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             THE LONG WAR AGAINST GOD, CHAPTER 5, PAGE 205

                            Dr. Henry Morris
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                                  2000


There were several other questions about the relation between science
and the Bible that occupied the attention of the intellectuals of the
late Middle Ages. In addition to the how-and-when of creation, there
were controversies about the extent of the heavens, geocentricity, the
shape of the earth, the long day of Joshua, the waters above the
firmament, the possibility of other worlds, and related topics. The end
result of the teachings of Augustine, Aquinas, and other
well-intentioned theologians of the time was an undermining of biblical
authority.

      Basic procedures for the application of science to the
      creation account had been laid down by Saint Augustine in
      his commentary on Genesis and were faithfully summarized by
      Saint Thomas Aquinas in the latter's own commentary on the
      six days of creation... It is here that Augustine and
      Aquinas cautioned against a rigid adherence to any one
      interpretation lest it be shown subsequently untenable and
      thus prove detrimental to the faith.[1]

This freedom to interpret the creation record non-literally, if current
science should so indicate, could obviously be applied anywhere else in
the Bible if it became expedient to do so.



Footnotes
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[1] Edward Grant, "Science and Theology in the Middle Ages," chapter 2
in Lindberg and Numbers, /God and Nature/ p. 63. Dr Grant is
Distinguished Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana
University.