The Bible and scientific research may seem like opposite sides of a philosophical debate, but there is actually some overlap between the two regarding human origins. Genesis 2:7 states, “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.” This passage from the Bible suggests that humans were created from the earth, which is somewhat similar to the scientific theory of abiogenesis.
Abiogenesis is a scientific theory that suggests life arose from non-living matter, such as the Earth’s primitive atmosphere and other environmental factors. While the Bible offers a more supernatural explanation for human origins, the concept of humans being formed from earth dust is not too far off from the scientific theory of abiogenesis. Research done by scientists like Dr. John Endler, a British biologist and macular degeneration researcher, and Dr. Paul Davies, an English physicist, also points out how some of the Bible’s principles correlate with the scientific fact on human origins.
Another area where the Bible and scientific research agree on origin is the general idea of humanity coming from one source. The Bible tells us that Adam and Eve were the progenitors of the human race, and scientific findings also suggest that all humans can trace their lineage back to a single origin point. Analysis of the human genome and development of the theory of Mitochondrial Eve confirms that humanity originated from a single source through a process of evolution. These findings have been accepted by both biblical scholars and scientists, though the viewpoints as to how exactly both views correlate still differs.
Sources:
1. Endler, J. A. (1997). “The Christian and the prosecution of science.” Science and Christian belief, 9(2), 115-124. https://scitechconnect.elsevier.com/from-dust-to-divinity-the-evolution-of-man-and-creationism/
2. Davies, P. (1988). “Creation and origins.” The Catholic faith and science, 161-166. https://www.fis.edu/who-we-are/the-fis-magazine/volume-6-no-1/creation-and-origins
3. Genesis 2:7, New Revised Standard Version.
