Biologos Foundation Reprint - June 15, 2010
Reprinted by Permission
http://biologos.org/blog/the-biblical-premise-of-uniformitarianism-a-response-to-john-macarthur-2/
The Biblical Premise of Uniformitarianism:
A Response to John MacArthur, Part 2
Gregory S. Bennett
"Science and the Sacred" is pleased to feature essays from various guest voices in the scienceand-religion dialogue. Today's entry was written by Gregory Bennett. Gregory Bennett has
practiced geology as a middle school teacher and an oil company production geologist. He
now works in the information technology industry providing consulting to universities
throughout the US. Bennett writes and lectures on science and faith topics as an affiliate with
Solid Rock Lectures and has drafted a book for youth with the working title, Geology and
God’s Work: Discovering a Personal, Loving Artist behind Earth History. He is a member of the
Affiliation of Christian Geologists, the American Scientific Affiliation, and an associate with
the Evangelical Theological Society.
Uniformitarianism is addressed from a geological and historical perspective by Stephen Moshier
in Part 1 of this series. In this, Part 2, I will explore how uniformitarianism provides a model of
understanding the earth’s history from the perspective of God’s providence, one of the core
tenants of Christian doctrine. In Part 3 we will explore uniformitarianism as a reasonable model
of looking at God’s providence back to the beginning of time and consider how every biblical
interpreter and student of history uses similar uniformitarian principles.
The Biblical Premise of Uniformitarianism, Part 2
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In his internet blogs of May 7 and May 10, 2010: Uniformitarianism, Part 1 and Part 2, the
distinguished American pastor John MacArthur (well known for his popular radio ministry and
Study Bible) portrayed uniformitarianism as expressly condemned in Scripture. This blog
responds to his views with another perspective showing that Dr. MacArthur is mistaken and
that uniformitarianism is expressly supported by the plain teaching of Scripture and by a wellknown and accepted Christian doctrine, that of God’s providence. Dr. MacArthur’s arguments
against uniformitarianism implicitly teach against the doctrine of God’s providence.
Let us first of all define what we mean by the terms “creation” and “God’s providence.”
Systematic theology textbooks used by beginning Bible students include sections or chapters on
these doctrines and two are referenced below.
Defining terms: Creation and Providence
Creation has been defined as that “free act of God whereby He, according to his sovereign will
and for his own glory, in the beginning brought forth the whole visible and invisible universe,
without the use of preexistent material, and thus gave it an existence, distinct from his own and
yet always dependent on him.” (Berkhof, p.129)
God’s providence has been defined as “that continued exercise of the divine energy whereby
the Creator preserves all his creatures, is operative in all that comes to pass in the world, and
directs all things to their appointed end.” (Berkhof, p.166) There are three elements to
providence: preservation, concurrence or cooperation, and government. (Grudem, p.315;
Berkhof p.166) Using Berkhof’s model, two types of God’s providence include (1) Ordinary
providence where God works “through second causes in strict accordance with the laws of
nature” and (2) Extraordinary providence where God works “immediately or without the
mediation of second causes in their ordinary operation.” A more common term for
extraordinary providence is the word “miracle.” (Berkhof, p.176)
God’s providence teaches that God is the “first mover” and that other forces in nature are the
“second movers”—forces such as gravitation, thermodynamics, or the heat of the Sun. Second
movers include such forces as the lightning that flashes and sets a forest ablaze, convection in
the molten, metallic outer core that creates the protective magnetic shield around the earth,
the hand of a person who lights a fire to warm his family…the list is endless. These “second
movers” or “secondary causes” all act under the rule of God’s providence.
The Bible does not describe God as being part of nature, but as creating it as a potter would
work clay (see Jeremiah 18:1-6) and, then, relating to what he has made in an intimate, caring
relationship. Pantheism doesn’t distinguish between creation and providence so it is very
important to be careful to do so. Theism stresses “the calling into existence of that which did
not exist before, while providence continues or causes to continue that has already been called
into existence.” It also emphasizes cooperation between “the creature with the Creator” and
“concurrence of the first Cause (God) with the second causes. In Scripture the two are always
kept distinct.” (Berkhof, p.167)
The Biblical Premise of Uniformitarianism, Part 2
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Uniformitarianism is God’s ordinary providence
Uniformitarianism is simply another way of describing God’s ordinary providence in shaping his
world— what we study in the scientific field of geology. Throughout time, God as Creator and
Provider has used the many tools at his disposal to make and mold the universe including the
earth and its flora and fauna. Geologists have the privilege of studying how God did this
creating and providing during the history of the earth.
When geologists speak of uniformitarianism, they mean that God used similar mechanisms in
the past that he uses today in creating, ruling, and providing for the earth and its flora and
fauna. This work of God throughout time is what we study under the doctrine of God’s
providence.
Geologists using the term “uniformitarianism” do nothing more than assume that God has
worked in the past in similar ways as he does now. Normally, he works by “ordinary
providence”, which includes events that we are used to seeing as well as the ones that are rare.
For example, both the daily wind and a hurricane would act under God’s ordinary providence.
It is not possible, nor is it necessary, to distinguish ordinary providence from extraordinary
providence (or miracles) when studying God’s creation using scientific methods. Dr. MacArthur
mistakenly pits one against the other. For example, geologists cannot determine whether
ordinary providence (God’s use of secondary agents of gravity, mass, and planetary motion) or
extraordinary providence (God’s direct miraculous hand) caused the meteorite to hit the earth
at the end of the Cretaceous Period, 65 million Earth-years ago, ending the reign of dinosaurs
and ushering in the reign of mammals.
God provides for his creation
The Bible shows an intimate, relational involvement by God in what we might consider simply
nature at work. God’s providence says that the Creator is also the Nourisher, the Provider, and
the Sustainer of all that exists. Before God created people on the earth, he created all kinds of
animals. He fed them, shepherded them, took care of them, and involved himself in their
existence – all before he created people. A branch of geology called paleontology studies these
long-extinct animals that were shepherded by God long before he created people. God
shepherded the dinosaurs in the distant past long before he shepherded David or us.
And God has continued with this provision. Should he stop providing, the universe would stop
and all life would end. Even though he rested from his creating (Genesis 1), he has not stopped
providing for and ruling his creation. Throughout time and at every point in space (including the
earth) God has provided for his creation. He provides at this very moment in time for you and
for me. He provides for every creature from the most simple to the great complexity of us
humans. He provides for the whole of creation – for each molecule, for each rock, for each tree,
for each insect, for everything at all times.
The Biblical Premise of Uniformitarianism, Part 2
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Psalm 104 gives us great examples of God’s providence at work, where he feeds animals, gives
them a life span, provides day and night, provides rain, forms mountains, causes the wind to
blow. Psalm 104: 27-30 says, “All of your creatures wait for you to provide them with food on a
regular basis. You give food to them and they receive it; you open your hand and they are filled
with food. When you ignore them, they panic. When you take away their life’s breath, they die
and return to dust. When you send your life-giving breath, they are created, and you replenish
the surface of the ground.”
A plain reading of Scripture shows God relating to his creation using both the normal
interactions of gravity, heat, and matter as well as the miraculous or direct changes from his
own hand. A plain reading of Scripture also shows God in intimate relationship with his
creation. Matthew 6:25 says, “Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather
into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” God literally feeds the birds – the finches that
eat seed, the bald eagles that eat fish, and the vultures that eat carrion. Or consider Isaiah 45:7,
“I am the one who forms light and creates darkness; the one who brings about peace and
creates calamity.” God literally forms the day and night for us. He does so through his agents
the sun and the rotation of the earth. God feeds the birds and creates day and night under
what we describe as God’s providence.
Where we’re going
In Part 3 we will explore uniformitarianism as a reasonable model of looking at God’s
providence back to the beginning of time and consider how every biblical interpreter and
student of history uses similar uniformitarian principles.
References
Bennett, Gregory, The Biblical Premise of Uniformitarianism: A Response to John MacArthur,
Part 3. http://biologos.org/blog/the-biblical-premise-of-uniformitarianism-a-response-to-johnmacarthur-2/. June 19, 2010.
Berkhof, Louis, Systematic Theology, 4th Edition, Eerdmans, 1941.
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Zondervan, Grand
Rapids, MI, 1994.
MacArthur, John, Uniformitarianim, Part 1: http://www.gty.org/Blog/B100507. May 7, 2010.
MacArthur, John, Uniformitarianim, Part 2: http://www.gty.org/Blog/B100510. May 10, 2010.
Moshier, Stephen O, The Biblical Premise of Uniformitarianism: A Response to John MacArthur,
Part 1: http://biologos.org/blog/the-biblical-premise-of-uniformitarianism-1/. June 12, 2010.