Faith & Science Icon Faith & Science
Human Origins Icon Human Origins

Luskin: Adam and Eve and the Evolving Scientific Consensus

First Couple
Image: Adam and Eve, by Tintoretto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Discovery Institute’s Casey Luskin had a great conversation with Hank Hanegraaff on the Hank Unplugged podcast. The subject they begin with is the historical Adam and Eve, but that leads to other related topics. Dr. Luskin has been an important figure among evangelical Christians in defending the scientific possibility of a first pair, even as other evangelical Christians insisted on adhering to the “consensus” view which, they said, showed that humans originated from a far larger population than two. The debate among evangelicals goes back to about 2011 and Casey reviews the twists and turns that have led to the present moment. Today, the truth of the so-called consensus seems far less clear and scientists have become much more reticent about saying the first couple must be no more than a product of the ancient Hebrew imagination.

Casey goes on to discuss problems with consensus-based thinking, including in his own field of geology where the accepted theory of plate tectonics was considered controversial as recently as the 1970s. Science is progressive — it evolves, you might say — and shouldn’t be considered as fixed dogma. The question of human origins provides a fine illustration of that. Enjoy:

David Klinghoffer

Senior Fellow and Editor, Evolution News
David Klinghoffer is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and the editor of Evolution News & Science Today, the daily voice of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, reporting on intelligent design, evolution, and the intersection of science and culture. Klinghoffer is also the author of six books, a former senior editor and literary editor at National Review magazine, and has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Seattle Times, Commentary, and other publications. Born in Santa Monica, California, he graduated from Brown University in 1987 with an A.B. magna cum laude in comparative literature and religious studies. David lives near Seattle, Washington, with his wife and children.

Share

Tags

Adam and EveCasey LuskinChristianityconsensusdogmaEvangelical ChristiansGeologyHank HanegraaffHank UnpluggedHebrew Biblehuman originsplate tectonics