Ok, I finished breakfast. Now back to these questions…
- You are a no-Adam Christian, but you also have been among my most consistent and stable supporters over this last two years as I’ve brought forward The Genealogical Adam . Why? Why make space for a position not your own? Why do you advocate for The Empty Chair?
As I argue in the book, Christian orthodoxy, and particularly salvation through the God-man Jesus Christ and belief in his bodily resurrection, doesn’t depend on an historical Adam and Eve. Though I am a proponent of a typological and non-historical Adam (I like “type,” by the way because it is the word Paul uses in Romans 5:14), I’d be happier if an historical Adam made the best sense of the biblical, theological, and scientific inputs. An historical Adam is not, however, (and others) the inference to the best explanation (to use Peter Lipton’s term) or most fitting (Thomas Aquinas). So, Josh, keep working at this, and I’ll maybe I’ll be convinced!
- Many people have been asking about the ASA workshop on “Reworking the Science of Adam,” in which you were panelist. What can you tell us about what happened. How would you describe it for those who weren’t there?
I thought the interactions were at a very high level of scholarship, especially among the scientists. The theological panel ran out of time, and there are significant biblical and theological concerns that we need to take up. (Thankfully, I have more training here.) Finally, it seems like it was good to bring in voices that are sometimes silenced by the consensus mainstream science.
- In addition to theology and science, you and and I have also discussed race. You were gracious enough to let me retool my whole STEAM grant around race last year. In ways could we become better at engaging with race, segregation, and injustice in the science-theology conversation?
There’s so much to say here, and I have much to learn, both in terms of scholarship and in experience since I’m a white, middle aged, male. (I could add more, but I’ll stop there.) My primary hope is that we’d have many more people around the table to discuss faith and science. Too many look like me! First of all, what are the topics that Asian Americans think are important? Secondly, how do African Americans relate to the scientific establishment in light of the horrible history of the racist use of science as in the Tuskegee syphilis experiments. In addition, we need to take on the science of race and its legitimacy.