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 PrintableVersion Did Adam and Eve really exist?No monkey buisnessDID ADAM AND EVE REALLY EXIST? John Collins is Professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, USA. He writes in defence of the traditional view, namely that Adam and Eve were real people, the original human couple, through whom sin and death came into the world. Collins begins by considering the overall shape of the biblical story from creation to consummation. He argues that this overarching story is presented as a coherent historical account (recording real events, including the Fall) and that these historical events underlie and make sense of present human experience. So, for example, accepting the historicity of Genesis 3 implies that sin is not inherent in being human — sin is unoriginal, it is an alien intruder into creation — and that sinful humanity is in need of redemption. Collins then drills down to examine specific biblical texts and also Second Temple Jewish writings. He considers Genesis 1-5, which presents Adam and Eve as the first parents of all humanity. In regard to some of the details of Eden, he argues that ‘historical’ and ‘literal’ are not synonyms, i.e. figurative language can be used to describe historical events. Collins looks at other biblical texts referring to Adam as an actual historical person, e.g. Hosea 6.7, 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 5. The author is keen to relate biblical teaching on human uniqueness and dignity to everyday human experience. He discusses what the image of God is and asserts that the divine image, though damaged by sin, is unique to humans, universal among humans, and relates both to human body and soul. Man is not just a higher animal, nor the result of evolution via animals. Collins identifies the common human sense of being lost as witness to the reality of the Fall. In a chapter on reconciling science and Genesis, Collins discusses issues such as death before the Fall, DNA, and Cain’s wife. Appendices contain a comparison of Ancient Near East texts with Genesis 1-11, a review of a book by James Barr, and a discussion about Mosaic authorship of Genesis. Throughout, Collins engages with other authors and scholars representing a wide spectrum of views, including Peter Enns (2005) and Denis Alexander (2008). His writing is accessible, applied, and thoughtful. He is eager to do justice to the biblical text while remaining within what he refers to as the bounds of sound thinking. David Magowan,
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