The Heresy of Ham, Revised Edition

“Given the title alone, one might reasonably assume the mission is to ex-pose the duplicity of a single corrupt leader. But Anderson’s aim is not ultimately Ken Ham. Rather, the target is a false gospel, wrapped in the guise of biblical purity, for which Ham serves as a high priest. Anderson brings to light critical observations that underlie Ham’s departure from the genuine gospel message. The sequence of steps from the narrow path starts with a dismissal of the writings of early Church fathers, many of whom—long before supposed challenges from science— did not read the first chapters of Genesis in a literalistic fashion. In the place of Church history, Ham and company look instead to the fathers of the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution. With science accepted as the arbiter of truth, the Bible is made the servant, forced to fit within a modernized interpretational framework that would have baffled Moses. The final step, with knee bent to the throne of science, is to declare a literal reading of Genesis 1 as foundational to true gospel. Anderson does the Church a great service by exposing not only the doctrinal trauma of this path, but the spiritual carnage and broken people Ham’s heresy has left in its wake.”


—Gregg Davidson, professor of geology and geological engineering, University of Mississippi





“Contemporary evangelicalism is known for its rejection of science, its embrace of a novel and peculiar biblical literalism, and its conviction that issues like evolution, the Big Bang, and the age of the earth are hills to die on. Joel Anderson exposes the tragic heresy that has gripped misguided leaders like Ken Ham, as he creates discord within the Church by insist-ing that it remain mired in nineteenth century debates.”


—Karl Giberson, professor of science and religion, Stonehill College





“Joel Anderson urges American evangelicals to beware of Ken Ham’s brand of Young Earth creationism, which has gained a foothold in numerous evangelical communities. Anderson contends that Ham’s embattled approach to Genesis and Darwinism is a veritable font of falsehoods, which he exposes ably throughout the book. Worse, however is Ham’s constant admonition to unwitting audiences that anyone who rejects his approach is rejecting the Gospel itself. Anderson charges this threat is not merely preposterous in the light of Scripture, Church tradition, and science. It makes Ham’s articulation of Scripture and science—ironically enough—count as a modern Christian heresy in the historical sense of that term. To make this case against Ham’s creationism, Anderson employs sound scholarship and argumentation, which he presents to non-experts in a non-technical, down-to-earth, sometimes humorous, and always readable style. The book provides such readers with an opportunity to ignore Ham’s blustering threats and to see his approach as the malignant aberration—heresy—that it is. More positively, though, if one is willing to expend the time and effort, it opens a path that leads to a Christian perspective on Genesis and Darwinian science that both enhances personal faith strengthens the credibility of Christianity in society.”


—John R. Schneider, professor emeritus, Calvin University





“Neither a trained or practiced scientist or theologian, Ken Ham has come to be the authority figure for too many Christians on questions of science and biblical interpretation. But is his status as a leader justified? Anderson probes the fundamental assumptions of Ham’s scientific claims and theology and finds more than a few weak beams. Instead, he finds a termite-ridden scaffold that would fall under its own weight if his followers took the time to examine Ham’s claims. Heresy or not, I will leave the reader to judge; but Anderson offers a number of insights that should be carefully considered by anyone who has put their faith in Ken Ham.”


—Joel Duff, professor of biology, University of Akron





“The creation/evolution debate is still very controversial in many circles, especially within evangelicalism. Anderson does a fine job of unpacking this and offers a number of insights that merit serious consideration. Highly recommended.”


—Gregory Laughery, author of From Evolution to Eden: Making Sense of Early Genesis