Episode 121: St. Augustine on the Flood (Continued)

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En provenance du cours de University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101

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University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101

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This course examines the nature of both science and religion and attempts to explore the possible relationships between them. The primary purpose is to dispel the popular myth that science and religion are entrenched in a never-ending conflict. As a result, this course argues that if the limits of both science and religion are respected, then their relationship can be complementary. Topics include: Science and Religion Categories and Foundational Principles, Definitions of Science and Religion, Science-Religion Models and Relationships, Intelligent Design and Natural Revelation, the Galileo Affair, Geology and Noah’s Flood, Evolution and Darwin’s Religious Beliefs, the Modern “Evolution” vs. “Creation” Debate, the Problem of Evil, and Interpretations of the Biblical Accounts of Origins in Genesis 1-11. The course employs a Constructive Teaching Style in order that students can develop their personal views on the relationship between science and religion and on each of the topics listed above. St. Joseph's College is a Catholic, undergraduate, liberal arts college on the University of Alberta campus. It is an independent institution that is affiliated with the University of Alberta.

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Geology & the Biblical Flood

Over the 20 years that I have taught this course, I have found that religious students struggle the most with the topic of Noah’s flood in the Bible (Genesis 6-9). The first half of this section is a brief history of geology, beginning with the worldwide flood as the central paradigm and ending with its complete elimination from science. This is another example of science powerfully impacting religion. In the second half, the three basic views of the biblical flood are presented—Global Flood, Local Flood, and Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory. In particular, the challenging topic of whether or not Noah was a real person in history is explored. We also consider the notion that the biblical flood (Genesis 6-9) is composed of two original sources (Jahwist and Priestly sources).

Episode 117: Key Thoughts. Biblical Texts on the Flood6:11

Episode 118: Biblical Texts on the Flood (Continued) Brief History of Geology & the Biblical Flood4:10

Episode 119: The Early Church & the Flood. Flood Scholarship4:07

Episode 120: Flood Scholarship (Continued). St. Augustine on the Flood4:23

Episode 121: St. Augustine on the Flood (Continued)5:51

Episode 122: The Middle Ages & the Flood. The Early Modern Period & the Flood5:27

Episode 123: The Early Modern Period & the Flood (Continued)4:57

Episode 124: Niels Steensen & Principle of Superposition. Global Flood Theories5:43

Episode 125: The Beginning of Geology. James Hutton & Principle of Actualism4:37

Episode 126: Catastrophism. Adam Sedgwick’s Recantation5:05

Episode 127: Conclusion: The Beginning of Geology. 19th Century Modern Geology4:43

Episode 128: 19th Century Modern Geology (Continued) The Anti-Geologists3:53

Episode 129: 19th Century Modern Geology (Continued) The Harmonizers4:55

Episode 130: Conclusion: Brief History of Geology & the Biblical Flood7:00

Episode 131: What about Noah’s Flood? (1) Global Flood Theory7:37

Episode 132: (2) Local Flood4:19

Episode 133: (3) Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory5:34

Episode 134: Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory (Continued)5:28

Episode 135: Origin of the Biblical Flood Account (Gen 6-9)4:39

Episode 136: Evidence for Two Sources in Biblical Flood Account (Gen 6-9)9:24

Episode 137: The BIG Question: Who Was Noah?5:28

Hermeneutics 13B: The Heavens & Ancient Astronomy (Part I). The Firmament8:33

Rencontrer les enseignants

Denis Lamoureux
Associate Professor
St. Joseph's College

Episode 121.

Let's unpack this fascinating passage by St. Augustine in Quote 8,

regarding the redistribution of animals to distant islands after the flood.

First, it's very important to point out, St.

Augustine is thinking within his intellectual toolbox.

He's very logical and outlines on one hypothesis followed by another hypothesis.

Notably, Augustine accepts the science or

biology of the day, in that he believes in spontaneous generation.

According to him and his generation, frogs sprang directly from the soil.

Augustine also had no problem whatsoever in proposing that God or

Angels-of-the-Gaps as a mechanism to transport animals to distant islands.

Divine interventionism was perfectly acceptable during this period.

Finally, and most importantly, St.

Augustine fully embraced scientific concordism.

Let me explain this in more detail.

According to St. Augustine's Seed Principles Theory,

God initially created a world with the seeds of different animals.

These are term in Latin, Rationes seminales,

this can be translated as seed principles or irrational seeds.

Augustine then suggested,

that these initial seeds then sprouted like plants into the various animals.

Clearly, we have here the one seed theory of reproduction.

In that an entire animal is inside a seed from which it emerges.

To defend his Seed Principles Theory,

Augustine appeals to the six day of creation where it states in Genesis 1:24,

God said let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds.

Livestock, creatures that move along the ground and wild animals.

In other words, Augustine reads this verse in a literal and concortise manner.

He reasons that since the land produced animals,

God must have planted them there in a seed form.

In the light of this ancient biology, Augustine's Hypothesis #4,

now makes perfect sense.

Augustine theorizes that some animal seeds landed on distant islands after the flood,

and they sprouted to become the animals of those islands.

Clearly, this famous Christian theologian fully embraced

Scientific Concordism and the Biology-of-the-Day.

Now that we have an appreciation of the ancient science embraced by Augustine,

we can stop for a moment for a very critical excursus entitled St.

Augustine, Adam, Original Sin, and Ancient Biology.

The Doctrine of Original Sin is one of the most important doctrines in Christianity.

It was formulated by St. Augustine around 400.

This doctrine has two foundational beliefs.

It refers to, number one,

the first sin committed by Adam who was a real man and the first man in history.

This doctrine also asserts that,

number two, sin transferred from Adam to all humans.

In this way, all humans descent from Adam.

Therefore, with the doctrine of original sin being a central doctrine in

Christianity, it is easy to see why a historical

Adam is entrenched in Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity.

And why most Christians believe that Adam was a real person.

However, as we've just seen in Quote 8, St. Augustine accepted Ancient Biology.

In particular, he believed in spontaneous generation and his Seed Principles theory.

So here is a question that will challenge many Christians.

Is Augustine's historical Adam based on an ancient biology of human origins?

No doubt about it, this is a question few Christians ever ask.

But we need to ask it, and we will return to it as we proceed through this course.

Here are some conclusions regarding the Early Church and the Flood.

First, the biblical flood was viewed as a real historical and worldwide event.

Second, flood scholarship and

apologetics emerged during this period in the early church.

And scholars used non-biblical information such as marine

fossils found at the tops of mountains to defend their belief in a worldwide flood.

Notably, God and angels-of-the-gaps was a mechanism to explain the physical world.

For example, Augustine had no problem using divine or angelic

interventionism to transport animals to distant islands after the flood.

Finally, scientific and historical concordism characterized

the hermeneutics of Genesis 6 to 9 in the early church.

Noah's flood was seen as a record of actual events.

End of episode.

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