What other are saying about the book
RECOMMENDATIONS
Today’s Christian theological landscape is deeply fragmented and has been influenced more by contemporary science than any other factor. What role does Scripture play today? Today's Christian theological landscape is deeply fragmented and has been influenced more by contemporary science than any other factor. What role does Scripture play today? Are its claims understood univocally and true historically a thing of the past, to be regarded as nothing more than mythology? Gerhard Van Wyk undertakes a grand scholarly survey from ancient times to the present of the leading thinkers and their ideas which formed the contemporary Christian empirical, historical, theological and philosophical
evidence. This work is a worthwhile read
Dr. John Baldwin, emeritus professor Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, USA.
Prof Gerhard van Wyk has produced a magisterial work regarding the philosophical fig leave coverings that modern liberal theologians use to justify why they fell hook, line and sinker for evolution and its religious comrade, theistic evolution, which limits God’s power and denigrates the Bible to the lowly status of just an ancient, unscientific book. Evolution with its contra-biblical worldview has spread a great deal of uncertainty about the Word of God, not only in the academic world but also in secular society, both needing a kind of alternative thinking in order to religiously “fashion” their materialism. His findings and conclusions play a major role in deconstructing evolution’s philosophical foundations and its presuppositions and is essential reading for anyone interested in the major debates surrounding the matter of origins. The value of this work is that it is not primarily a critique of any pseudo-science, but it ultimately attempts to provide a sure “foundation” for anyone’s Christian faith.
Dr Bernhard Ficker, Emeritus Associate Director of Research, Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Who is worthy of our worship. Issues relating to the evolution of the various theories that compete for our attention as seekers and disseminators of truth, are addressed. Hiding behind the fig leaves reminds us of God who spoke In the beginning and declared: it is very good. The two trees, one of life, and the other of knowledge of good and evil, and the choice of a fruit, uncovered God’s revelation that there are limits to what can be known. Mankind has been deceived about knowledge. God defined is God denied. Like Adam and Eve, Liberalism and theistic evolution are hiding behind their philosophical fig leaves to cover-up their epistemic nakedness. To understand their philosophical game the author was compelled to de-construct their evolutionary constructions. Scientism’s ‘authority’ has transcended the Bible as Logos. Throughout this study, the worldviews of ‘Theistic’ juxtaposed with ‘evolution’ and the inevitable conflict and clash between them, is highlighted. Efforts to prove self-perceived theories and interpreted data have impacted the answers to the existential questions about life, living and death. Many of Darwin’s doubts remain a mystery to the enlightened empiricists. Perhaps answers are off limits? Truth is not something that one has, but rather something that one does. Answering ‘what is truth’ is the most important human endeavor. Jesus declared, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’. The author’s timely appeal is to put aside, with humility, one’s need to know, and in community, being led by Revelation, to seek Truth.
Dr. Delyse Steyn, emeritus Professor and Chair of Department of Communication, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA
Every preacher or teacher who wants to be sure that he or she can use the Bible as a trustworthy source of knowledge, will find the book: “Hiding Behind the Fig Leaves” by Dr. A. Gerhard van Wyk extremely helpful. In fact, it is a “must read” for every minister of the gospel, regardless of denominational persuasion. He thoroughly acquainted himself with the historical influence of science biblical thought, from the so-called Copernican Revolution during the Renaissance up to Schleiermacher, A. Ritchel, Adolf von Harnack and Walter Rauschenbusch, Dr. Van Wyk investigated over a decade (13 years) the presupposition of these philosophical “theologians”, especially the position of Theistic Evolutionists, like the late South African Dutch Reformed minister, Wentzel van Huyssteen, with his syncretistic post-foundationalism. Van Wyk points out the tremendous influence of Charles Darwin in every sphere of knowledge. Whereas Copernicus moved humans from the centre of the universe, Sigmund Freud alleges that humans were determined by unconscious desires; and Darwin downgraded humans from being created as image-bearers of God to image-bearers of animals and chimpanzees. Van Wyk appeals to the church to reject the metanarrative of evolution of, e.g., the late professor Wenzel van Huyssteen of Princeton University, who argued that biblical metaphors need to be reinterpreted in terms of a theistic evolutionary point of view.
Emeritus Professor Johan Japp, Helderberg College, Somerset-West, RSA
