A book about evolution, Christian faith, and what it means to be human.
The Sacred Chain explores how understanding evolution can deepen rather than diminish Christian faith. Drawing on philosophy, theology, science, and personal experience, Jim Stump asks what evolution means for the Bible, human uniqueness, the soul, suffering, morality, and our place in creation.
“In this marvelously accessible book, philosopher-Christian Jim Stump provides the reader with new eyes for a journey through time, the origin of the soul, suffering, and morality, and reveals how the latest scientific findings about what it means to be human have led him to a deeper and more authentic faith.”
—Francis S. Collins
Questions the book explores
- Can Christians accept evolution and still take the Bible seriously?
- What does deep time tell us about God’s creative work?
- If humans evolved, what does it mean to be created in the image of God?
- How should Christians think about the soul in light of evolution?
- Why would God create through a process that includes suffering and death?
- Can evolution deepen Christian faith rather than undermine it?
Who this book is for
The Sacred Chain is especially for Christians who take science seriously but are not willing to give up on faith, and for readers who have felt pressure to choose between the two. It is also for pastors, teachers, students, and church groups looking for an accessible way into questions about evolution, human origins, Scripture, and Christian theology.
Read, listen, and learn more
Listen
I’ve talked about The Sacred Chain on the Language of God podcast and in other interviews about evolution, faith, and human origins.
- The Sacred Chain | The Challenge of the Bible — How can Christians continue to affirm the Bible as inspired and authoritative while accepting evolution? Featuring J. Richard Middleton and Philip Yancey.
- The Sacred Chain | The Challenge of Time — What do the vast ages of the earth and universe mean for God’s purposes and for our place in creation? Featuring John Walton and Makoto Fujimura.
- The Sacred Chain | The Challenge of Pain and Suffering — How should Christians think about the suffering built into the evolutionary process? Featuring Bethany Sollereder, with help from Simone Weil and others.
Read
You can read excerpts from The Sacred Chain and some of the essays that grew out of the same questions about evolution, faith, and what it means to be human.
- Our Faith Is Not Too Fragile for Science — An excerpt from The Sacred Chain published by Christianity Today, telling the story of how accepting evolution eventually cost me my position at a Christian college, and why I came to believe that faith need not be threatened by science.
- Where did “The Sacred Chain” come from? — The story behind the title and the central idea of the book: not merely that evolution can be made compatible with Christian faith, but that understanding evolution can lead to a deeper and more authentic faith.
- My Exile from Christian Higher Ed — A later reflection on the controversy over evolution that changed the course of my career and eventually brought me to BioLogos.
Reviews and interviews
The Sacred Chain has been reviewed and discussed in a number of places across the science-and-faith conversation.
- Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith review — A review in the journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, engaging the book specifically from within the science-and-faith conversation.
- A Review of The Sacred Chain — Spectrum Magazine — A substantial review emphasizing the book’s combination of memoir, science, and Christian faith.
- Evolution + Christianity, Part I — A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk into a Bar — A long-form interview about evolution, the Bible, the soul, and whether Christians can take both science and faith seriously.
Buy the book
The Sacred Chain is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.
- HarperCollins
- Amazon
- Fables Books — independent bookstore in Goshen, IN