The chapters in this book began as papers presented at a Sydney Adventist Forum Conference on "The Age of Life on Earth." Much is said concerning the pros and cons of evolution and evolutionary mechanism but most of the problems perceived by traditional Christianity are actually encountered at the level of a more fundamental question: that concerning the age of life on Earth. If life is young, then recent creation emerges as the only real contender. On the other hand, if the evidence supports a conclusion that life is old, as five chapters within this volume contend, then we need to face this evidence without being distracted by the mechanisms according to which life arrived and developed. These considerations come later. What choices remain for Christians if life on Earth is, indeed, old? The first two chapters in this book explore the message of the first creation account in Gen 1 and the last two chapters evaluate options for modern Christians.
