Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
ish Adam and Eve when they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Or maybe mountains
formed when He cursed Earth for receiving Abel's blood. Many of those who pondered
such things believed that topography formed when Noah's Flood reworked Earth's surface.
Whether formed before or during the Flood, the irregular form of mountains testified to
how God could extend his punishment of humanity to scarring the face of a once perfect
Paradise.
In this vein, early Christians generally considered fossil seashells relics of Noah's Flood,
tangible reminders of humanity's depravity. Through the Middle Ages Christian theologi-
ans taught that the ongoing decay of the world mirrored mankind's spiritual and moral de-
generation. Where today we see high mountains and dramatic landforms as iconic natural
cathedrals embodying the wonder of creation, for centuries the Christian perspective was
just the opposite.
Augustine's views endured in those of thirteenth-century Catholic philosopher Saint
Thomas Aquinas. Like Augustine, he advocated flexibility in interpreting Genesis. He
thought that because the church was eternal, Christianity could wait until natural philo-
sophers determined what was certain before deciding which of the possible interpretations
of Genesis to abandon in the face of apparent contradictions. Although Aquinas accepted
the reality of Noah's Flood, he promoted understanding the topic of nature—God's other
topic—in seeking to understand both scripture and the world around us. God created reason
and endowed humanity with the ability to judge truth and the free will to embrace or deny
it. Aquinas allowed no room for conflict between the Creator and how the world worked.
He considered such conflict a logical absurdity.
Aquinas and Augustine viewed reason as a fruitful gift and a way for people to embrace
and practice learning about things larger and more meaningful than one's self. To me, this
sounds perfectly consistent with how geologists like myself, and scientists in disciplines
from astronomy to zoology, conduct our inquiries. I didn't expect to find the bedrock prin-
ciple underlying science enshrined in early Christian thought.
Still, times have changed. In Aquinas's day, three generally accepted facts about earth
history were rooted in the teachings of the church. The world was a few thousand years
old, Noah's Flood reshaped topography, and everything would end in a great conflagration
