The Seven Series with Gregg Davidson

The prompt for this episode is the mass migration across the American southern border, though perhaps with a more nuanced conclusion than you are accustomed to. My co-host for this conversation is Melvin Manickavasagm, an immigrant from Malaysia now serving on the pastoral staff of a church in Oxford, Mississippi. Join us for a conversation on how Christians should navigate biblical mandates to care for the orphan, the widow, and t...

Most likely think that a scientist speaking on the intersection  of science and faith is a "one-way street" - science delivered to the church.  Do such speakers ever aim their message back to their secular colleagues? More often than you might think. In this episode, I share a story of navigating the cultural space of my professional organization when a decision was made to no longer post job announcements from Christian ...

This episode is the first in the series to consider the strength of scientific evidence - in this case for the age of the earth. I am joined by my friend and fellow geologist, Ken Wolgemuth, to discuss four common myths or misunderstandings of the science of earth history. Myth 1: Historical science is not "real" science. Myth 2: The geologic column and deep time was invented to make room for evolution. Myth 3: Dating usi...

We continue with asking if modern scientific understanding, particularly as it relates to origins, is inherently in conflict with the biblical creation account. Part 2 dives into human origins -  whether Adam and Eve were specially created or selected from a larger population, how scientists can claim we all came from a single female AND from a larger contemporaneous population, and what the Bible might say about hominids outside t...

In the Bible, land plays a much larger roll than just a place to call home. The gift of a homeland represents living where God walks among his people. Exile from that land meant being sent away from God’s presence, provision, and protection. It represented death.

In this final layer of Then Manifold Beauty of Genesis 1, we explore the parallels between Eden and Canaan, and between Adam and Israel. It is a story of blessings, sin, an...

Of all the layers covered, this one is likely the least familiar to readers today, as the drift of modern society has removed us from the significance of the calendar of festivals of ancient Israel. Material for this layer is drawn largely from Michael Lefevre’s book, The Liturgy of Creation, published in 2019. The basic premise is that the festival dates, holy days, and even dates commemorating historical events, are tied to the a...

The parallels between Eden and the tabernacle or later temple run deep through Scripture, even to the very end, where Ezekiel and Revelation speak of a final temple that is what Eden was intended to one day be, filling the entire earth. A place where we learn what it really means to enter God’s rest – a place where God dwells and walks among his people.

In the Polemic Layer (Episode 6), we saw Genesis challenging the erran...

Layer 4 of The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One dives into the importance of covenants in the Bible, starting from the very beginning – not only with Adam and Eve, but with the creation itself. The implications of a creation covenant influences how we see and care for God’s garden today.

Discussion also includes insights from archeological discoveries that the biblical language of covenants has significant parallels with the wording o...

Layer 2 is the Analogy with the human work week. God had no need to divide his creativity into a series of days, no need of the breaks between, and certainly no need of an ending rest – nor was he confined to one spot on a spinning globe (a requirement for day to turn to night). But the divisions communicate a great deal about what is important to God on our behalf – work, order, creativity, rest, and worship. 

Think Genesis 1 is si...

Think Genesis 1 is simply the history of creation? Or perhaps a mythological “just so” story for an ancient tribe? The creation story is so much more! Join in for a 7-part series, co-hosted by Kenneth Turner, Hebrew scholar and co-author of The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One, where we discuss the rich tapestry of layers contained in this singular story. 

Layer 1 - the Song of Creation - focuses on the unique poetic structure of the ...

Christians typically believe that the Bible, by virtue of being inspired by God, is free of errors. It is inerrant. This term seems to be a straightforward way of differentiating those who believe the Bible is true from those who do not. But it turns out to be a bit more complicated, particularly where the Bible intersects with nature. Episode 3 takes a deeper look at what it means to be free of error in all the Bible intends to te...