Adam, the Fall, and Original Sin: Theological, Biblical, and Scientific Perspectives, edited by Hans Madueme and Michael Reeves. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014, 352 pages, $26.99, paper.

Divided into four parts, this book contains fifteen chapters with an introduction and postscript, written by different scholars. It presents a theological, biblical, and scientific case for the necessity of belief in original sin and the historicity of Adam and Eve in response to contemporary challenges. Here is a summary with assessment for each chapter.

The “Introduction: Adam under Siege: Setting the Stage” by Hans Madueme and Michael Reeves points to the contemporary discussion on the historicity of Adam and the practical impact this issue has on evangelical and Reformed scholars including Bruce Waltke, Peter Enns, and Tremper Longman. It is worthy to note that much of the current discussion circles around three key areas: the epistemological status of natural science for theology, historical criticism of the Bible, and church tradition.

Part One: Adam in the Bible and Science

1. “Adam and Eve in the Old Testament” by C. John Collins

This chapter argues for the coherency of Genesis 1–11, as a connected narrative, with Genesis 2 serving as an elaboration of Genesis 1. While Collins shows from a literary and linguistic perspective that Genesis 1–11 contain a historical core, he cautions against reading them too literalistically. Based on other OT passages and Second Temple Jewish literature, Collins argues that the writer of Genesis was talking about what he thought were actual events, using rhetorical and literary techniques to shape the readers’ attitudes towards those events. A discussion on Adam being a covenant head and federal representative could have strengthened the argument in this chapter.

2. “Adam in the New Testament” by Robert W. Yarbrough

In this chapter Yarbrough exegetically considers eight of the New Testament’s nine Adam passages (Luke 3:38; Rom. 5:14; 1 Cor. 15:22, 45; 1 Tim. 2:13–14), with little to say about Jude 14. He makes two concluding observations. 1) In his Adamic theology, Paul was deeply cognizant of Jesus’s teaching and heritage, and he did not distort but faithfully represented Jesus’s intent and commission. 2) There are two approaches to the New Testament’s representations of Adam and his importance—post-Christian Western minimalism and African-majority world maximalism. Yarbrough is very brief in his exegetical analysis of the New Testament passages. Although he touches on 1 Timothy 2:13–14, he does not mention anything about verse 15 and Paul’s important statement that the woman/Eve “will be saved through childbearing.”

3. “Adam and Modern Science” by William Stone (a pseudonym)

In this chapter Stone places Adam in conversation with crucial evidence from paleoanthropology to show how Adam’s historicity and the human fossil record are not in conflict. He provides evidence to confirm the expectation of a discontinuity between the genus Homo and the australopithecine genera and places Adam at the root of genus Homo. One concern that Stone leaves unaddressed is reconciling the conventional chronology that would make Adam live about 1.8 million years ago with our reading of the genealogies of Genesis 4–5.

Part Two: Original Sin in History

4. “Original Sin in Patristic Theology” by Peter Sanlon

In this chapter, Sanlon focuses on Augustine and his vision of God, humanity, and ethics that was thoroughly informed by his understanding of original sin. For Augustine, had Adam not been a historical person, then the reality of original sin, which shaped God’s grace and its conception, would collapse. Thus, the nature of salvation offered through the second Adam is inextricably tied to the historicity of Adam. Although Sanlon presents a thorough understanding of the Augustinian view of original sin and grace, he does not mention any other fathers. The title of this chapter should have specifically restricted the patristic theology to Augustine.

5. “The Lutheran Doctrine of Original Sin” by Robert Kolb

Kolb highlights the relational aspect of Luther’s definition of original sin, which is the breaking of the bond between Creator and human creature. At the heart of Luther’s definition of the original sin—at the beginning of human history in Eden and in every individual’s daily experience—is doubting of God’s Word, denying of his lordship, and destruction of love for him and trust in him. Kolb traces the development of Luther’s understanding of original sin through Philip Melanchthon, the Formula of Concord, Martin Chemnitz, and Philipp Jakob Spener. What is missing in this chapter is a discussion on Luther’s view of justification in relation to original sin.

6. “Original Sin in Reformed Theology” by Donald Macleod

Macleod summarizes the Reformed view of original sin, which is in agreement with the Augustinian doctrine, that all human beings are born with a propensity to sin, and by nature are incapable of loving God, repenting of sin, or believing in Christ, apart from the new birth. Macleod explains the covenant of works, Adam’s federal relationship to his posterity, the imputation of Adam’s guilt, and our inheritance of corruption. Macleod clarifies the two views of imputation: 1) the immediate imputation, where the guilt comes first and corruption is its penal consequence; and 2) the mediate imputation, where the corruption comes before the guilt. Much could have been said regarding whether the depravity of all human beings is justified by Adam’s federal headship or the biological connection.

7. “ ‘But a Heathen Still’: The Doctrine of Original Sin in Wesleyan Theology” by Thomas H. McCall

In this chapter McCall offers an overview of the Wesleyan doctrine of original sin, which historically held to federalism but later modified it. Significant changes were made in Wesleyan theology in the nineteenth century that later led to the rejection of original guilt. It is interesting to know that Wesley defended the federalism of the Westminster Confession. McCall presents an honest assessment of the departure in contemporary Wesleyan doctrines of sin and salvation from early Methodism.

8. “Original Sin in Modern Theology” by Carl R. Trueman

Trueman surveys the highly diverse phenomenon in modern theology of original sin. He reviews six mainline theologians who have been influential on various strands of modern thought and stand in continuity with certain aspects of Enlightenment critiques of classical orthodoxy. Trueman shows that in modern theology, the relevance of the historicity of Adam is rejected and, therefore, any notion of humanity standing guilty before God because of the imputation of an alien guilt of the historical Adam is repudiated. This results in five treatments of original sin: 1) there is no movement from innocence to guilt, rather, creation was imperfect from the beginning; 2) human nature in and of itself is always fallen, and Adam functions as a paradigm to which we all conform; 3) Christological focus has priority in discussions of sin; 4) the nature of sin is attenuated, where sin is primarily done against other people rather than God; and 5) the view of alien guilt as being unjust and unethical is not solved by modern reconstructions. Trueman’s conclusion that one’s understanding of original sin is necessarily and decisively connected to the structure of one’s theology as a whole is true and valuable.

Part Three: Original Sin in Theology

9. “Original Sin in Biblical Theology” by James M. Hamilton

Taking the Bible as a coherent story, Hamilton argues in this chapter that biblical theology is the attempt to discern the interpretative perspective that the biblical authors employed in order to adopt it as our own. This perspective includes a first man, Adam, whose sin had ramification for all humans and universal consequences. Hamilton spends much time interacting with Peter Enns’s book The Evolution of Adam. This time could have been spent more effectively in dealing with hermeneutical issues related to biblical theology, including the New Testament use of the Old Testament, authorial intention, and divine meaning.

10. “Threads in a Seamless Garment: Original Sin in Systematic Theology” by Michael Reeves and Hans Madueme

In this chapter Reeves and Madueme demonstrate that a gospel that omits Adam and original sin is far less good news, if good news at all. These biblical doctrines show how kind and good God is and what good news is therefore offered to the weak and helpless sinner. The authors argue for a historical, originating sin, which affirms that God is not the author of evil; rather he is faithful to his creation and redeems it. They also argue for a consequential, originated sin, which shows that Christ is truly a Savior and not just an example. The authors offer a helpful explanation for the problem of the existence of evil. They argue that when God’s creatures turned away from him, evil existed.

11. “ ‘The Most Vulnerable Part of the Whole Christian Account’ ”: Original Sin and Modern Science” by Hans Madueme

In this chapter Madueme acknowledges that science is an aspect of God’s general revelation, and Christianity is a revelatory faith with divinely revealed doctrines including original sin. Yet at the same time, Madueme sees conflicts between widely attested scientific claims and Christian doctrines, and is not satisfied with human attempts for harmonization. For Madueme, full harmonization will ultimately and certainly happen in the eschaton. One wonders, if science and Christianity are divinely revealed, is there true conflict between them? Or, is conflict happening due to evil intentions of fallen humanity that corrupt divinely revealed science, causing it to be in conflict with Christian doctrines? Madueme does not present any attempts for reconciling science with Christianity that take into account their divine origin.

12. “Original Sin in Pastoral Theology” by Daniel Doriani

Doriani discusses original sin in relation to pastoral call, evangelism, church leadership, and pastoral care. Realizing that sin creates all of man’s problems, Doriani points out its pervasive effects on the mind and emotions. Doriani rightly argues that the doctrine of original sin leads upward to Christ and is central to gospel preaching and discipleship since it insists that we place our hope and trust in Jesus alone.

Part Four: Adam and the Fall in Dispute

13. “Original Sin and Original Death: Romans 5:12–19” by Thomas R. Schreiner

In this chapter, Schreiner argues that the most plausible reading of Romans 5:12–19, both exegetically and theologically, supports the doctrine of original sin and original death. Interacting with Henri Blocher, who rejects alien guilt, Schreiner is rightly convinced that sin, death, and condemnation are the portion of all people because of Adam’s one sin and his covenant headship. Just as we receive alien guilt in Adam, we receive alien righteousness in Christ. Schreiner sees the human race functioning as one organic whole. He is in favor of John Murray’s treatment of the subject. However, he points out Murray’s fundamental weakness of interpreting Romans 5:12–14 to say that the sins of those who lived between Adam and Moses were not counted against them (v. 13). Schreiner touches on those who bring up the question of infants, who die lacking mental capacities to make choices, but he does not work out all the details of their arguments or counterarguments.

14. “The Fall and Genesis 3” by Noel Weeks

Weeks deals with the difficulties of searching for earlier texts or sources behind Genesis 3. Then he turns to what the text itself says, working his way through some of the crucial exegetical puzzles before making sense of the sequential narrative. He concludes that the biblical text presents an explanation of crucial elements of the world. He affirms the reality of Adam’s sin and relative relationships of God, Adam, Eve, and the animals. Weeks dismisses symbolic interpretations of the text that interpret the text non-historically as being purely arbitrary. However, he does not make a case to support his conclusion.

15. “Adam, History, and Theodicy” by William Edgar

In this chapter Edgar argues that the historicity of Adam is crucial in theodicy. It explains why God is not the accountable cause for evil in the world. In fact, as Edgar shows, there is no intrinsic reason why God’s goodness could not allow evil, as long as it will one day be eradicated. For Edgar, believing that Adam is the first man, the covenant head of humanity, while perhaps not answering all questions about God’s relation to evil, is a far better option than attempting to answer David Hume’s dilemma of reconciling God’s goodness and power with the existence of evil. Edgar does not, however, work out all the details of God’s good purposes in allowing evil in the world and dealing with it in Christ and his redemptive work.

16. “Postscript” by Michael Reeves and Hans Madueme

This postscript reaffirms the traditional doctrine of Adam’s fall and original sin as the most theologically mature and cogent option in today’s debate. The Bible in its two Testaments does not support a mythological or purely figurative reading of Adam and Eve. Biblical theology has a coherent story and systematic theology a coherent framework only with a historical Adam.

The essays in this volume are timely and much needed in contemporary discussion on the historicity of Adam. It is not just the doctrine of original sin, with all its explanatory power, that is affected by the Adam question. The goodness and mercy of God, the coherence of the Scripture, and the finished work of Christ, cannot remain unscathed by the mythologizing of Adam. The historicity of Adam and original sin are essential, irremovable, relevant, and credible elements of the Christian faith.

Sherif Gendy is a member of the Mission Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a licentiate in the Presbytery of the Midwest (OPC), and a PhD student at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania.