Re: [asa] Greg Boyd's Theodicy of Natural Evil

As someone who grew up in the Plymouth Brethren movement, this sounds like a
new slant on the theodicy of Schofield and other proponents of the "Gap
Theory". In this theodicy, "evil" is still tied directly to rebellion /
sin. "Natural evil", including the pre-human death recorded in the fossil
record, is seen as the result of Satan's sin. God's initial creation of a
perfect world is recorded in Gen 1:1, while the results of Satan's malicious
acts, the earth becoming formless and dark, are recorded in Gen 1:2a . The
rest of Gen 1 is then interpreted as a reconstruction of this fallen
creation so that it is "good" but not "perfect". This view has been
called "The Gap Theory" of creation since so much activity is extrapolated
to have occurred in the gap between Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2a.

Makes for a simple theodicy much like YEC. (You do need to perform some
amazing & dubious hermeneutical slight of hand to pull it off though). I've
always thought that someone could try and reconcile the "Gap Theory" and
evolution - but I never met anyone who actually articulated it.

thanks,

On 7/17/07, drsyme@cablespeed.com <drsyme@cablespeed.com> wrote:
>
> Yes, the Manichaens, the Gnostics, the Essenes.
>
>
>
> *On Tue Jul 17 15:07 , "David Opderbeck" sent:
>
> *
>
> Seemingly at random :-) I stumbled today onto Gregory Boyd's blog and
> website. Boyd is a controversial evangelical megachurch pastor who
> identifies with open theism (and is refreshingly blunt about evangelicals
> and American politics). Apparently he recently was at a science-theology
> conference at Eastern Nazarene University, which included some luminaries
> such as Polkinghorne. He (Boyd) is arguing for a theodicy of natural evil
> based on a primoridial angelic fall, which involves Satan in the distortion
> of nature, leading up to and including the fall of humanity. Here is Boyd's
> blog post on his theory: http://gregboyd.blogspot.com/2007/06/historical-fall-historical-redemption.html
> as well as a post on his conversation with Westmont College biology prof.
> Jeff Schloss:
> http://gregboyd.blogspot.com/2007/06/satan-and-carnage-of-nature.html
>
> Has anyone heard of this theory before?
>
>
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-- 
Steve
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