Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design

Counterpoints: Bible and Theology

By: Ken Ham, Hugh Ross, Deborah Haarsma, Stephen C. Meyer, James Stump, Stanley N. Gundry

Narrated by: Karen Ireland, Samm Musick, John Behrens

Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Evolution—or the broader topic of origins—has enormous relevance to how we understand the Christian faith and how we interpret Scripture.

Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design presents the current "state of the conversation" about origins among evangelicals representing four key positions:

• Young Earth Creationism—Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis)
• Old Earth (Progressive) Creationism—Hugh Ross (Reasons to Believe)
• Evolutionary Creation—Deborah B. Haarsma (BioLogos)
• Intelligent Design—Stephen C. Meyer (The Discovery Institute)

The contributors offer their best defense of their position addressing questions such as:

• What is your position on origins—understood broadly to include the physical universe, life, and human beings in particular?
• What do you take to be the most persuasive arguments in defense of your position?
• How do you demarcate and correlate evidence about origins from current science and from divine revelation?
• What hinges on answering these questions correctly?

This book allows each contributor to not only present the case for his or her view, but also to critique and respond to the critiques of the other contributors, allowing you to compare their beliefs in an open forum setting to see where they overlap and where they differ.

Figures, a book list, and footnotes are included in the audiobook companion PDF download.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2017 Ken Ham, Hugh Ross, Deborah Haarsma, Stephen C. Meyer, James Stump, Stanley N. Gundry, and Zondervan (P)2023 Zondervan Academic

Excellent Debate

I was new to each of the positions presented in this debate, and felt I was given a balanced view of what each presenter had to say about their topic. Although I agreed with some presenters more than others, I felt each had good points to make, and prompted questions for further exploration. Definitely a good introduction to each position.

Great overview

The author provides a great and thorough overview of all four viewpoints. Although the author identifies his own viewpoint in this book, he does a great job of remaining unbiased. I noticed this because I lean towards old earth creationism (although I’m not firmly in any camp). This is a different perspective than the author holds yet I found his treatment of all the perspectives very fair. This is also a very helpful read for having conversations with nonbelievers.

A great summary of views.

I was thrilled that someone was able to bring these four points of view together in one book with such important figures, especially for me including Meyer and Ham. Both of these men are tremendous influences in my understanding and appreciation of the glory of God’s creative power and the importance of sharing that with any who will open their eyes to it. I highly recommend this book to people in all four camps as comparison is the mother of clarity. There were some logical and philosophical points scored by all four contributors, but the fact remains that the same evidence is interpreted differently by those looking at amd despite the common refrain to the contrary, “science” has no more consensus on this issue than the Church. Although I am solidly in the YEC camp, I enjoyed the chapters and rejoinders from all parties and came away with new perspectives and a renewed desire to approach this particular issue with grace and to let God’s Truth show me the way, wherever it leads. A sincere thank you to all who worked together on this project to bring a structure for a constructive and thought provoking dialogue on a most important topic!

Helpful and fascinating

It was very meaningful having these Christian worldviews compared and contrasted. I also appreciated the overall respectful tone of the book. I myself can get very fired up on such important topics, and I really appreciated the friendly tone of the writers, but also their frankness in their disagreements at points. I learned a fair amount and am now able to see the ideas much more clearly.

Variety of perspectives

I liked being able to hear multiple perspectives from dedicated, passionate believers about how they strive to understand and apply the truth of scripture in a world that often will not let those who believe in a Creator have a voice. There was far too much information to consume but it does provide data points that anyone interested can pursue their own research. I also greatly appreciated the beginning and ending narrative to provide a good foundation from which to contemplate the writers contributions.
My thanks to all of the authors for sharing their views.

Worth reading to familiarize yourself with 4 views of Origin of Life

I appreciated this format a lot. It quickly gives a reader, a synopsis of four basic views on the origin of life discussion from a Christian perspective. As we all bring our own presuppositions to this conversation, I’m not sure that one will be persuaded by anyone argument. Without additional research, you may be left in the same place as you were when you started this book. It’s does make it easy to see how scientists or theologians can use empirical data to reach different conclusions. This does not help in our endeavor to discover the Truth.

I appreciated the arguments each author presented. I do agree with the closing remarks, that all of these authors have too much to lose to ever change their positions on this discussion. But surely this book does help give you a foundation of these different positions. Enjoy it for what it is.

Frustrating to listen to

I am neither a YEC or an OEC. Read this understanding that I am unconvinced of either being defined in the Book of Genesis. However...The 7 day creation is obvious as 7 days to any UNBIASED person.
We are to QUESTION everything in science. These old earth Creationists featured here literally HAVE FAITH in many bold FAITH statements about radiometric dating methods being accurate. They are ONLY ACCURATE IN LABS because we KNOW the starting amounts and the time frames OBSERVATIONALLY. This is why we get a myriad of widely different results using radiometric dating in field samples. you people have been suckered into BELIEVING in ALREADY DISPROVEN METHODS that are PROVABLY inaccurate at best...and then FAITHFULLY ASSUME the miraculous creation event COULDN'T have various isotope levels...that God COULDN'T do this or have reasons you don't yet understand! The MANY INACCURACIES and failures should displace your enormous faith in DATING methods. But you ignore it and ASSUME CONTAMINATION...every time you don't get the results you want. How ridiculous to go about doing "science" with such laziness and willful ignorance...while claiming to KNOW they are accurate! I cannot find a single scientist who can resolve this WITH INTELLECTUAL HONESTY. Everyone wants me to JUST BELIEVE in what is supposed to be "SCIENTIFIC FACTS" The UNASSUMED OBSERVATIONAL SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE says otherwise. The methods ALMOST NEVER AGREE. How Pitiful. I've NEVER seen a study that gives me ANY faith in the veracity or accuracy of radiometric dating. No one can use anything but FAITH in our measurements of light...or why EVERYTHING IS RED SHIFTED away from our planet??? Today's science needs UNBIASED scientific research to be accurate...not FAITH BASED!