Abstract
In Scripture and Cosmology, Kyle Greenwood takes the reader through an extensive survey of cosmological perspectives from the ancient Near East to seventeenth-century Europe. Written for students, Christians, men and women of faith, evangelicals, and young believers (p. 11), this book aims to reach a broad audience.
In the first chapter, Greenwood briefly explains the importance of understanding the cultural, geographical, historical, and literary contexts of the ancient world, as well as the concept of worldviews. After this, he divides the book into three parts. Part One explains the three-tiered cosmology of Egypt, Canaan, Mesopotamia, and Israel, which consisted of the earth, the heavens, and the sea. Part Two gives a history of the interpretation of Scripture in light of Aristotelian, Ptolemaic, and Copernican cosmologies. Finally, Part Three explains the concept of divine accommodation and explores the modern interaction of science and Scripture in three areas: medicine, astronomy, and human origins. Throughout the book, Greenwood advocates what he explicitly states in his conclusion: ‘The God who created the cosmos and spoke through Scripture is not threatened by their coexistence, but revels in revealing himself through both’ (p. 221).
This book presents a wealth of information drawn from years of research. Despite writing with the non-scholar in mind, Greenwood does not avoid advanced concepts and terminology. Instead, he liberally includes footnotes explaining potentially unfamiliar ideas to his reader. This technique allows him to retain a scholarly tone while still successfully addressing his intended audience. Despite the aid of footnotes, his explanations occasionally remain over-simplistic. Greenwood himself seems aware of this shortcoming, for he often suggests sources for further reading that explain the terms and concepts more completely. For those who want a comprehensive understanding of all the points discussed in the book, a more thorough treatment of terminology would be preferable; however, this is perhaps not possible within the confines of such a brief work.
Although not everyone will agree with Greenwood’s analysis of the data or suggestions for how science and Scripture can coexist, Scripture and Cosmology is a welcome addition to the discussion that will prove engaging in both popular and academic contexts.