is their choice, and should not determine what others do. Young and Stearley have provided a wonderful resource for those seeking to understand our world and the God who made it.

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A teacher's perspective, December 3, 2008

By 

Jeff O (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bible, Rocks and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth (Paperback)

As a public school teacher who teacher Earth science and Physics I highly recommend this book for everyone who is interested in the antiquity of the Earth and how it connects with the Bible.

I found that the book was organized very well because the authors didn't come right out exposing the faults of young-earth creationism. The history of modern geology gives a great basis for understanding the authors throughout the book and how geologists do science.

In Part II: Biblical perspectives bought up some theological points that bring out the historical context of the book of Genesis in a way that is truthful and insightful.

When Young and Stearley bring up the geologic perspectives, they are able to explain the geology in way that people who have never taken a geology course could understand the text without much help. I found many of these examples the authors talk about to be very easy to understand. The nice thing about a few of the examples they discuss is that I have been to a few of the sites and even if you haven't you would be able to picture it.

As an Earth science teacher who teaches about the geologic record, I will be using many of these examples in class to show the antiquity of the earth. Every year in every one of my classes there are many students who can't believe or are confused about the antiquity of the Earth. Young and Stearley talk about students being shocked by the overwhelming evidence for the antiquity of the Earth and not knowing how to process the information.

This book needs to be read by all people who speak, discuss, or who are interested in the topic of the age of the Earth before more damage is done separating people of faith from understanding how God has magnificently revealed his power and creativity through the world that we continue to study.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A professional scientist's view, June 16, 2009

By 

B. F. Mooney "biologist" (Mooresville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bible, Rocks and Time: Geological Evidence for the Age of the Earth (Paperback)

If you are interested in the age of the earth controversy, read this book. it is a good examination of the issues and the proof.

Actually, I almost wrote "supposed controversy" as the young-earth argument is so weak as to be practically non-existent.

The single, one-star review is honest in its intent, but fully off the mark on this book and topic, and simply wrong. The review is not about the book, and is a tiresome rehash of old arguments. I do not doubt the author's intelligence, but it is clear that the Bible has been badly misread here - misappropriated as a book of natural history. The words of Genesis which refer to the time involved in the creation of the earth are commonly mistranslated/misinterpreted (the original Hebrew words do NOT support a young earth hypothesis).

Also, while mechanical engineers certainly haver some scientific training/education, they are NOT scientists; just as I would not extend my scientific education as a biologist and chemist too far in trying to make statements about mechanical engineering, so I think the author of the one-star review should realize his limitations. As an evolutionary biologist, I have spent decades accessing the overall biological and geological evidence for evolution, and for the age of the earth.

The age of the earth argument has been progressively more and more settled as geology progressed the past few hundred years. Lord Kelvin's miscalculations seemed the strongest attack on the view that the earth is billions of years old, and it failed miserable in one step. Further, since there is nothing in the Bible to actually support the young-earth hypothesis - so science and Bible need to be at odds here.

This book does a good job of exploring the issue, and should be widely read. With all due respect (pace) IGNORE the well-intentioned, but erroneously argued, one-star review. It merely weakens the legitimate stance of religion in today's society. It is hard to conceive of a weaker argument to make than that favoring a young earth perspective. It is time to to put this one to bed, permanently.