@swamidass and @jongarvey
This is a question that seems to come up a lot from people who are skeptical of the Genealogical Adam and Eve hypothesis. I’ve seen people say something like, “I don’t think a special creation is necessary,” because they are comfortable with more figurative interpretations of Genesis 2-3. Some also seem to reject the doctrine of Original Sin. Thus, it could be useful to have an online link to point to with a brief synopsis of your ideas on the topic.
While I like other models that allow for a historical Adam and Eve in a priestly or federal headship type of role, I see some nice benefits in the GAE proposal.
The beauty of this genealogical theory is that it allows scientists like us (who accept the evidence of human evolution) hold to a tighter historical Biblical hermeneutic.
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The theory is a nice way of explaining the differences in the creation stories described in Genesis 1 & 2, by saying that there actually were 2 different creation events.
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The theory also allows us to understand Jesus and Paul’s teachings as being clear and inerrant when they refer to Adam as a historical figure (e.g. in Romans 5). For anyone reading this who might be new to this topic, Tim Keller nicely explains these hermeneutical challenges in his essay: Creation, Evolution, and Christian Laypeople - Articles - BioLogos
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By allowing for a special creation of Adam and Eve, we can understand how Adam and Eve were able to commune with God so directly and personally in the Garden. They could have a close relationship with God in the Garden before they sinned. After Adam and Eve fell into sin, they could no longer stay in God’s presence, because God is perfect (Matthew 5:48) and His perfection excludes sinners from His presence (Isaiah 59:2, Romans 6:23). This direct interaction of Adam and Eve with God in the Garden gives us a beautiful picture of what we have lost through our sin, and what has now been made possible for us in heaven due to Jesus’s death and resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
Would you agree with these points, or would you modify them or expand on them in other ways?
Edit: for people to more easily track the following discussion:
here are the links to John Garvey’s book, The Generations of Heaven and Earth (GHE)
and to the publisher’s summary of its main points