NEW BOOK RELEASE

CREATION IS FALLEN

Step into a profound exploration of one of Christianity’s most challenging questions with Creation is Fallen: The Curse, Animal Suffering, and the Problem of Natural Evil by Ken P. Coulson. In this compelling and meticulously researched work, Coulson tackles the age-old dilemma: How can a good and omnipotent God allow such widespread suffering and death in the natural world?

Forward
by Hans Madueme, MD, PhD—Professor of Theological Studies—Covenant College

One of the distinctive claims of young-age creationists is that animal suffering and death are consequences of Adam’s fall. In the world as it was before Genesis 3, animals lived peacefully with each other and with humans (let’s call this view original goodness). In our post-Darwinian era, people tend to ridicule this traditional position, but creationists come by their convictions honestly through a careful reading of the Old and New Testaments – and they are hardly the first to think this way. Going all the way back to the church fathers, Christians like Theophilus, Irenaeus, and many others held the same basic position. But here’s the problem: despite being a centerpiece of creationism, the doctrine of original goodness is surprisingly vague. The biblical texts are clear enough, and the theological basis makes good sense, yet many questions don’t seem to have obvious answers. Were all animals free from suffering and death? What about ants and microbes – or worms and jellyfish? Did Adam experience any pain before he sinned? And what role did blood-sucking mosquitoes play in an unfallen world, or (as I’m tempted to think on hot, humid summer evenings) did those wretched things only come into existence after the fall prompted God’s curse?

Meanwhile, the stakes are even higher for Christian evolutionists who think Adam has nothing to do with animal suffering and death. How can God be a good God, how can He be holy and just, if He allowed millions of years of gruesome violence and death to innocent animals?

We sometimes forget that old-earth creationists are in the same boat since they agree that the endless cycles of animal pain, violence, and death predated Adam and Eve by eons. Most scientists believe that over 99 percent of all species that have ever existed are now extinct. Think about that for a second. If all this animal suffering and death was objectively evil, and if Adam was not to blame – how is the creator not evil as well?

Much ink has been spilled to resolve these weighty theological questions, but Ken Coulson’s new book ranks among the best. I first came across Coulson’s work years ago when I read his earlier work Creation Unfolding: A New Perspective on ex nihilo. I still recall the thrill I felt reading this fresh voice in creationism. Here was a book with none of the stereotypes and tired clichés we normally associate with the creationist movement. Rather, Creation Unfolding shows that creationism at its best is not an apologetic sideshow, nor the domain of eccentric Christians prone to weird beliefs. Creationism, in fact, is a faithful expression of classical, orthodox biblical Christianity.

Coulson’s latest book, Creation is Fallen, is equally thrilling, but this time he tackles the problem of natural evil. The book defends a stimulating thesis and never suffers from mere abstraction. Indeed, quite the opposite: concrete empirical examples enrich his masterful argument throughout. Coulson often dishes out surprising and uncomfortable details of animal behavior, like parasitic cuckoo birds and hungry (but oh-so-deadly) ichneumon wasps. Such examples left me squirming as I turned the pages.

Many books dealing with the interface between science and theology are competent on the science but treat God’s Word superficially. Not so with Creation is Fallen. Scientists like Coulson leave me speechless; he is obviously an expert in nitty-gritty science, but this brother is no slouch in theology! In my experience, Bible scholars and theologians are intimidated by the scientific details; they feel out of their depth and often have only a cursory grasp of the issues. By contrast, Coulson puts them to shame. He’s fully at home with Scripture and comfortable interpreting difficult biblical texts. His exegetical instincts are impeccable.

Let me end with a note of appreciation. I have wrestled in my own work with the complex theological questions surrounding a fallen creation, and I’ve read most of the related literature. My overwhelming reaction to reading Creation is Fallen is gratitude to the Lord for equipping Coulson to write such a fantastic work. We creationists need writing of this high caliber. This book is indispensable because it showcases creationism’s dynamic energy as an integral piece of Christianity. If Coulson’s book represents a new breed of creationist scientists, I can safely say the movement is in good hands.
Soli Deo Gloria!

Endorsements

“Biblical truth defines the very nature of reality. Lose accuracy in the former and the ramifications of one’s conclusions begin to detach from reality. This is the very truth that Coulson brings out in Creation is Fallen. Coulson compellingly demonstrates that as one departs from the scriptural paradigm on creation, bigger issues arise of squaring animal suffering, pain, and death with a truly good God and original creation. Through a helpful blend of science, exegesis, and philosophy, Coulson shows that in attempting to make God more palatable to modern science, some have unwittingly made God unpalatable relative to His own righteousness and the question of theodicy. This book is a stimulating, insightful, and edifying read, a reminder that changing our interpretation of Scripture is never merely a change of interpretation but has substantial ramifications, and to cling to what Scripture says makes sense of everything and gives hope.”
— Abner Chou, President, The Master’s University and Seminary, Sun Valley, California

“The Bible’s teaching on creation and the fall is no small point – it’s foundational to all that Scripture teaches, including making sense of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ to remedy what has gone wrong. Yet, many reject the biblical truth that suffering and death, both for humans and animals, is directly tied to an historic Adam and fall. Given the influence of evolutionary theory, many reject the Bible’s foundational teaching on this point. This is why I am delighted to highly recommend Ken Coulson’s Creation is Fallen. It not only gives the biblical evidence for Scripture’s teaching on this point, but it wrestles with scientific questions rarely addressed by young earth creationists while simultaneously challenging the evolutionary thought of our day. I know of no other work like it. It is much needed in today’s discussion on these foundational issues in theology and science.”
— Stephen J. Wellum, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

Author Bio

Coulson holds a PhD in earth science and is currently working on a master’s degree in apologetics. He teaches as an adjunct at two Christian universities and is the founder of the Creation Unfolding YouTube channel that engages Christianity as it intersects with science. He resides with his wife and three daughters in Brisbane, Australia.