{"id":12784,"date":"2019-01-18T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reasons.org\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth\/"},"modified":"2019-01-18T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-18T22:30:00","slug":"the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth","title":{"rendered":"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
October 31, 2017 marked the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation. Along with global recognition of its significance, the event also sparked renewed interest in the Reformers\u2019 teachings and example, which are still relevant to us today. For example, Dr. Joel R. Beeke considers them in his article, \u201cWhat Did the Reformers Believe about the Age of the Earth?\u201d\u00a0His central thesis is that the Reformers held a \u201cliteral\u201d interpretation of Genesis that he equates with young-earth creationism; namely, that God created everything in six ordinary (24-hour) days less than 6,000 years ago. Is this accurate? If so, should this idea compel believers to adopt a similar view of the age of the earth?The Days of Creation Prior to the Reformation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beeke begins his analysis by examining what the early church fathers taught about the days of creation and the age of the earth. He divides their interpretations into two broad camps, labeling one \u201cliteral\u201d and the other \u201callegorical.\u201d For the literal camp, he cites Basil<\/a>\u00a0and Ambrose<\/a>\u00a0as interpreting the creation days as 24-hour periods. In contrast, Origen<\/a>\u00a0and Augustine<\/a>\u00a0are described as allegorists because they believed that God created everything instantly. He further extends this analysis through the Middle Ages, mentioning the views of Bede<\/a>, Peter Lombard<\/a>, and Bonaventure<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, an accurate understanding of how the church fathers wrestled with creation and the age of the earth is complex and difficult\u2014far more complicated than what Beeke reports. In fact, a closer look deeply undercuts Beeke\u2019s analysis. For extensive documentation, see my five-part series, \u201cComing to Grips with the Early Church Fathers\u2019 Perspective on Genesis.\u201d<\/a>1<\/sup> Here are four key conclusions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The early church fathers based their understanding of Genesis on Greek and Latin translations, not the original Hebrew (see part 1<\/a>).<\/li>\n
  2. The allegorical interpreters (Origen and Augustine) had specific scriptural reasons for rejecting a calendar-day view of Genesis 1 (see part 2<\/a>).<\/li>\n
  3. Even the so-called \u201cliteralist\u201d fathers often relied on nonliteral modes of interpretation\u2014such as typology and numerological association\u2014in considering the Old Testament (see part 3<\/a>). So, we should not assume that the literalists necessarily held to a literal interpretation of Genesis.<\/li>\n
  4. The notion that the earth must have been less than 6,000 years old was based on a humanly created tradition concerned primarily with eschatology rather than creation (see part 4<\/a>). This tradition artificially constrained how people understood the days of creation and the age of the earth.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    From these points, we recognize that the early church fathers were divided over how to understand the days of creation. Perhaps more importantly, they were not dogmatic in their interpretations. They treated these issues as matters of dialogue and debate, rather than of orthodoxy. (For the related discussion on attempts to determine the age of the earth using the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11, see here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

    Views of the Reformers<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Beeke spends most of his article documenting the views on the days of creation and the age of the earth of six prominent Reformers: Martin Luther<\/a>, John Calvin<\/a>, Wolfgang Musculus<\/a>, Peter Martyr Vermigli<\/a>, Heinrich Bullinger<\/a>, and Zacharias Ursinus<\/a>. He argues that (1) the Reformers emphasized interpreting Scripture literally, and (2) they held to a calendar-day interpretation with the earth being less than 6,000 years old. From this, he concludes that for the Reformers the \u201cliteral historicity of Genesis 1 was not up for debate; \u2018to them the six-day creation meant a six-day creation,\u2019 which in turn meant a young earth.\u201d2<\/sup><\/p>\n

    A critical flaw in Beeke\u2019s analysis is that the Reformers, like the early church fathers, were largely dependent upon translations of the Old Testament. Nowhere does he demonstrate that the Reformers derived their views based on the Hebraic understanding<\/em> of Genesis. Without that knowledge, referring to their interpretations as literal is very misleading, because understanding the original language and context of Scripture is an important component of literal interpretation.<\/p>\n

    Rather than proposing a fresh interpretation of Genesis, the Reformers were primarily reacting to the views set down by earlier generations. So, most of the problems associated with the views of the church fathers apply here as well. The main wayy the Reformers differed from their predecessors is that they rejected an allegorical interpretation\u2014in particular, Augustine\u2019s instantaneous creation view. But simply rejecting allegorical interpretation is not equivalent to requiring a young-earth interpretation.<\/p>\n

    Finally, Beeke simply presents specific interpretations rather than examining the biblical basis behind<\/em> those interpretations. This approach violates the very spirit of the Reformation, which emphasized going to Scripture itself rather than appealing to the authority of individuals. So, even if he could demonstrate that every single Reformer held to a young-earth interpretation, this result would not be sufficient to claim it as the literal interpretation of Genesis.<\/p>\n

    Reformation Confessions of Faith<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Near the end, Beeke analyzes Lutheran and early Reformed confessions of faith. Various Reformers developed these confessions to lay out their religious convictions and to serve as a common doctrinal standard. They are important for our discussion because they reveal what was considered essential doctrine on which to unite (in contrast to individual interpretations where we may disagree). Although the confessions were primarily focused on theological differences with Catholics, they do have implications for our understanding of creation and the age of the earth.<\/p>\n

    The most important example is the Westminster Confession of Faith<\/a>\u00a0(WCF), which continues to serve as the confessional declaration for many Presbyterian churches today. The WCF describes God as creating the universe \u201cin the space of six days,\u201d which Beeke claims mandates a belief that the days of creation were 24-hour periods. He traces this wording to the earlier confession of Girolamo Zanchi<\/a>\u00a0and to the Irish Articles<\/a>\u00a0(influenced by James Ussher<\/a>).<\/p>\n

    To address Beeke\u2019s claim, we can examine what all the major Reformation confessions teach about creation. That analysis can be found in my study, \u201cDo Christian Creeds Support a Calendar-Day View of Creation?\u201d<\/a>\u00a0Four key conclusions stand out:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The only creation-related doctrine that has been consistently taught as a matter of orthodoxy is creation ex nihilo<\/em> (that is, creation \u201cout of nothing\u201d).<\/li>\n
    2. Dual revelation or \u201ctwo-books theory\u201d is taught by both the Belgic<\/a>\u00a0and French Confessions<\/a>. This view establishes that there is value in studying the natural world and that science is a reliable ally of the Christian faith.<\/li>\n
    3. The WCF\u2019s use of \u201cin the space of six days\u201d specifies that the days of creation were real periods of time (rejecting instantaneous creation), but does not specify the duration of those days.<\/li>\n
    4. The length of the creation days, the extent of Noah\u2019s flood, and the age of the earth were never considered issues of orthodoxy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Contrary to Beeke\u2019s analysis, the Reformation confessions never required adherence to a young-earth interpretation of Scripture.<\/p>\n

      Back to Genesis<\/strong><\/p>\n

      We can draw two conclusions from this discussion. First, we should not uncritically accept the interpretations of Genesis coming from previous generations\u2014not even those of the Reformers. Instead, we need to go back to the text of Genesis to interpret it literally within the original Hebrew language and context.3<\/sup> Second, the Reformers had strong opinions about how to interpret Genesis, yet they were never dogmatic. They left room for disagreement and dialogue, and we would do well to follow their example.<\/p>\n

      \n
      Endnotes<\/h5>\n
        \n
      1. This series was written in response to statements about the early church fathers by James Mook in Coming to Grips with Genesis<\/a><\/em>, edited by Terry Mortenson and Thane H. Ury. Mook\u2019s claims closely parallel Beeke\u2019s, so my analysis applies equally to both works.<\/li>\n
      2. Joel R. Beeke, \u201cWhat Did the Reformers Believe about the Age of the Earth?\u201d The New Answers Book 4<\/em>, Answers in Genesis, October 2, 2017, https:\/\/answersingenesis.org\/age-of-the-earth\/what-did-reformers-believe-about-age-earth\/.<\/li>\n
      3. A good starting point for study is Reading Genesis Well<\/a><\/em> by C. John Collins. To understand the underlying Hebrew, I recommend Reading Genesis One<\/a><\/em> by Rodney Whitefield.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

        <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Explore the Reformers’ views on Genesis and Earth’s age, challenging young-earth claims with theological and historical insights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":588,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_person_authors":[402167],"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":"","_classifai_error":"","_classifai_text_to_speech_error":"","_classifai_text_to_speech_scheduled":false},"categories":[63975,63978],"tags":[66879,71039,67463],"discipline":[64075],"reading-level":[64149],"class_list":["post-12784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beliefs-values","category-history","tag-age-of-the-earth","tag-genesis-interpretations","tag-old-earth-young-earth","discipline-biblical-studies","reading-level-advanced-deep-dive"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Reformers and the Age of the Earth - Reasons to Believe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the Reformers' views on Genesis and Earth's age, challenging young-earth claims with theological and historical insights.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore the Reformers' views on Genesis and Earth's age, challenging young-earth claims with theological and historical insights.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Reasons to Believe\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RTBOfficial\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-01-18T22:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Guest Writer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@rtb_official\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@rtb_official\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Guest Writer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Guest Writer\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bd0fdf7d6925b1c2bff03327f8913f94\"},\"headline\":\"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-18T22:30:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth\"},\"wordCount\":1304,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Age Of The Earth\",\"Genesis Interpretations\",\"Old Earth\\\/Young Earth\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Beliefs and Values\",\"History of Christianity\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth\",\"name\":\"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth - Reasons to Believe\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-01-18T22:30:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Explore the Reformers' views on Genesis and Earth's age, challenging young-earth claims with theological and historical insights.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\\\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Christianity\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/christianity\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Beliefs and Values\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/topics\\\/christianity\\\/beliefs-values\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Reasons to Believe\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Reasons to Believe\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons-prod.storage.googleapis.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/RTB_minimal_swirl_logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons-prod.storage.googleapis.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/RTB_minimal_swirl_logo.png\",\"width\":365,\"height\":365,\"caption\":\"Reasons to Believe\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/RTBOfficial\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/rtb_official\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/rtb_official\\\/?utm_source=reasons.org&amp;ampampampamputm_medium=sm-icons\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCYn91p__adK3Vcml9_CY26Q?utm_source=reasons.org&amp;ampamputm_medium=sm-icons\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@reasonstobelieve?utm_source=reasons.org&amp;ampampampamputm_medium=sm-icons\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bd0fdf7d6925b1c2bff03327f8913f94\",\"name\":\"Guest Writer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f640c816918e9d9680908236a4c8c5c297a257f72770d3f6c451c059c63b667e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f640c816918e9d9680908236a4c8c5c297a257f72770d3f6c451c059c63b667e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f640c816918e9d9680908236a4c8c5c297a257f72770d3f6c451c059c63b667e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Guest Writer\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/reasons.org\\\/author\\\/guest-writer\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth - Reasons to Believe","description":"Explore the Reformers' views on Genesis and Earth's age, challenging young-earth claims with theological and historical insights.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth","og_description":"Explore the Reformers' views on Genesis and Earth's age, challenging young-earth claims with theological and historical insights.","og_url":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth","og_site_name":"Reasons to Believe","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RTBOfficial\/","article_published_time":"2019-01-18T22:30:00+00:00","author":"Guest Writer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@rtb_official","twitter_site":"@rtb_official","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Guest Writer","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth"},"author":{"name":"Guest Writer","@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#\/schema\/person\/bd0fdf7d6925b1c2bff03327f8913f94"},"headline":"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth","datePublished":"2019-01-18T22:30:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth"},"wordCount":1304,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#organization"},"keywords":["Age Of The Earth","Genesis Interpretations","Old Earth\/Young Earth"],"articleSection":["Beliefs and Values","History of Christianity"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth","url":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth","name":"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth - Reasons to Believe","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-01-18T22:30:00+00:00","description":"Explore the Reformers' views on Genesis and Earth's age, challenging young-earth claims with theological and historical insights.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity\/beliefs-values\/the-reformers-and-the-age-of-the-earth#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Christianity","item":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/christianity"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Beliefs and Values","item":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/topics\/christianity\/beliefs-values"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The Reformers and the Age of the Earth"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/","name":"Reasons to Believe","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#organization","name":"Reasons to Believe","url":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/reasons-prod.storage.googleapis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RTB_minimal_swirl_logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/reasons-prod.storage.googleapis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/RTB_minimal_swirl_logo.png","width":365,"height":365,"caption":"Reasons to Believe"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RTBOfficial\/","https:\/\/x.com\/rtb_official","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rtb_official\/?utm_source=reasons.org&amp;ampampampamputm_medium=sm-icons","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCYn91p__adK3Vcml9_CY26Q?utm_source=reasons.org&amp;ampamputm_medium=sm-icons","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@reasonstobelieve?utm_source=reasons.org&amp;ampampampamputm_medium=sm-icons"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/#\/schema\/person\/bd0fdf7d6925b1c2bff03327f8913f94","name":"Guest Writer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f640c816918e9d9680908236a4c8c5c297a257f72770d3f6c451c059c63b667e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f640c816918e9d9680908236a4c8c5c297a257f72770d3f6c451c059c63b667e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f640c816918e9d9680908236a4c8c5c297a257f72770d3f6c451c059c63b667e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Guest Writer"},"url":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/author\/guest-writer"}]}},"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":63975,"label":"Beliefs and Values"},{"value":63978,"label":"History of Christianity"}],"post_tag":[{"value":66879,"label":"Age Of The Earth"},{"value":71039,"label":"Genesis Interpretations"},{"value":67463,"label":"Old Earth\/Young Earth"}],"discipline":[{"value":64075,"label":"Biblical Studies"}],"reading-level":[{"value":64149,"label":"Advanced (Deep Dive)"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Guest Writer","author_link":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/author\/guest-writer"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":63975,"name":"Beliefs and Values","slug":"beliefs-values","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":63975,"taxonomy":"category","description":"What does it mean to follow Christ? Christianity isn\u2019t just about what we believe\u2014it\u2019s about how we live. From core beliefs like the Trinity and salvation to values like love and forgiveness, our lives should reflect God\u2019s truth and grace. But how do we put this into practice?\r\n\r\nWith so many interpretations of Scripture\u2014and our own human nature working against us\u2014discerning the right way to follow Jesus can feel challenging. Let\u2019s turn to the Bible to explore how Christian beliefs and values can become genuine expressions of a deep faith that glorifies God.\r\n\r\n\u00a0","parent":63972,"count":377,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":63975,"category_count":377,"category_description":"What does it mean to follow Christ? Christianity isn\u2019t just about what we believe\u2014it\u2019s about how we live. From core beliefs like the Trinity and salvation to values like love and forgiveness, our lives should reflect God\u2019s truth and grace. But how do we put this into practice?\r\n\r\nWith so many interpretations of Scripture\u2014and our own human nature working against us\u2014discerning the right way to follow Jesus can feel challenging. Let\u2019s turn to the Bible to explore how Christian beliefs and values can become genuine expressions of a deep faith that glorifies God.\r\n\r\n\u00a0","cat_name":"Beliefs and Values","category_nicename":"beliefs-values","category_parent":63972},{"term_id":63978,"name":"History of Christianity","slug":"history","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":63978,"taxonomy":"category","description":"How did a small group of persecuted Jesus followers become the world\u2019s largest faith? From humble beginnings, Christianity has shaped entire civilizations, influencing culture, law, and society. Its history is marked by opposition, transformation, and resilience.\r\n\r\nEarly Christians endured intense persecution, yet Christianity later became the dominant faith of the Roman Empire. What caused this dramatic shift? And how did Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions emerge? Let\u2019s explore the key events, leaders, and struggles that defined Christianity and continue to shape the world today.\r\n\r\n\u00a0","parent":63972,"count":82,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":63978,"category_count":82,"category_description":"How did a small group of persecuted Jesus followers become the world\u2019s largest faith? From humble beginnings, Christianity has shaped entire civilizations, influencing culture, law, and society. Its history is marked by opposition, transformation, and resilience.\r\n\r\nEarly Christians endured intense persecution, yet Christianity later became the dominant faith of the Roman Empire. What caused this dramatic shift? And how did Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions emerge? Let\u2019s explore the key events, leaders, and struggles that defined Christianity and continue to shape the world today.\r\n\r\n\u00a0","cat_name":"History of Christianity","category_nicename":"history","category_parent":63972}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":66879,"name":"Age Of The Earth","slug":"age-of-the-earth","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":66879,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":71039,"name":"Genesis Interpretations","slug":"genesis-interpretations","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":71027,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":22,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"},{"term_id":67463,"name":"Old Earth\/Young Earth","slug":"old-earth-young-earth","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":67463,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":19,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12784\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12784"},{"taxonomy":"discipline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/discipline?post=12784"},{"taxonomy":"reading-level","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reasons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-level?post=12784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}