Paternoster has recently published a book co-authored by BCM’s Steve Lloyd: Debating Darwin. Two Debates: Is Darwinism True & Does it Matter? by Graeme Finlay, Stephen Lloyd, Stephen Pattemore and David Swift (ISBN 9781842276198), price £8.99. The book can be ordered from the Authentic Media website or through a Christian bookshop.

The book is a debate between Christians who take opposing views on the scientific merits of neo-Darwinism and its compatibility with the Bible. The first half considers the theological issues and the second the science. Each contributor responds to their opponent’s essay.

Steve’s chapter moves the biblical argument into new territory by comparing the whole biblical story of creation to new creation with the neo-Darwinian account of earth history. Understood in this way the debate is not merely over the interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis but the coherence of the historic Christian understanding of core doctrines such as the cross and resurrection. Steve sets out three doctrines that express aspects of the ‘story-line’ of the Bible (Adam as a historical individual, a global flood and ‘no-agony-before-Adam’) and argues that these are incompatible with neo-Darwinism.

In his response to the chapter by Finlay and Pattemore, Steve demonstrates that the mere presence of literary structure in the early chapters of Genesis does not make them a-historical in the way that is required to make them consistent with neo-Darwinism. He goes on to suggest that the real point of disagreement is not over the interpretation of the Bible but whether we approach the Bible with the belief that the neo-Darwinian account of earth history is an unassailable fact.

In both his contributions Steve points to new creationist research as the way to provide a satisfying and compelling scientific narrative to complement the biblical story.