Ronald Numbers has done terrific work on the history of the creationist movement in N. America. He has revised his earlier work to account for the intelligent design movement. Everyone on all sides of this issue should read this book.
R. Scott Clark
R.Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.
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The highly respected scientist, Jon Sarfati (a creation scientist who is a much better scientific writer than some in the creationist camp) gives a response to this book at http://www.amazon.com/review/R1ELC73R2P4RKI/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0520083938&nodeID=#wasThisHelpful
From a Reformed perspective this makes me quite weary of this book.
Stephen,
This review seems to be essentially an ad hominem attack. It appears
that the reviewer doesn’t much like history. That’s a problem since
Numbers is a historian. This work is very well done and I’m no one’s
lackey.
Ok, Vern, and why is it “such an awful book”?
Scott,
I’ve read both the old edition and the new edition.
“Young earth creationism” is a relatively new phenomenon. Bishop Ussher was a young earth creationist.
I don’t know about the current edition but I read the last edition about 10 years ago and was very impressed with it. I suspect that what bugs young earth creationists is that Dr. Numbers argues that “young earth creationism” is a relatively new phenomenon.
God Bless
Steve in Toronto
Hard to believe a Reformed teacher is recommending such an awful book.
You’ve read it? You’ve checked his sources or you just don’t like the history of the creationist movement?
Another recommendation is Vern Poythress’ Redeeming Science (whic his free online). In just a few chapters 5-11, he boils down from a wide variety of views, showing how many are basically equivalent to each other, until “The shifts from one
viewpoint to another leave us with two attractive theories, mature creation
and the analogical day theory.” Brilliant!
I read the book last year, and it is indeed a fantastic work. Perhaps because Numbers was raised a Seventh-Day Adventist, he makes it very clear what a large role they played in the modern creationist movement, along with more mainstream groups such as fundamentalists of various stripes, conservative Baptists (Dr. Henry Morris), and Missouri Synod Lutherans. Like Dr. Clark, I highly recommend the book to all.