The Biblical Flood: A Case Study of the
Church's Response to Extrabiblical Evidence
by Davis A. Young
Published 1995: 327 pages
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In recent years, the search for the remains of Noah's Ark as archeological
and historical evidence of the biblical flood has been a popular
preoccupation among many Christians. Yet, ironically, ever since the
pathbreaking scientific discoveries of Darwin and Lyell, many of these same
Christians have been reluctant to look deeply into the extrabiblical
evidence offered by paleobiology, geology and paleontology. Young, who
teaches geology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., engages in a
rather exhaustive survey of attitudes about the flood, from ancient Near
Eastern history to recent theories and commentaries on the story of the
deluge, to demonstrate the ambivalence toward extrabiblical evidence that
has always existed in the Christian community. The great value of the text
is in its interdisciplinary nature, for Young here examines not only
theological materials about the Genesis account but also explores the
history of science. In short, this is a brilliant book that offers a fine
starting point for anyone wishing to go beyond the superficiality of the
current crop of books on Noah and the flood.
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