What is BioLogos?

BioLogos is an organization founded in 2007 by Francis Collins that seeks to promote the perspective that belief in God and mainstream science are compatible. The name “BioLogos” combines the Greek words for “biology” and “logos” (meaning “word” or “study”), reflecting the view that God is the source of all truth discovered through scientific investigation and biblical revelation.

BioLogos rejects evolution driven purely by random mutation and natural selection without divine involvement. However, the organization accepts evolution as the scientifically best explanation for the development of life on earth. BioLogos believes God superintended the evolutionary process to result in humans bearing the “image of God.”

Some key beliefs of BioLogos:

• The Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God.
• Mainstream science provides a reliable understanding of nature, but is incomplete without faith.
• Evolution should not be held up as a “threat” to Christian faith.
• Genesis 1 and 2 were not intended to provide scientific details about how God created the universe.
• The flood in Genesis 6-9 was a historical event, but not necessarily global in scope.
• Humans evolved from pre-human ancestors, but were uniquely created in God’s image.
• Death and suffering exist because of human sin, but are not necessarily linked to the fall of Adam and Eve.

BioLogos promotes what it considers an harmony between science and biblical faith. The organization upholds traditional Christian doctrines like the divinity of Christ and the authority of Scripture. However, BioLogos rejects a literalistic interpretation of Genesis in favor of an old earth and evolutionary creationism.

BioLogos engages the church through its website, publishing articles and videos on topics at the intersection of science and faith. The organization also holds conferences to foster dialogue between religious believers and scientists. BioLogos trains Christian leaders to properly interpret scientific theories like evolution within a faithful Christian worldview.

Many evangelical Christians see BioLogos as controversial. Some believe BioLogos compromises biblical truth by adopting scientific theories like macroevolution. Critics argue secular worldviews improperly influence BioLogos theology.

Here are some key criticisms of BioLogos from evangelical Christians who affirm biblical inerrancy:

• BioLogos accepts scientific theories that contradict a plain reading of Genesis 1-3.
• BioLogos downplays the historical existence and role of Adam and Eve.
• BioLogos rejects the supernatural creation of a literal Adam and Eve.
• BioLogos accepts evolution of humans from non-human ancestors.
• BioLogos promotes evolution driven by random mutation/natural selection.
• BioLogos does not adequately account for effects of the fall on creation.
• BioLogos upholds mainstream science despite areas where it opposes Scripture.

Despite criticism, BioLogos remains influential as it encourages Christians to fully engage with mainstream science. The organization helped give rise to evolutionary creationism as a popular view among Christians seeking to reconcile biblical faith and scientific consensus.

BioLogos promotes the following views related to key biblical passages on origins:

Genesis 1-2

• These opening chapters of Genesis represent God accommodating to an ancient Hebrew audience.
• The creation account is theological and symbolic rather than historical and scientific.
• The design, order and telos in creation imply a Creator.
• Humans are portrayed as unique among created beings.
• The emphasis is on function and purpose over material means.
• Genesis affirms God as sole creator of everything out of nothing.

In short, BioLogos does not read Genesis 1-2 as offering modern scientific details about material origins. The focus is on God establishing function, order and purpose through the creation.

Genesis 3

• The disobedience of Adam and Eve fundamentally ruptured creation.
• This historic fall initiated spiritual death in human nature.
• Physical death and corruption already existed before the fall.
• Adam and Eve likely represent larger groups of first humans.
• The effects of the fall in nature go beyond humans to the interdependence of all creation.

So BioLogos affirms a real historical fall with Adam and Eve that brought spiritual death. But human physical death already existed outside the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 6-9

• The flood was a real disaster in history, though not global in scope.
• The flood contrasts God’s justice and mercy.
• Noah’s ark represents salvation amidst judgment.
• Covenant and redemption theme point to Christ.
• Flood stories were common in other ancient cultures.
• Scientific evidence does not indicate a worldwide catastrophic flood.

In summary, BioLogos considers the Genesis flood an actual event in the Middle East. But it was not a global flood overriding all geological features.

Romans 5

• Affirms Adam as an actual person and representative head of humanity.
• The fall of Adam brought condemnation, death and sin to humans.
• Jesus Christ came as the second Adam bringing justification and life.
• Adam’s sin caused human spiritual death and separation from God.
• Physical death existed before and remained after Adam’s fall.

So BioLogos upholds Adam and Eve as real historical people. Their sin affected all subsequent humanity by bringing spiritual death. But human physical death already existed outside the Garden of Eden.

1 Corinthians 15

• Paul contrasts Jesus as second Adam with historical first Adam.
• Adam’s disobedience brought sin, condemnation and death.
• Jesus obedience and resurrection reverses the curse of Adam.
• Adam was the first representative head of humanity.
• The resurrection of Jesus guarantees resurrection of believers.

BioLogos affirms Paul’s teaching of Adam as the first human acting as representative head whose fall brought sin. The obedience of Christ as second Adam reverses the effects of the first Adam’s sin.

Arguments for Evolutionary Creationism

BioLogos argues for evolutionary creationism based on the mainstream scientific consensus, exegesis focused on biblical purpose more than material means, distinguishing material and spiritual death, and literary genre of early Genesis.

Scientific Consensus

• Evidence from geology, paleontology, biology and other sciences points to an old earth and macroevolution.
• DNA evidence confirms all life descended from a common ancestor.
• Observed mechanisms like natural selection acting over deep time suffice to explain biodiversity.
• A worldwide flood cannot account for the fossil record or geological column.
• Even most critics of Darwinism accept an old earth and large evolutionary change over time.

BioLogos believes responsible biblical interpretation must account for widely accepted mainstream science like an ancient earth and macroevolution.

Purpose Over Mechanism

• Genesis focuses on the why more than the how or when of creation.
• The text affirms God as sovereign Creator establishing function and purpose.
• Genesis does not elaborate on secondary physical means or processes.
• We honor God’s Word by reading Genesis for its theological message to ancient Israel.
• God could have used evolution to develop life according to his purposes.

So Genesis emphasizes God’s intentional creation of function and order more than scientific details about material processes.

Physical Versus Spiritual Death

• Human physical death existed long prior to Adam and Eve.
• Plant and animal death date back hundreds of millions of years in the fossil record.
• The biblical emphasis is on Adam bringing spiritual death and separation from God.
• Physical death and corruption already marked the non-human creation.
• Spiritual death in human nature was the primary consequence of the Fall.

The Bible’s focus is the spiritual death and alienation from God caused by human sin. Physical death already existed prior to the Fall in Genesis 3.

Ancient Near-Eastern Literary Genres

• Genesis utilizes symbolic narrative, allegory, and archetypes of ancient Hebrew culture.
• Reading it as modern history imposes foreign expectations on the text.
• Ancient creation narratives focused on cosmic temple inauguration.
• We must interpret Genesis as literature in its original linguistic and cultural context.
• This approach prevents misreading Genesis as a treatise on modern science.

Responsible hermeneutics requires reading Genesis as ancient Near Eastern literature, not in terms of modern science.

Arguments against Evolutionary Creationism

Critics argue evolutionary creationism of BioLogos wrongly elevates science over Scripture, denies a real Adam and Eve, and fails to uphold biblical inerrancy.

Elevating Science Over Scripture

• BioLogos improperly grants science superior authority over biblical revelation.
• Mainstream science frequently changes its claims over time.
• Scripture in context should guide interpretation of general revelation in nature.
• BioLogos distorts Scripture based on extra-biblical scientific theories.
• Evolutionary science starts from agnostic or atheistic assumptions.

Scripture as God’s Word must remain the supreme authority over all human knowledge and disciplines.

Denying a Literal Adam and Eve

• BioLogos rejects the supernatural creation of a real historical couple.
• Scripture presents Adam and Eve as actual persons created directly by God.
• Denying a literal first couple undermines original sin and Christ’s redemption.
• Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 depict Christ as second Adam contrasting first Adam.
• BioLogos views Adam and Eve as symbolic or archetypal literary figures.

Adam and Eve must be affirmed as actual historical persons for consistent biblical theology.

Rejecting Biblical Inerrancy

• BioLogos does not uphold a fully inerrant view of biblical inspiration.
• Mainstream science allegedly disproves a worldwide flood, young earth, literal Adam and Eve.
• Inerrancy means Scripture is true in all it affirms on matters of faith and practice.
• Science should be interpreted in light of inerrant biblical revelation.
• Denying biblical inerrancy opens the door to serious theological error.

BioLogos purportedly denies biblical inerrancy by rejecting the plain sense of Genesis based on extra-biblical scientific theories.

Theological Conclusions

• BioLogos has fostered valuable dialogue between Christian faith and mainstream science.
• Churches should engage science with humility, wisdom and discernment.
• Scripture must remain supreme over all human knowledge and theories.
• Science itself cannot prove or disprove ultimate questions of purpose and meaning.
• Christians should celebrate science without idolizing scientific consensus.
• No Christian consensus exists on interpreting early Genesis or human origins.
• Sincere believers can disagree on creation issues while affirming Biblical authority.
• The church should major on the gospel and central doctrines that unite all Christians.

BioLogos helpfully promotes science-faith dialogue but requires discernment given divisive issues like adam and biblical authority. Christians should distinguish primary gospel doctrines from secondary issues of creation and human origins.