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Mr. Gladstone and Genesis / Essay #5 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" cover

Mr. Gladstone and Genesis / Essay #5 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition"

The essay critiques a contemporary assertion that the Pentateuch’s creation sequence matches modern science and thus implies supernatural foreknowledge. It challenges that claim by examining Hebrew terms and the ordinary meanings available to ancient readers, arguing the author intended a literal, popular cosmology: a flat, immovable earth within watery envelopes, a firmament separating waters, light and darkness conceived as entities whose alternation defines days, and sun, moon, and stars set in the firmament as calendrical devices. Plants precede animals because of ecological dependence, and animals are produced from their environments; translation choices and ancient analogues shape the narrative’s form and purpose.

By Thomas Henry Huxley
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Essays, Letters & SpeechesPhilosophy & EthicsReligion/SpiritualityScience - Biology

About This Book

The essay critiques a contemporary assertion that the Pentateuch’s creation sequence matches modern science and thus implies supernatural foreknowledge. It challenges that claim by examining Hebrew terms and the ordinary meanings available to ancient readers, arguing the author intended a literal, popular cosmology: a flat, immovable earth within watery envelopes, a firmament separating waters, light and darkness conceived as entities whose alternation defines days, and sun, moon, and stars set in the firmament as calendrical devices. Plants precede animals because of ecological dependence, and animals are produced from their environments; translation choices and ancient analogues shape the narrative’s form and purpose.

About the Author

Huxley, Thomas Henry portrait

Thomas Henry Huxley

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895) was an English biologist and a prominent advocate of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Often referred to as 'Darwin's Bulldog' for his defense of evolutionary science, Huxley made significant contributions to the fields of zoology and paleontology. His works, such as "A Critical Examination of the Position of Mr. Darwin's Work" and "American Addresses, with a Lecture on the Study of Biology," reflect his commitment to scientific inquiry and education. Huxley's writings often explored the relationship between science and religion, and he was instrumental in promoting the importance of scientific literacy in society.

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A Critical Examination of the Position of Mr. Darwin's Work, "On the Origin of Species," in Relation to the Complete Theory of the Causes of the Phenomena of Organic Nature / Lecture VI. (of VI.), "Lectures to Working Men", at the Museum of Practical Geology, 1863, on Darwin's Work: "Origin of Species" cover A Critical Examination of the Position of Mr. Darwin's Work, "On the Origin of Species," in Relation to the Complete Theory of the Causes of the Phenomena of Organic Nature / Lecture VI. (of VI.), "Lectures to Working Men", at the Museum of Practical Geology, 1863, on Darwin's Work: "Origin of Species" by Thomas Henry Huxley American Addresses, with a Lecture on the Study of Biology cover American Addresses, with a Lecture on the Study of Biology by Thomas Henry Huxley Aphorisms and Reflections from the works of T. H. Huxley cover Aphorisms and Reflections from the works of T. H. Huxley by Thomas Henry Huxley Aphorisms and Reflections from the Works of T. H. Huxley cover Aphorisms and Reflections from the Works of T. H. Huxley by Thomas Henry Huxley Autobiography and Selected Essays cover Autobiography and Selected Essays by Thomas Henry Huxley Collected Essays, Volume V / Science and Christian Tradition: Essays cover Collected Essays, Volume V / Science and Christian Tradition: Essays by Thomas Henry Huxley

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