Dr. Matthew McLain is the dean of the School of Science, Mathematics, Technology, and Health at The Master’s University. Last month, McLain participated in the annual Evangelical Theological Society meeting as part of a panel discussing the Genesis flood.

Said McLain, “We want to demonstrate to Christian scholars that having a young-earth perspective of creation can be scholarly. There are things that are hard to understand in science, but ultimately, what we see in science is going to be compatible with what Scripture says.”

The panel topic came in response to a new book published by Dr. Hugh Ross that presents the flood in Genesis as wiping out humanity but not covering the entire earth. ETS decided to create the panel to discuss and debate Ross’ book with professionals in the fields of biblical scholarship and science.

“My job was to respond to the arguments he makes in the book,” said McLain. “I wanted to argue persuasively for a young earth creationist model that’s actually rooted in Scripture and is more consistent with what the church has believed for thousands of years. I critiqued Ross’ book on scriptural, theological, and geological grounds.”

McLain was joined on the panel by an old-earth geologist and an Old Testament scholar, who provided their perspectives on the flood.

“We’re a university, and that means we have a high academic standard and that we are pushing people to do research and be scholarly,” said McLain. “This was a great opportunity to not only take a stand on something that’s biblical and true, but also to set an example for students, families of prospective students, and other faculty about what it means to be a Christian scholar, and how you can be faithful to the Word of God and also be academically rigorous.”