The Sacred Chain
How Understanding Evolution Leads to Deeper Faith
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“In this marvelously accessible book, philosopher-Christian Jim Stump provides the reader with new eyes for a journey through time, the origin of the soul, suffering, and morality, and reveals how the latest scientific findings about what it means to be human have led him to a deeper and more authentic faith.”—Francis S. Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project and Founder of BioLogos, author of The Language of God
A thought-provoking and eye-opening work by Jim Stump, Vice President at BioLogos and host of the Language of God podcast, offering a compelling argument about how evolution does not have to be at odds with faith, but can actually enrich and deepen it.
In this moving and deeply thoughtful book, Jim Stump takes readers with him on his personal journey to understanding how the complex relationship between science and faith doesn’t have to lead to conflict. The Sacred Chain draws on philosophy, theology, and the latest scientific research to tackle some of the biggest questions in Christian apologetics today, such as:
How can we hold the Bible as a sacred text and yet reconcile modern science with it?By condensing noteworthy events in the history of our universe into one calendar week, what can we learn about God’s creative process and priorities, and where humans fit in?If humans are created in the image of God, what does evolution have to teach us about our species and our place in creation?What about the soul? How can we understand our transcendent qualities if the human body is the product of evolution?How does evolutionary science help us understand how God might use pain and suffering for important and good purposes?Does it have to be one or the other—science or religion—or is there a third way, one that not only preserves faith in the face of modern science, but leads to a stronger, more relevant, and more authentic faith?
Deeply researched and a delight to read, The Sacred Chain provides clarity for those wrestling with the problem of suffering and other tough questions, revealing a bigger picture of our world and our place within it. It is a panorama consistent with the scientific findings about human origins and where we come from that can actually bolster our faith as it engages our curiosity about ourselves, our universe, and the nature of existence itself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"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.
