Faith, Form, and Time: What the Bible Teaches and Science Confirms about Creation and the Age of the Universe [Paperback]

Kurt Wise (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002

Darwinian theories of the universe, although mostly rejected by evangelical Christians, have still found their way into creation theology. A concept such as evolutionist creation has watered down much of the Bible's teaching in order to reconcile with popular tenants of science. The whole controversy swirls around the age of the universe. Dr. Kurt Wise, an associate professor of science and director of the Center for Origins Research and Education at Bryan College, shows from solid biblical teachings and scientific confirmation why young universe creation is correct. Beginning with God and His Word as the standard, Wise demonstrates how the biblical witness teaches that the age of the universe is not as old as Darwinian theory would contend. He also demonstrates how all issues raised by evolutionists can be answered not only by the Bible, but also by scientific data and research, nailing shut macroevolution's coffin.

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805424628
• ISBN-13: 978-0805424621
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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49 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A layman's guide to the Biblical model of origins, December 17, 2002

By 

David C. Read (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faith, Form, and Time: What the Bible Teaches and Science Confirms about Creation and the Age of the Universe (Paperback)

Kurt Wise is a "young earth" creationist with a Ph.D in paleontology from Harvard. Those credentials make him the jewel in the crown of contemporary creationism. That Wise managed to earn those credentials while remaining faithful to a straightforward reading of Scripture is almost miraculous. It shows a steadfast committment to the principle that the study of God's created universe must be subject to the truths revealed in God's Word. Interestingly, Wise's faculty advisor and mentor was none other than the late Stephen Jay Gould, who published so many popular books on science and natural history. Perhaps it was from Gould that Wise gained an appreciation of the need to occasionally write for the typical lay reader.

In this book, Wise brings us up to date on what has been going on in creation science over the past 20 years or so, particulary with regard to the creationists' efforts to construct a comprehensive model of origins. Typically, creationists have limited themselves to criticizing the naturalistic model of origins, especially Darwinism. It has been much more difficult to construct a Biblical model of origins. This effort had to await the emergence of a cadre of well-educated young creation scientists. There still aren't many such people, but the few there are have proceeded with the development of a model of origins that is faithful to the Bible, yet scientifically rigorous.

Wise begins with the fact that God was present at the creation. He is our Eyewitness to the origin of the earth and the universe. Therefore, what He tells us in his Word about those events is truthful and accurate. This truth is the foundation of all efforts to construct a Biblical model of origins. Wise is acutely aware of the theological problems that are created by acceptance of old age (mainstream geology)cronology. "Acceptance of old-age chronology requires a substantial revision of the biblical doctrine of God and His nature. . . . With the acceptance of old-age chronology, God is seen as responsible for introducing death, disease, and suffering into the creation hundreds of millions of years before man sinned."

One of the things that creation biologists are working on, as an alternative to cladistics and other Darwinian schemes of classification, is a creationist systematics known as baraminology. The word "Baramin" was coined from the Hebrew words for "created kind." Creationists do not deny "micro-evolution;" they acknowledge that there has been much diversification and speciation within the created kinds of animals and plants. The aim of baraminology is to determine which living and fossil forms can be grouped together as having descended from a single created kind or "baramin."

Another important development is the theory that there were floating forests in the pre-Flood seas. The types of plants and animals that we would expect to find in a floating forest are the same types we see preserved as fossils in the paleozoic strata. Assuming the Flood began in the pre-Flood oceans, the floating forest theory helps explain the fossil record of the paleozoic. (By the way, Wise calls the paleozoic the "primary" and the Mesozoic the "secondary," thus reverting back to the terms used by geologists before the uniformitarianism of Hutton and Lyell was adopted. It is probably a good idea for creation scientists to discard terminology that comes freighted with evolutionary meanings.)

The piece of the puzzle that seems to have most impressed Dr. Wise is catastrophic plate tectonics. In the last half century, geologists have developed a theory of the earth known as plate tectonics. This theory elegantly explains many facts about earthquakes, volcanoes, volcanic rock, ocean floors, etc. Creationists have developed a variant of plate tectonics, known as catastrophic plate tectonics (CPT). This theory has the continental plates moving at meters per second, miles per hour, during the Genesis Flood. Wise reports that CPT explains everything explained by the conventional theory, and more. Among other things, CPT explains anomalies in mantle circulation, the mottled pattern of magnetical reversals preserved in the volcanic rock, flood basalts, and the extremely violent collisions of continental plates (thus generating the force necessary to raise mountains like the Himalayas). Wise's enthusiasm for CPT theory comes through in his writing. I confess that I'm too ignorant of geology to really appreciate CPT, but in future I will do some reading in this area to bring myself up to speed.

My main criticism of this book relates to Dr. Wise's model of the Edenic and pre-Flood climate. He assumes that the water cycle in place before the Flood is very similar to the one in place today. He even volunteers that "just as lightning plays an important role in the maintenance of quality soil on the present earth, the lightning activity on the original earth was created to optimize early earth soils." Well, okay, but lightning also directly kills people by striking them and starts fires, thus indirectly killing people and animals. To say that it helps the soil seems like an extreme example of finding the silver lining of a dark cloud. I don't think that lightning or other natural phenomena like tornadoes, hurricanes, cyclones -all of which are integral and unavoidable parts of the modern weather regime-- were part of the original creation, and are unlikely to have been part of the pre-Flood world. I have no particular brief for a pre-Flood vapor canopy (which Wise rejects), but it seems to me that the pre-Flood climate differed from the modern weather regime in fundamental ways. Interestingly, Wise states that geological evils like earthquakes and volcanoes can be explained by CPT theory as legacies of the Flood, and biological evils like disease, death, and animal predation are results of the Fall of man. But what about meteorological evil -- tornadoes, hurricanes, the bad aspects of lightning? The origins model described by Wise doesn't seem to have an explanation for them. The other thing I don't like about this book is that it lacks an index.

But these are minor quibbles with what is otherwise an excellent, even an indispensable book. Dr. Wise has done a great service for all Christian lay people who are interested in keeping up with developments in creation science.

24 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fresh, Exciting approach to the subject of Origins, October 7, 2002

By 

Sheila Richardson (Crozet, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faith, Form, and Time: What the Bible Teaches and Science Confirms about Creation and the Age of the Universe (Paperback)

I have long awaited Kurt Wise's book. Dr. Wise is well known in scientific and research circles, but this is the first work he has done for a general audience. It was worth the wait... I love it!

I believe this work is unique in the field of origins in that it presents a positive, broad look at the entire subject. While most books spend their time attacking evolution, this book instead demonstrates how the data observed in biology, astronomy, geology, anthropology, etc. can be interpreted reasonably and compellingly from a worldview that accepts the teaching of Scripture and is still faithful to the observations of science.

While most books deal with a particular area of origins (such as geology, intelligent design, dinosaurs, etc.), this book paints the broad picture in a unified way. Every area of origins study is included here.

Dr. Wise is a truth-teller. He doesn't gloss over challenges to young age creationism. He boldly talks about the areas where more research is needed as well as presents intriguing, cutting-edge scientific observations and theories. He brilliantly reveals (to one who is willing to listen) why young-age creationism is so vitally important to a strong biblical faith and walk.

Dr. Wise does not ridicule evolutionary theory or its proponents. As a Harvard trained paleontologist, his understanding of evolutionary theory is excellent. He presents his theistic interpretations of the scientific information in a compelling, concise manner.

The theology and philosophy revealed in this book is God-honoring and mind-stretching.

The worldview here is unashamedly Christian, and the book is written to Christians. Those who are not Christians would benefit from the scientific information given, but would probably struggle with the theistic teaching throughout. The book is not overly technical, although there are some portions that will be difficult for one who has not studied science. However, I'd encourage him to "hang in there" through the more difficult parts, as the total picture painted in the book is exciting, even if not every page is understood. It is a book that reveals deep thinking, both on the scientific and the theological level. It is not for the faint in heart who merely want to be entertained.

This is a relatively short book with an incredible amount of material packed in. To flesh out all the concepts and have detail on all the intriguing observations would require volumes. Reading this book makes me wish I could sit at this brilliant man's feet and talk about all that his observations have stirred up in me.

If I was looking for one book to give to a thinking Christian on the subject of origins, this would be the book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The One Young Earth Creationist Book to Read, February 3, 2009

By 

Henry E. Neufeld "Bible Teacher" (Pensacola, FL, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faith, Form, and Time: What the Bible Teaches and Science Confirms about Creation and the Age of the Universe (Paperback)

I am a theistic evolutionist, and am opposed to the vast majority of the assertions in this book, sometimes vigorously opposed. Even such simple concepts as "God is creator" receive meanings that I do not believe are correct.

So why do I rate it as five stars? There are many young earth creationists (Dr. Wise prefers "young age" since he's speaking of the age of the entire universe), and they have written myriads of books. As a general rule these books vary from inane to deceptive, but are never profound, insightful, or accurate. One of the major problems is that these authors try to pretend that religion doesn't really play a role, that if science were done objectively it would come to their view.

Dr. Wise realizes this is not so, and thus is forthright and open about his religious convictions from the start. He believes in a young universe because of two basic convictions: 1) The Bible must be correct in all it asserts, and 2) The correct interpretation of the first 11 chapters of Genesis is as narrative history and forces one to accept a young universe if one is faithful to the text.

Having reached his conclusion about the age of the universe from scripture, which he believes is the controlling authority, he proceeds to try to find the holes in current scientific undestandings which will allow the formation of a coherent theory of creation, something no young earth creationist has ever done successfully. Dr. Wise believes it will take much work, and he regularly points the way to needed research.

I think his Biblical interpretation is wrong, and his scientific quest is hopeless, but he is open and honest, and by no means stupid or ignorant.

I rate this book very highly as the one young age creationist book which should be read by every opponent of their position. This is the coherent presentation of that position, and unless you understand this presentation, you don't understand Biblical creationism.

I would also recommend that every creationist--young or old age/earth--read this one book because they could see the necessary foundation of creationism. The sale of creationism as a purely scientific idea is a failure, and it is doomed to continue to be a failure. Dr. Wise believes, understands, and openly acknowledges that the necessary foundation (which he believes) is a belief in the Bible and in a particular variety of literal interpretation of it.

I went away continuing to vigorously disagree, but at the same time I must respect the integrity of this author.