Dr. Charles “Chick” Keller

LAFSF News:

Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum (LAFSF) presents a talk by Charles “Chick” Keller, “Scientific Constraints on the Existence of Adam and Eve”. 

Dr. Keller’s Zoom talk will be 6:30 p.m. MDT, Wednesday, July 7.

Abstract. The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis has been the topic for numberless commentaries and even wise humor. But were those two really the first humans and are we somehow tainted by their fall from grace? 

Most scripture scholars hold that this story (as well as much of the early parts of Genesis) were not meant to be factual, but rather to send a deep (and somewhat poetic) message about human nature and our relation to the Creator. Yet it is clear from some passages in the NT that the writers, especially Paul, did indeed think this story was the actual account of how humans came to exist on this planet, and from that they (including St. Augustine and others) developed theological ideas of why humans act the way they do. 

But, of course, if there were not first parents in the Genesis sense, their conclusions would not be entirely accurate. This talk will attempt to use science to get a more focused idea of what the A&E story tells us. It begins by showing evidence that there seems no place in human history for two such parents. It will give information from both paleontology and DNA to support this conclusion. 

It will end by asking what scenarios have been put forth to bring the scriptural account into consilience with the scientific evidence and what that might mean for how we view human nature and our relation with God.

The Zoom site is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83384636721?pwd=WDZHa08xaUhvVWRqd2NHTXcrYkxidz09

Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum website (www.lafsf.org) provides descriptions and YouTube videos of this summer’s series of talks.