A Catholic Approach to the Genealogical Adam

[swamidass (S. Joshua Swamidass)]

@vjtorley

P.S. By the way, I thought the distinctions you made between your proposal and that of the pre-Adamites were very helpful. Seriously, Joshua, I’d recommend publishing an article outlining your proposal in a Catholic journal: maybe American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, or Nova et Vetera. I don’t know what the reaction will be, but I’m sure it will stimulate a lot of discussion. Alternatively, on the Evangelical side, you could try Philosophia Christi. What do you think?

I think I’d like to talk about that more. Would you be interested in develop a co-authored article with me for submission to a Catholic journal?

For reference, the distinctions from pre-Adamites are:

@swamidass

1. Pre-Adamite proposals deny that we all descend from Adam right now, while a Genealogical Adam asserts the opposite, that we do all descend from him.

2. Pre-Adamite proposals teach that Adam was biologically better than others around him, while a Genealogical Adam affirms monophylogeny, affirming alongside modern science and theology that we are the same biological type.

3. Pre-Adamite proposals teach that Adam was theologically better than others around him, while a Genealogical Adam teaches (at least in some proposals) that he was the first one Fallen; it would be better not to be in his line.

4. Pre-Adamite proposals necessarily deny sole-progenitorship and monogenesis, while Genealogical Adam affirms theological sole-progenitorship and monogenesis by way of genealogical descent from Adam.

5. Pre-Adamite proposals usually (if not always) presume that Adam is the first person with the Image of God, and that those before and alongside Adam are not in God’s image, while a Genealogical Adam (at least as I personally put forward) emphasizes that those outside the garden are in God’s image too.