John C. Whitcomb
Encyclopedia
John Clement Whitcomb, Jr. (born 22 June 1924 in Washington, D.C.
) is an American
Old Testament
theologian and young earth creationist. Whitcomb is sometimes credited for establishing the modern young earth creationist/creation science
movement by authoring with Henry M. Morris
The Genesis Flood
, a book on flood geology
.
Tennessee
in 1942 then went to Princeton University
where he gained a BA with honors in ancient
and European history
in 1948. Then he attended Grace Theological Seminary
receiving a B.D. degree (high honors) and received the Th.M. degree in 1953 and Th.D. degree in 1957. Then from 1951 to 1990 he taught at Grace Theological Seminary's Old Testament and Christian Theology departments.
Whitcomb and his wife Norma reside in Indianapolis. He serves as president of Whitcomb Ministries, Inc., as an ordained elder in the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International
, and as a speaker for Answers in Genesis
.
.
John G. Solum, a geologist with the USGS, has criticized the work for being inaccurate. Solum noted, "Whitcomb and Morris are mistaken about the nature of the rocks associated with thrust fault
s. Their claim about fossils is based on a YEC
misunderstanding of how rocks are dated relative to each other, and how the geologic column was constructed" and, "Morris' explanation of relative dating is not "somewhat oversimplified", it is entirely incorrect."
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
theologian and young earth creationist. Whitcomb is sometimes credited for establishing the modern young earth creationist/creation science
Creation science
Creation Science or scientific creationism is a branch of creationism that attempts to provide scientific support for the Genesis creation narrative in the Book of Genesis and disprove generally accepted scientific facts, theories and scientific paradigms about the history of the Earth, cosmology...
movement by authoring with Henry M. Morris
Henry M. Morris
Henry Madison Morris was an American young earth creationist and Christian apologist. He was one of the founders of the Creation Research Society and the Institute for Creation Research...
The Genesis Flood
The Genesis Flood
The Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications is a 1961 book by young earth creationists John C. Whitcomb and Henry M...
, a book on flood geology
Flood geology
Flood geology is the interpretation of the geological history of the Earth in terms of the global flood described in Genesis 6–9. Similar views played a part in the early development of the science of geology, even after the Biblical chronology had been rejected by geologists in favour of an...
.
Biography
Whitcomb graduated from McCallie School in ChattanoogaChattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in 1942 then went to Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
where he gained a BA with honors in ancient
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
and European history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in 1948. Then he attended Grace Theological Seminary
Grace Theological Seminary
Grace Theological Seminary is an evangelical Christian seminary located in Winona Lake, Indiana. GTS is joined with Grace College and is associated with the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. The seminary enjoys a history that dates back to its 1937 organization by Alva J. McClain, the...
receiving a B.D. degree (high honors) and received the Th.M. degree in 1953 and Th.D. degree in 1957. Then from 1951 to 1990 he taught at Grace Theological Seminary's Old Testament and Christian Theology departments.
Whitcomb and his wife Norma reside in Indianapolis. He serves as president of Whitcomb Ministries, Inc., as an ordained elder in the Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International
Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International
Conservative Grace Brethren Churches, International is a conservative group that separated from the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches....
, and as a speaker for Answers in Genesis
Answers in Genesis
Answers in Genesis is a non-profit Christian apologetics ministry with a particular focus on supporting Young Earth creationism and a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The organization has offices in the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
Criticism
The work The Genesis Flood by Whitcomb and Henry M. Morris has been criticized for being scientifically inaccurate. It is argued that the work takes some scientists either out of context or misquotes sources. Some say the writers took sources out of context and left out the date of "millions" without noting the exclusion with an ellipsisEllipsis
Ellipsis is a series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word, sentence or whole section from the original text being quoted. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate an unfinished thought or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence...
.
John G. Solum, a geologist with the USGS, has criticized the work for being inaccurate. Solum noted, "Whitcomb and Morris are mistaken about the nature of the rocks associated with thrust fault
Thrust fault
A thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...
s. Their claim about fossils is based on a YEC
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
misunderstanding of how rocks are dated relative to each other, and how the geologic column was constructed" and, "Morris' explanation of relative dating is not "somewhat oversimplified", it is entirely incorrect."
Books and resources
- (co-author Henry M. MorrisHenry M. MorrisHenry Madison Morris was an American young earth creationist and Christian apologist. He was one of the founders of the Creation Research Society and the Institute for Creation Research...
) The Genesis FloodThe Genesis FloodThe Genesis Flood: The Biblical Record and its Scientific Implications is a 1961 book by young earth creationists John C. Whitcomb and Henry M...
, Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, June 1960, ISBN 0875523382 - The Origin of the Solar System. Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 1963
- Solomon to the Exile. Brethren Missionary Herald, 1971.
- The Early Earth, Baker Books, 1972
- The World that Perished, Baker Books, 1973, ISBN 0801096901
- Chart of the Period from the Creation to Abraham, BMH Books, 1977
- (co-author Donald B. DeYoung) The Moon: Its Creation, Form and Significance, BMH Books, 1978, ISBN 0884691020.
- (co-author John J. DavisJohn J. DavisJohn J. Davis was a U.S. Army officer. In the 1960s Davis, then a Major General, served as the Assistant chief of Staff for Intelligence, Headquarters, Department of the Army. He was later promoted to Lieutenant General....
, writer of the first two parts of a three-part composite including Whitcomb's Solomon to the Exile) A History of Israel: From Conquest to Exile. Baker Book House, 1980, ISBN 0801028884.