We live in a world of relentless change. Scientific and technological advances occur at a pace previous generations could not comprehend. In many cases these are an unmitigated blessing, as the creative power of fallen humanity reveals the ruined, but still present, image of God. But in other areas the (supposed) progress of science seems to pose significant challenges to the Christian worldview. Of these, none is more serious than the challenge to a historical Adam.
Posing the problem
Science is continually developing and refining, but the foundational idea of evolution has been a reigning paradigm for over 150 years. In recent times, developments in the understanding of DNA and how genetic information is passed from one generation to the next have particularly challenged the view that humanity is descended in recent history from a single pair (Adam and Eve).
In response to the persistence of these challenges and deference to the (supposed) teaching of the ‘book of nature’, some have been urging other Christians to abandon belief in a historical Adam and Eve. Richard Gaffin (a firm defender of the historical Adam) has summarised the challenge: ‘Science is perceived as forcing us to acknowledge… [scientific] details [that] simply do not cohere with the view that all human beings [are] descended from Adam and Eve.’
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