By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News
PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) – A new book written by Louisiana Christian University Professor of Chemistry David Elliott examines the distinctive attributes of God’s Creation to illustrate the precision of Earth’s systems.
“Air, Earth, Fire, and Water: A Glimpse of the Created Earth” details the orderly structure and measurable processes found in all of creation, Elliott said.
Published in July by iUniverse, the book illustrates the character of God through the science of the Earth’s domains: Air (the heavens and the atmosphere), Earth (geosphere), Fire (energy) and Water (hydrosphere and biosphere). The four spheres collectively sustain life on Earth, converging at the soil, from which God made living beings, notably humans, Elliott said.
“These four domains and their interdependence guide the reader to see that the visible creation was placed before us to help us perceive the invisible Kingdom of God,” Elliott said.
Elliott said the idea for this book began in 2005 when he began teaching at LCU, after a 25-year career in industry. He was teaching an introductory environmental science course for non-majors and using a secular textbook.
“I taught using it for two to three years but then began modifying the content because I got tired of arguing with the text,” he said.
In 2015, he began teaching a new course, Introduction to Earth Science, a course that covered all the natural components of Earth.
And in 2016, he began writing “Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.” The title comes from the sequence of the biblical account of creation.
While it serves as a textbook for the introductory environmental science course, Elliott said it is also a book that can be read by anyone, and serves as a devotional.
“By studying the natural realm, we see the creator left His fingerprints on His creation,” Elliott said. “We see His fingerprint. We see the order in the natural realm.”
The underlying premise of the book is order. The order of Creation is evident through identifying separation, design, and measurement.
“God ordered his creation so we can measure it. Measurement is the basis for scientific investigation. We can take dominion of Earth as God commanded because of the natural order.” Elliott said.
The book is a comprehensive survey of all the different scientific aspects of Earth.
“What makes it unique,” Elliott said, “is that it begins with the biblical principle underlying each of Earth’s components and lets that flow into natural science. It’s an integration of faith and learning in the science realm.”
