Creation Rediscovered: Evolution and The Importance of The Origins Debate

by Gerard J. Keane

TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.

Gerard Keane’s Creation Rediscovered is one of the most comprehensive and readable books on the origins debate. Since Keane is Catholic, he includes chapters such as "The Position within Catholicism" and many references to the Catholic Church’s role in the debate. However, Protestants will affirm Keane’s spirited defense of the inerrancy of Scripture and his challenges to Catholic priests, schools, and theologians who undermine official Church teaching on the subject. Keane outlines just about all the arguments used by those in the "Creationist" and "Intelligent Design" movements. This tells me that he stays on top of the literature in the field--quite a challenge as the debate has heated up and expanded with even atheists attacking the credibility of evolution. While strongly advocating a young earth position, he allows for legitimate debate among Christians on this point.

This book is especially useful because of its arrangement. It has five primary sections: "The Basic Question, The Discoveries of Science, Christian Insights, The Influence of Evolution on Belief Systems," and "The Search for Meaning in Life." You can easily read sections out of order, and this is also true with many chapters. For example, if you already understand the contrasts between the theories of special creation and evolution as well as the idea of "theistic evolution," you might start with the second section, which deals with topics like the fossil record, dating, and genetics.

Keane deals with the fundamental theological problems of evolution as thoroughly as he does the scientific problems. Part IV that deals with belief systems contrasts theological and political results of Nazism, Communism, Humanism, and Christianity--very helpful for understanding the "big picture" consequences.

In Part V, Keane demonstrates the connection between beliefs about God, creation, and man with conclusions men have reached about meaning. Rejection of God and the Biblical explanation of life and its purpose lead to New Age thought, Freudian psychology, Existentialism, and other false explanations. Keane also tries to address the problem of evil in the context of this discussion. He addresses very well the practical consequences of evil, but seems to miss making the key point that there has to be some external standard of good (God) for us to even define good or evil.