A Matter of Days: Resolving a Creation Controversy

How long were the creation days of Genesis hours or epochs? Does belief in an old earth equate to belief in evolution? Was there any kind of death before the Fall? The length of the creation days in Genesis sparks a storm of controversy. At the core of the debate, where lighting strikes and thunder roars, lie key questions whose answers promise hope for resolution. In A Matter of Days, author and astronomer Hugh Ross addresses these questions and explores how the creation-day controversy developed. History, theology, science, and Scripture reveal creation's big picture. About the updated edition: In the 10 years since A Matter of Days first publication, the scientific and theological case for a Creator has grown exponentially. This expanded second edition, with over 50 pages of new content, extends beyond simply addressing creation-day challenges. Hugh Ross demonstrates how sound, gracious apologetics can remove obstacles to faith in Christ and help bring reconciliation in the church. This book is designed to turn arguments into conversations and to equip believers to defend their faith with gentleness and respect. “Dr. Ross endeavors to literally interpret Scriptures and the latest scientific data to show how they are in agreement. Even if you disagree with his conclusions, you will benefit from reading this book. I highly recommend it.” —John Ankerberg, host, The John Ankerberg Show “This book is an in-depth treatment of the creation events, giving deep insights in both the meaning of the biblical text and the latest scientific data. An honest treatment worth reading by anyone interested in the beginning. A must-read.” —Rogier A. Windhorst, professor of astronomy, Arizona State University “In A Matter of Days, Hugh Ross shows that a creation date of billions of years ago is not incompatible with a staunch belief in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. He also explains why scientific arguments for young-earth creationism do not hold up. Ross’ call for Christian theologians and scientists of differing viewpoints to work together to resolve their differences amicably is especially appealing.” —Robert M. Bowman Jr., executive director, Institute for Religious Research “Since God is not the author of confusion, it follows that any apparent discord between faith and science lies in the limits of human understanding. A Matter of Days urges us to challenge those limits. Ross’ clear and ably reasoned work pushes us to better com- prehend the inner workings of creation.” —Brock Thoene, novelist, coauthor of First Light, amateur astronomer “The issues of the age of creation and the length of creation days are currently painful points of contention within the evangelical church. It need not be so. In fact, these and related issues can be very effectively used in evangelism. In A Matter of Days, astrono- mer and evangelist Hugh Ross discusses the problem and the arguments on both sides of this controversy with biblical and scientific integrity, while appealing for calm on all sides. He ends with a proposal for resolving the controversy in a way that could bring peace to the church and glory to God. I strongly encourage all who are interested in issues relating to science and the Bible to read this book and to pray, as I do, for such a peaceful resolution.” —Kyle Cudworth, professor of astronomy, University of Chicago and Director of Yerkes Observatory