Creation and Doxology

The doctrine of creation is crucial to the Christian faith, but it has often been maligned, misinterpreted, or ignored.

Some, such as pagan philosophers and Gnostics, have tended to denigrate the goodness of the material world. More recently, new questions have emerged regarding human origins in light of the Darwinian account of evolution. What does it mean today to both affirm the goodness of God's creation and anticipate the new creation?

The Center for Pastor Theologians (CPT) seeks to assist pastors in the study and production of biblical and theological scholarship for the theological renewal of the church and the ecclesial renewal of theology. Based on the third annual CPT conference, this volume brings together the reflections of church leaders, academic theologians, and scientists on the importance—and the many dimensions—of the doctrine of creation.

Contributors engage with Scripture and scientific theory, draw on examples from church history, and delve into current issues in contemporary culture in order to help Christians understand the beginning and ending of God's good creation.

Based on annual CPT conferences, the volumes in the Center for Pastor Theologians series bring together the reflections of pastors and theologians who desire to make ongoing contributions to the wider scholarly community for the renewal of both theology and the church.



Gerald L. Hiestand (PhD, University of Reading) is the interim senior pastor at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois, and the cofounder and director of the Center for Pastor Theologians. He is coauthor of The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision and coeditor of Becoming a Pastor Theologian and Beauty, Order, and Mystery.



Todd Wilson (PhD, Cambridge University) is the president and cofounder of the Center for Pastor Theologians and former senior pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois. He is the author of Real Christian: Bearing the Marks of Authentic Faith and Galatians: Gospel-Rooted Living, the coauthor of The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision and Pastors in the Classics, and the coeditor of Becoming a Pastor Theologian.

Introduction (Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson)
Part I: The Doctrine of Creation Expressed


1. Reading Genesis 1 with the Fourth Commandment (Michael LeFebvre)


2. Galaxies, Genes, and the Glory of God (Deb Haarsma)


3. Mere Creation: Ten Theses (Most) Evangelicals Can (Mostly) Agree On (Todd Wilson)


4. All Truth Is God's Truth: A Defense of Dogmatic Creationism (Hans Madueme)
Part II: The Doctrine of Creation Explored


5. Is the World Sacramental? Ontology, Language, and Scripture (Jeremy Mann)


6. Irenaeus, the Devil, and the Goodness of Creation (Gerald Hiestand)


7. Wendell Berry and the Materiality of Creation (Stephen Witmer)


8. Creation, New Creation, and the So-called "Mission of God" (John Walton)
Part III: The Doctrine of Creation Practiced


9. Intellectually Frustrated Atheists and Intellectually Frustrated Christians: The Strange Opportunity of the Late-Modern World (Andy Crouch)


10. It All Begins in Genesis: Thinking Theologically about Medicine, Technology, and the Christian Life (Paige Comstock Cunningham)


11. Justice, Creation, and New Creation: In Christ All Things Hold Together (Kristen Deede Johnson)


12. Creation, Theology, and One Local Church in Southern California (Gregory Waybright)

"This book is a treasure-trove for Christians desirous of finding their biblical and theological bearings on questions of faith and science. The essays represent diverse positions and offer helpful ways of addressing conflicts between believers over these matters. Above all, this is a book on creation that fills one's mind and heart with praise to the Creator!"



"The topic of creation has been the subject of a great deal of recent scholarship in Christian theology. This excellent, diverse collection of essays brings fresh new light to the topic not only by addressing challenging issues, but by bringing light to important aspects of the discussion that have often been ignored. The volume is refreshingly characterized by intellectual rigor, a passion for orthodoxy, and a deeply pastoral tone."



"Creation is vast, the universe an incomprehensible diversity—'worlds without end.' This much is familiar, but who knew the doctrine of creation was equally far-reaching? The essays in Creation and Doxology range far and wide, as do their authors' disciplines, and, while the question of origins is ably represented, the real surprise is the wide array of topics these chapters cover: everything from genes to Genesis, time and truth, matter and medicine. The doctrine of creation looms large over all areas of life. Of the many important takeaways in this book, one is surely the call to pastor-theologians to tear down the dichotomy between the spiritual and the material. These essays remind us that the gospel is good news for the whole creation." weniger anzeigen expand_less