"Christian Renewal" (January 29, 2001), listed the position
of some of the Reformed and Presbyterian seminaries in North America on
the length of the days of Genesis 1.
CALVIN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, allows for a diversity
of views, limited only by reports and decisions adopted by the 1991 Synod
of the Christian Reformed Church, Professor John Cooper said. Those decisions
limited interpretation of the Genesis creation account from denying an
active creation by God through atheistic or naturalistic evolution and
called for subjection of all exegetical views to limits of the analogy
of Scripture and confessional guidelines.
COVENANT THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN ST LOUIS, MISSOURI, has for its 40 years
of existence taught a variety of interpretations of the Genesis account,
from a literal view to the framework hypothesis to the analogical day
theory, President Bryan Chappell said. None of the theories endorses any
form of evolution, Chappell said.
GREENVILLE PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH
CAROLINA, approves a faculty statement in 1998 affirming a literal, six-day
interpretation of the creation account based on exegetical, historical
and confessional grounds.
KNOX THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, has no official
policy or statement on creation views, but administrator R. Fowler White
said each of the professors holds to a literal six-day view of the Genesis
account.
MID-AMERICA REFORMED SEMINARY IN DYER, INDIANA, recently adopted a faculty
statement explaining that all faculty members adhere to and teach a literal,
six-day view of creation but leaving final judgement and control over
student views to denominational assemblies.
NEW GENEVA SEMINARY IN COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, has no official policy
or statement on the matter, but professor Carroll W. Powell said the faculty
has an unspoken agreement on the validity of a literal, six-day view of
creation. however, the matter is not used as an acid test for visiting
speakers or others involved with the seminary, Powell said.
PURITAN REFORMED THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, has had
little reason to address the matter, said President Joel R. Beeke. However,
he said the seminary adheres to and teaches a literal six-day understanding
of the Genesis account.
REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,
has no official position on the matter. President Jerry O'Neil said the
professor who teaches the course dealing with God's creative work explains
all of the prominent views but holds to a literal view, as does O'Neil
himself, although other professors may hold alternative views.
REFORMED THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA, CHARLOTTE, NORTH
CAROLINA, AND JACKSON MISSISSIPPI, have no official policy and allow for
a diversity of creation views, provided that the historicity and authority
of the Genesis account are adhered to and that evolution is not taught.
THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE OF THE CANADIAN REFORMED CHURCHES IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO,
holds to a historic, six-day interpretation of the Genesis account, but
Principal Jack De Jong said the seminary has no official policy or statement
on the matter other than the Three Forms of Unity.
THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMED CHURCHES IN GRANDVILLE,
MICHIGAN teaches only a literal six-day view of the creation account.
WESTERN REFORMED SEMINARY IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON, has no official position
and allows freedom of creation views. provided that the Genesis account
si understood as a chronological history of creation. Adherence to the
framework hypothesis is discouraged, President John battle said, because
it seems to reduce the Biblical statements 'to nearly no historical value.'
WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN CALIFORNIA OF ESCONDIDO welcomes any
view that understands the Genesis account to be an accurate, historical
account and that affirms that man was a unique creation of God, not evolved
from other creatures. Most of the faculty adheres to some form of the
framework hypothesis, said President W. Robert Godfrey.
WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PHILADELPHIA. PENNSYLVANIA, adopted
a faculty statement in 1999 that offered a historical and confessional
defense for allowing a variety of views regarding the creation account.
The statement affirms that creation is a matter on which the Scriptures
do not speak decisively.
