Old Testament scholar Peter Enns (author of Inspiration and Incarnation and The Evolution of Adam) recently started a new blog called “Rethinking Biblical Christianity…” and for his first series he is taking on the young earth creationism of popular conservative theologian Al Mohler.

Here Enns explains why.

I am writing, rather, for the sake of those who are living with the consequences of what Mohler says they must believe–those who feel trapped in Mohler’s either/or rhetoric, that to question a literal interpretation of Scripture concerning creation puts one on the path to apostasy.

Driven by his precommitment to biblical literalism, Mohler leaves his audience with an impossible false choice between a Christian faith that must remain in intellectual isolation in order to survive and an intellectual life that has no place for Christian faith.

Mohler’s rhetoric is spiritually harmful because it is intellectually untenable.

Not sure it’s a question of “literal” vs. non-literal interpretation actually, if by literal we mean what the author intended to convey.

Walton’s excellent The Lost World of Genesis One for example takes the text, I would argue, more seriously than Mohler, because Walton refuses to force the text to answer questions it does not appear concerned with.

Still, Enns’ point stands, and many of the issues he is raising are the same issues I’ve been wrestling with ever since the creation/evolution debate became a nagging question in my own journey.

I look forward to watching this discussion unfold, hopefully it can be characterized by more light than heat.