Dogmatic Theology Vol 1 - Shedd - XXXII - Chapter 7 Creation continued

Required reading

Dogmatic Theology Vol 1 by William G.T. Shedd (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Chapter 7 Creation by reading up to the paragraph commencing, 'The first theory antagonistic to creation ex nihilo is that of the eternity of matter' (page 487 in my edition).

My summary

Today Shedd looks primarily at the age of creation.

Firstly he defends the old earth creationism (i.e. greater than six 24 hour days) as consistent with:

(i) historical exegesis of Genesis (primarily Augustine);

(ii) geology.

Much of the reading is spent connecting Genesis days with the stages of development as commonly reported by physical scientists.

What grabbed me

I'm not an an old earth creationist so didn't like much of today's reading.

But was pleased, at least, to see Shedd reject Darwinism: 'The supernatural power of God must intervene, in order to account for an absolutely new species. God must say: "Fiat." The theory of evolution, as presented either by Haeckel in its extreme form, or by Darwin in its more moderate form, unquestionably contradicts the Mosaic physics. "The Divine word of power creates not merely a force in general; each new and distinct creative word introduces a new and distinct principle into the already existing sphere of nature—a principle which hitherto had not been present in it." Lange: On Genesis 1: 9-13. Agassiz (Graham Lectures, p. 13) comes to the same conclusion, from considering the diversities of structure in the kingdom of animal life. "It must be mind acting among these material elements, making them subservient to its purpose, and not the elements themselves working out higher combinations of structure."'

Next week's reading

Continue Chapter 7 Creation by reading up to the paragraph commencing, 'The second theory antagonistic to the doctrine of creation ex nihilo is that of pseudo-evolution' (page 499 in my edition).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.