De Novo Adam

Jim Bell (70672.1241@compuserve.com)
10 Dec 95 15:41:52 EST

More support for "de novo Adam" from Alan Hayward, "Creation and Evolution"
[pp. 195-96]:

"[Re: Genesis 2:7] There appear to be no Biblical grounds for interpreting
'breath of life' as 'spirituality,' or anything like it. The same phrase
'breath of life' occurs several times in the story of the Flood and each time
it is made clear that it is possessed by both man and the animals. Genesis
uses 'breath of life' to mean 'that which gives physical life to air-breathing
creatures of all kinds.' The creationist reading of Genesis 2:7 agrees with
this usage, but the [theistic] evolutionist reading appears to be in sharp
conflict with it....

"The 'living being' (KJV 'living soul') that man became means simply a 'living
creature.' Indeed, the identical Hebrew phrase is translated that way in
Genesis 1:20, 'Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures,' and
again in verses 21 and 24. The [theistic] evolutionist interpretation of
'living creature' to mean 'spiritually-minded creature' seems unjustified.

"If we let the Bible speak for itself there appears to be only one natural way
to read Genesis 2:7: the verse informs us that God miraculously created Adam
from non-living matter (though without telling us precisely how he did it).
The idea of God stamping his image upon a living super-ape can hardly be read
into Genesis 2:7 without distorting it."

Jim