Dinosaurs of Eden: Did Adam and Noah Live with Dinosaurs? By Ken Ham

In their work Dinosaurs of Eden: Did Adam and Noah Live with Dinosaurs? Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis collaborates with illustrator Bill Looney to bring dinosaurs to life through a biblical, young earth lens. The book takes a question-and- answer format to help learners understand dinosaurs within the narrative of Scripture.

Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Read Aloud Age: 5+

As a young earth creationist who has a doctorate in chemistry, I was excited to review this title. I have a 4-year-old who loves everything about dinosaurs, and I’ve struggled to find books on the topic that are both true to scripture and scientifically credible. While I admire Ken Ham’s commitment to scripture, I was disappointed by the way he presented opposing views.

In response to the question “If the Bible explains dinosaurs…so simply, why don’t the majority of scientists believe the biblical account of creation?” Ham answers “evolutionists believe blindly that the Bible is not true and that God doesn’t exist…They would rather listen to the fallible scientists’ opinions than the clear Word of God…Because of this, many don’t want to believe. It has nothing to do with the evidence.”

An essential element of apologetics is contending with evidence that does not favor one’s own views. Ken Ham doesn’t do this. Instead, he confidently asserts that scientists who believe that the earth is billions of years old and that all life evolved from single-celled organisms do so blindly with no evidence.

While teaching my own children and preparing them to live as Bible-believing Christians who will interact with the secular world, I want my children to understand the appeal and the influence of a naturalistic worldview while also recognizing naturalisms many spiritual and rational problems. I want my children to understand the scientific observations that would lead someone to conclude that the earth is billions of years old, and I want to give my children the tools to think about these observations biblically and scientifically. While Dinosaurs of Eden combines engaging illustrations of dinosaurs with a historical analysis of Genesis and a biblical view of creation, the book fails to help readers integrate faith with scientific interest.

Notes on Theology:
Ham writes,
“Reading Genesis 3, we find that Adam sinned because he didn’t accept what God told him to do. Adam thought he could decide truth for himself instead of listening to God’s Word. Each one of us is just like Adam. Our very nature is such that we don’t really want to listen to God’s Word. That’s why so many people are easily led astray by evolutionists’ teaching…There is an exception, of course, for those whose hearts have been changed by the Holy Spirit, becoming true believers of God and His Word…Peter also tells us in 2 Peter 3:7 that just as surely as God sent the Flood as a judgment, so there is going to be another judgment, but not by water. Next time the judgment will be by fire. And this will be the FINAL judgment.”

While I agree that the natural state of humanity is one of rebellion against God, I feel it is a profound error to categorize every person who considers evolutionary influence and old earth views to be in rebellion against God and on the path to eternal judgment. Ephesians 2:8 assures us “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” If someone recognizes that he has sinned against God and that he deserves judgement and then he repents and places his faith in Christ for salvation, an erroneous view of how God created the world will not negate his salvation.

Other Things to Know:
Ham writes, “There was plenty of room on the Ark for all the different KINDS of land animals. Current research indicates there were only about 1000 actual land animal kinds (including the Dinosaurs) needed on Noah’s Ark.”

Although the author does not elaborate on this point, he appears to suggest that the diverse species we see today are the descendants of only about 1000 kinds of land animals. If that is true, then Ham acknowledges that there has been a tremendous degree of evolutionary adaptation within the estimated 4,300 years since the Flood.

This review is written by Good Book Mom contributor, Katherine Pappano. To learn more about Katherine, click HERE.

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