This just came out yesterday which I think is somewhat relevant to this thread. I am actually very impressed with him here in particular. He was getting a lot of push back from his audience but remained confident in his convictions here. He doesn’t mention anything of Adam specifically but it is interesting that he is leaning to a mytho-histortical view of Genesis 1-11.
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Thanks @jayz389. I think could be a new topic. Welcome!
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Thanks. Will be interesting to see where this series goes!
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Could there be some help for those of us who refuse to watch lengthy videos? What were his main points? What does “mytho-historical” mean?
To be honest I’m still figuring out what it means myself. He sees it as a type of genre that isn’t meant to be taken literally I know that much.
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It means he is taking Genesis as real history told with mythological elements, so it is mythological genre, and some parts of it are historical nonetheless.
Imagine telling real history (e.g. the battle of Troy) in the genre of a superhero comic book. Some parts of the story are real, but some are fictional, part of the genre of a comic book. There is history to which it is referent, but not every detail in the book is historical. Some of it is embellishments added due to the genre.
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Very interesting Q&A in this video. I think WLC is making a strawman of literal interpretation though, conceding too much to YEC, as if it is the only literal interpretation. I would say, respectfully, that there are literal interpretations that are not YEC.
For example, the discussion of the extent of Noah’s flood is consistent with a literal interpretation, because the word is “eretz”, not “earth.” Of course, WLC knows what he is talking about too. It has been fun wrestling with all his questions as we write our book.
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Perhaps, but that history appears to be a very small component. There was at one time (several times, actually) a community at the site of Priam’s Troy. Does that mean that Priam, Hector, Agamemnon, Paris, Helen, Achilles, etc. existed? Does that mean there was a giant wooden horse? Does it mean that Ares, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite existed? Was there even a war between the Mycenean Greeks and some inhabitants of northern Anatolia? Or is it almost all embellishment?
What was the extent of Noah’s flood? What, in fact, is the truth behind the embellishment?
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Yes I was a little surprised myself with how non literal he was seeming to go. I don’t think he took this view in the past. I thought it was an interesting point though about trying to localize events to save some sense of literalism even though the text doesn’t seem to be implying it was just a local event. But yes I agree it’s fun to wrestle with these questions. You say we is he a co-author on your new book?
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We are working on a different book together now.
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It’s already in my virtual queue. When the title is announced I will move it to my Amazon queue.
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Hi Josh
I think WLC does a great Job here. The Bible appears to me to be an integrated story of humans journey toward relationship with God and the challenges that free will creates for that process. There is a mixture of history and story that are integrated to deliver the story of human spiritual development.
Can you share the general subject of the book you and WLC are working on?
Right here: Exploring a Book Project with William Lane Craig
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