In many ways, the new book The Global Flood: Unlocking Earth’s Geologic History by John Morris, is a repackaging of Steven Austin’s (editor) book Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe. However the new book is written in non-technical language, with many more illustrative maps, diagrams and charts as well as many beautiful photographs. Thus for many people, this new title will prove very useful and popular indeed.
The book sets the scene for chapters 6 and 7 (the scientific evidence) by first presenting and discussing the Biblical record. Dr. Morris first discusses the warnings of the apostle Peter that many will scoff in later times at the idea of a universal flood.
Next the author discusses the impact of Darwin and the ill-advised attempts of many well-meaning Christians to dovetail Darwin’s views and long ages with Scripture by means of the “gap” theory or the “day age” theory. He is also very critical of recent Intelligent Design advocates. He criticizes their involvement in court cases, forgetting that creation supporters suffered a similar set-back in 1981 in Arkansas. In that many excellent resources, which we all enjoy, have been produced by ID supporters, a more positive approach might well have been warranted. On the other hand, Dr. Morris discusses the efforts of theistic evolutionists in the BioLogos organization, in a more neutral fashion.
In chapter 3, the author highlights scientific details of interest in connection with the 6 days of creation, the curse, the pre-flood world, geologic changes to the earth as a result of the flood, and dispersal of the people from Babel.
Chapter 4 examines the global extend of the flood. Were the mountains covered? He also discusses in very general fashion possible physical causes of the flood. However he does not discuss where the water came from until chapter 6. In this context in chapter 6, he footnotes several technical papers by Dr. John Baumgartner on Catastrophic Plate Tectonics. I would have liked to see a more specific description of this model provided here.
In chapter 5, the author considers historical references to creation and the flood. It is here that he discusses oral traditions of the flood and related ancient pagan myths.
In chapter 6 the author discusses many practical details related to the flood such as where the water came from, and where it went at the end of the flood, also questions concerning animals on the ark, and their dispersal after the flood. He also briefly touches on the causes of the subsequent ice age.
Chapter 7 is an extensive discussion of the catastrophic nature of the flood. I really liked, for example, the maps of extremely wide deposition of certain sedimentary rock types in North America. Thus we see perhaps the earliest flood deposit in North America, the Tapeats Sandstone (p. 149) which covers large sections of North America. At a higher level we find the St. Peter Sandstone (p. 111) and at yet a higher level the Chattanooga Black Shale (p. 108) and even higher up the less extensive but still impressive Morrison Formation (p. 112). Obviously you have to look around for these maps, but they certainly demonstrate the uniquely widespread nature of the flood.
The discussion of the various rock types such as sandstone, shale, limestone, conglomerates, igneous rocks and salt deposits and mega breccias, are interesting and well illustrated. Much of this chapter consists of discussion of the rocks of the American south west including the Grand Canyon and other nearby higher lying rock formations.
Lastly the author turns his attention to a brief consideration of the significance of the flood, focusing his discussion on New Testament references.
This is an attractive book with the discussion packaged in easily accessible fashion. Some important issues such as “how could fish survive Noah’s flood?”, “how did the vertical columns of Devil’s Tower form?”, and “the nature of earth’s magnetic field” are dealt with in separate highlighted sidebars. Youths and adults alike will find this a very useful and attractive reference on the flood. With its hard cover, it should stand up to repeated use for many years to come.
Margaret Helder
April 2014
Subscribe to Dialogue