Defending Sin - by Hans Madueme

About the Book

Offers a striking biblical and theological account of the doctrine of sin in dialogue with difficult questions from the natural sciences, helping readers engage with a range of controversial debates surrounding human origins, the fall, and original sin.

Book Synopsis

Southwestern Journal of Theology 2024 Book Award (Honorable Mention, Theological Studies)

The conflict between the natural sciences and Christian theology has been going on for centuries. Recent advances in the fields of evolutionary biology, behavioral genetics, and neuroscience have intensified this conflict, particularly in relation to origins, the fall, and sin. These debates are crucial to our understanding of human sinfulness and necessarily involve the doctrine of salvation. Theistic evolutionists have labored hard to resolve these tensions between science and faith, but Hans Madueme argues that the majority of their proposals do injustice both to biblical teaching and to long-standing doctrines held by the mainstream Christian tradition.

In this major contribution to the field of science and religion, Madueme demonstrates that the classical notion of sin reflected in Scripture, the creeds, and tradition offers the most compelling and theologically coherent account of the human condition. He answers pressing challenges from the physical sciences on both methodological and substantive levels. Scholars, pastors, students, and interested lay readers will profit from interacting with the arguments presented here.

From the Back Cover

"Erudite and theologically sophisticated"

This book offers a striking biblical and theological account of the doctrine of sin in dialogue with difficult questions from the natural sciences, helping readers engage with controversial debates surrounding human origins, the fall, and original sin.

"A brave and bracing argument for prioritizing dogma over Darwin--and for retaining the doctrine of original sin as essential to biblical realism, coherent systematic theology, and the gospel itself."
--Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

"This intelligent and well-researched book encourages Christians to respect scientific findings, while affirming the epistemic primacy of Scripture in our post-Darwinian age. It is a gift to the church."
--Mary Vanden Berg, Calvin Theological Seminary

"This is the most erudite and theologically sophisticated defense of 'young earth creationism' that I have read. Madueme makes a spirited defense of his position even as he admits that the evidence against it appears daunting. The result is a work that is exemplary in its humility and helpful even, or perhaps especially, for someone who (like me) has significant disagreements with the position defended."
--Thomas H. McCall, Asbury Theological Seminary

"This is one of the most detailed, perceptive, and well-researched critiques of theistic evolution I have ever seen. Even though at the end of the day the book's main argument has not convinced me, I profoundly benefited from Madueme's sound scholarship and from the countless pertinent observations he makes along the way."
--Gijsbert van den Brink, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

"Madueme's foundation of 'biblical realism' is a methodological breath of fresh air--we might say piercingly menthol fresh. No doubt it will be arresting to some, but it is vital in defending biblical authority, the health of the evangelical doctrinal ecosystem, and the constructive engagement of science dogmatically rather than evidentially. Highly recommended."
--Daniel Strange, Crosslands Forum

About the Author

Hans Madueme (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. He previously served as the managing director of the Henry Center for Theological Understanding and the associate director of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Madueme is on the editorial board of Themelios and is a senior editor for Sapientia. He is also the coeditor of Adam, the Fall, and Original Sin and Reading Christian Theology in the Protestant Tradition.