The “progressive” Adventists have really lined up behind John Walton’s …

Comment on The ‘Found’ World of Genesis 1: Is Theistic Evolution a Meaningful Option for Seventh-day Adventists? by David Read.

The “progressive” Adventists have really lined up behind John Walton’s cosmic temple inauguration theory of Genesis One.

Last year on AToday’s website, someone kept after to me to read it, acting like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I said I would only read it if I could post a review on AToday, which is here:

http://www.atoday.com/article.php?id=501&search=The Lost World of Genesis One.

The coordinated promotion of John Walton continued when he was invited to speak at Andrews, which led to Nicholas Miller’s blog.

Now, I have just learned that AAF is planning to make Walton the centerpiece of its convention in Chicago over the labor day weekend. You can read the details at Spectrum:

http://spectrummagazine.org/page/adventist-forum-conference-2011-%E2%80%93-genesis-beyond-celebrating-faith-polarized-age.

He’s giving a presentation on Friday night and Sabbath morning, and responding to a presentation on Sunday morning.

I get the sense that the progressives think that John Walton is going to be able to make headway against the traditional Adventist view of origins because he works at Wheaton College and signs something affirming his “high view” of Scripture. But the most important part of the high view of Scripture is the belief that it is inspired by God and thus has a truth and consistency that would not be expected if it were merely a human document. But his thesis that Genesis One is a temple inauguration text depends upon the assumption that the Bible is just like the religious writings of other ancient, near eastern civilizations. In other words, he claims to have a high view of Scripture but in fact takes a critical approach on the only issue that really counts.

Walton’s thesis is not going to attract traditional Adventist believers, and the fact that the progressive wing has gotten so enthusiastic about it just shows how far removed their thinking is from that of mainstream Adventism.

Recent Comments by David Read

The Reptile King
Poor Larry Geraty! He can’t understand why anyone would think him sympathetic to theistic evolution. Well, for starters, he wrote this for Spectrum last year:

“Christ tells us they will know us by our love, not by our commitment to a seven literal historical, consecutive, contiguous 24-hour day week of creation 6,000 years ago which is NOT in Genesis no matter how much the fundamentalist wing of the church would like to see it there.”

“Fundamental Belief No. 6 uses Biblical language to which we can all agree; once you start interpreting it according to anyone’s preference you begin to cut out members who have a different interpretation. I wholeheartedly affirm Scripture, but NOT the extra-Biblical interpretation of the Michigan Conference.”

So the traditional Adventist interpretation of Genesis is an “extra-Biblical interpretation” put forward by “the fundamentalist wing” of the SDA Church? What are people supposed to think about Larry Geraty’s views?

It is no mystery how LaSierra got in the condition it is in.


The Reptile King
Professor Kent says:

“I don’t do ‘orgins science.’ Not a single publication on the topic. I study contemporary biology. Plenty of publications.”

So, if you did science that related to origins, you would do it pursuant to the biblical paradigm, that is pursuant to the assumption that Genesis 1-11 is true history, correct?


The Reptile King
Well, Jeff, would it work better for you if we just closed the biology and religion departments? I’m open to that as a possible solution.


The Reptile King
Larry Geraty really did a job on LaSierra. Personally I think it is way gone, compromised beyond hope. The SDA Church should just cut its ties to LaSierra, and cut its losses.

As to the discussion on this thread, round up the usual suspects and their usual arguments.


La Sierra University Resignation Saga: Stranger-than-Fiction
It is a remarkably fair and unbiased article, and a pretty fair summary of what was said in the recorded conversation.