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

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Do curso por University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101

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University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101

25 ratings

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

Conheça os instrutores

Denis Lamoureux
Associate Professor
St. Joseph's College

Episode 124.

It is during the early modern period

that one of the foundational principles of geology was discovered.

In the 17th century,

Niels Steensen outlined the principle of superposition.

Please turn to page 26 in the class handouts.

Steensen studied shark teeth.

As many of you know,

sharks produce and shed their teeth throughout their life.

As this diagram shows,

teeth originate inside the mouth and move outward and are lost.

As a result, sea bottoms are covered with the teeth of various shark species.

What is remarkable about shark teeth,

is that each species has a distinct shape.

Such as, the three teeth shown here.

As well, different species of sharp teeth appear in

different rock layers of the earth as indicated by the dates.

Therefore, the tooth on the left is the oldest and is found in lower layers of rock.

While the one on the right is the youngest and it appears in upper layers.

By studying shark teeth,

a pattern was observed by Niels Steensen.

Specific shark teeth appeared in specific layers of rock.

A process to explain this pattern was proposed by Steensen.

He claimed, that the teeth were laid down at different times on the sea floor and then,

the sea floor later rose to become dry land.

Steensen argued, that the floor of the sea was lifted by subterranean gases,

and this is similar to the movement in land that they

experienced with volcanoes and earthquakes.

Steensen's work on shark teeth led him to formulate the principle of superposition.

This foundational concept of geology proposes that rock strata are historical documents.

And that, the lowest layer is the oldest,

and the highest layer is the youngest.

But despite his discoveries in geology,

Steensen, like most people at that time,

still believed in a global flood and a young-Earth and regrettably,

his work was hardly noticed in his day.

Another significant impact of the rise of

modern science on flood scholarship was the emergence of

global flood theories and the use of scientific evidence to justify a worldwide flood.

In Quote 12, Davis Young describes the situation.

Captivated by the new understanding of the world,

developed by Galileo, Kepler and later Newton,

scholars expanded their understanding of the course of creation and the flood,

in terms of an integrate machine like Earth, attributing its motion,

behavior and history to mechanical action among discrete particles.

The results of their new learning turned up numerous global deluge,

that is flood theories,

published during the late 17th and early 18th century.

During this period, the flood was at the center of

mainstream theoretical earth science in Europe.

This is a significant change in flood scholarship.

In that, the scientific mindset is now being applied to understanding the earth.

As a result, a shift occurs from debates over the size of the Ark, animal migration, etc.

to the geological or scientific effects of a global flood.

Most notably, during this period, around 1700,

the global flood was the central paradigm of geology.

In other words, as surprising as this might be to us today,

a worldwide flood was the science of the day.

With regard to Noah's flood account in Genesis 6-9,

it was still believed to be a real event.

In other words, flood scholars accepted historical and scientific concordism but,

they contended that the biblical flood account was only a dim outline.

So clearly, we're seeing a historical pattern.

The scientific mindset starts with astronomy and now,

it's being applied to geology.

And we have to ask the question,

will biology be next?

In other words, instead of making appeals to God of the gaps interventions,

will biology and the origin of living organisms be understood

through natural processes only?

Let me offer a couple of conclusions with regards

to the early modern period and the flood.

First, the majority of scholars at that time still viewed

the biblical flood as a real historical and global event.

There were only a few who accepted a local flood.

The early modern period offers powerful evidence that science impacts religion.

With divine action, there was a decrease in God of the gaps divine interventions,

and with biblical interpretation,

there was a decrease in strict literalism.

In the light of these theological changes,

we can ask some challenging questions.

Is the scientific mindset like a virus?

Will it infect all your thinking?

And in particular, does the scientific mindset

extend to the resurrection of Jesus and his miracles?

How do you control it?

Could it be that hermeneutics is the key to answering these questions?

What do you think?

End of episode.

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