The Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism (2018)

Wise, K.P., J.W. Francis, N.A. Doran, A.J. Fabich, S. Hartz, and T. Hennigan. 2018. Devotional Biology : A young-age creationist, college-level, conceptual biology textbook. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism , ed. J.H. Whitmore, pp. 255-267. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Creation Science Fellowship. DEVOTIONAL BIOLOGY : AYOUNG-AGE CREATIONIST, COLLEGE-LEVEL, CONCEPTUAL BIOLOGY TEXTBOOK Kurt P. Wise , Truett McConnell University; Pilgram Marpeck School of STEM; 100 Alumni Dr.; Cleveland, GA 30528 kwise@truett.edu Joseph W. Francis , The Master’s University, 21726 Placerita Canyon Rd; Santa Clarita, CA 91321 Neal A. Doran , Bryan College, 721 Bryan Drive, Box 7795; Dayton, TN 37321 Andrew J. Fabich , Truett McConnell University; Pilgram Marpeck School of STEM; 100 Alumni Dr.; Cleveland, GA 30528 Stephanie Hartz , Bryan College; Department of Biology; 721 Bryan Drive, Dayton, TN 37321 Tom Hennigan , Truett McConnell University; Pilgram Marpeck School of STEM; 100 Alumni Dr.; Cleveland, GA 30528 ABSTRACT Devotional Biology is being developed as a one-semester college-level conceptual biology textbook for non-science majors. Except for presenting a survey of organisms and an introduction to organismal anatomy and physiology (typically reserved for a second-semester course), Devotional Biology covers all the major topics of biology presented in secular texts as well as a few others not usually covered at all. Student surveys indicate students believe they learn biology through the Devotional Biology text. At the same time, Devotional Biology presents biology from the perspective of a distinctly biblical worldview—and on surveys, Devotional Biology students believe they improved their appreciation of biology as well. Devotional Biology also focuses on God, and how His attributes are evident in the biological world—and on surveys, Devotional Biology students believe they improved their recognition of God in the creation, their understanding of God, their relationship to God, and their use of the creation in witness to others. Devotional Biology also assumes a young-age creationist interpretation of biology, critiquing the naturalistic perspective of the field in the process—and on surveys, Devotional Biology students believe they grew in their faith and learned to defend their faith. Devotional Biology also includes responsibilities of believers as priests and kings in God’s creation—and on surveys, Devotional Biology students believe they grew in their understanding of their ethical responsibilities, in their worship of God, and in better ruling over the creation. KEY WORDS college, textbook, conceptual biology, biblical worldview, young-age creationism, holism, macro-to-micro Copyright 2018 Creation Science Fellowship, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA www.creationicc.org 255 INTRODUCTION This textbook grew out of the experiences of one of the authors of this paper (KPW). In the Fall of 1989, after formal education through a Ph.D. of an entirely secular nature, KPW assumed a position teaching biology at a Christian college. In a faculty workshop prior to the beginning of classes, the faculty were challenged to teach each of their respective disciplines from a biblical worldview. KPW found the rationale for the challenge compelling, but without any training in a biblical worldview, he knew little to nothing about what a biblical worldview looks like in biology. By the very nature of a worldview, he realized that it must involve something more foundational and permeating than just a creationist interpretation of historical biological data. So, as any good junior faculty member, he asked the head of the department for sources on a biblical worldview of biology, and tips on how to teach biology from such a perspective. The response was not satisfactory. In fact, searching science textbooks and both creationist and worldview literature, surprisingly little was found on how to teach biology from a biblical worldview. Down through the centuries, Christians have contributed to the discipline of biology. Yet, most of the pieces that make up modern biology were contributed by naturalistic biologists and those pieces were woven together almost exclusively by biologists with a naturalistic worldview. The philosophical foundations of biology, as presented in textbooks, are fundamentally naturalistic in nature. The nature of reality, the nature and value of truth, the purpose of science, the nature of science, the definition of biology, the history of biology, the definition of species, the definition of higher taxa, the purpose of biosystematics, the biosystematic method(s)— all these things and many more are generated from a naturalistic perspective. Existing Christian biology textbooks interpret the content of secular biology texts through a biblical lens, and some of them do a pretty good job of that. The problem is that this promotes the incorrect notion that the study of the physical world (science) is in one realm and must be viewed from the perspective of another realm—the realm, for example, of the Bible. God’s word and God’s world are revelations of the same God, and their respective studies should not be so divided. A biblical worldview of biology is not generated by interpreting secular biology through a biblical lens. A biblical worldview of biology must start with a different perspective of reality and truth, and from that perspective, generate distinctly biblical purpose and method. Everything in biology is different in a biblical worldview. Perspectives on how life began, what life is, what life is for, and where life is going are all different, as are perspectives on how humanity began, where it is going, why it is here, and what its responsibilities are to the rest of the world. A truly biblical biology text must unravel the entire discipline of biology and build it anew.