Young Earth Creationism: An Evolution of Myth

Abstract

Creation myths are an integral part of every culture and religious tradition. To some extent, creationist could refer to any adherent who recognizes their particular creation story as true or finds the thesis that the world's structure and contents can be adequately explained only by postulating at least one intelligent designer, a creator god, to be compelling. However, how God created the universe is a point of contention and mass division for Christians rife with theological, philosophical, and scientific concerns. Finding prominence in the latter half of the twentieth century, Young Earth Creationism (YEC) is a powerful antievolutionary force speaking for some half of Americans and on the rise in other parts of the world. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of YEC in the context of the relationship between religion and science. The centerpiece of the paper will be an in-depth review of the Answers in Genesis (AiG) Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, including interviews with the staff and founders.