Daniel E. Wonderly Memorial Library
Daniel E. Wonderly
1922-2004
Memorial Service
Obituary
Biography
from his autobiography, with additions by his wife Edna After serving in the U.S.
Army for three years in World War II, Dan In 1960, Dan graduated from
Wheaton College, followed by a M. Div and Th. M. from Central Baptist
Seminary, followed some years later by a research-master's degree in
biology from Ohio University. He then taught for five years at
Wingate College in North Carolina, followed by seven years at Grace
College in Indiana, where he helped to establish a standard biology
department.
In 1973 he left full-time teaching to devote the remainder of his life to the study of sedimentary geology and the teaching of how it helps us to understand and appreciate the Biblical account of creation. Betweem 1974 and 1977 he wrote the book God's Time-Records in Ancient Sediments to explain to Christians what the sedimentary rock layers of the earth are like, and why most of them required long periods of time to be deposited and converted into types of rock. In his own words, "Helping Christians to learn this kind of information has been my primary work since 1973, and this work is needed more now than ever. Christians need to reject evolutionism, but when they reject true scientific discoveries they bring disgrace upon the Bible and Christianity." Dan opposed the "misunderstanding which was being promoted by extreme creationist leaders in many of the Christian schools and colleges of the U.S. and Canada." His conclusions are found in his second book, Neglect of Geologic Data: Sedimentary Strata Compared with Young-Earth Creationist Writings, which he first published in 1987. In both of these books, Dan was obsessed with ensuring the complete accuracy his assertions from geology, and he submitted his writings to the review of experts in the geologic field. In addition to these two books, Dan also wrote a number of reviews and short papers, some of which are listed below. Resume of Professional and Personal Data |
Writings and Lectures of
Daniel E. Wonderly
Books
God's Time-Records in Ancient Sediments: Evidences of Long Time Spans in Earth's History. (Rev. Ed. 1999) Reviewers. PDF (71.2 Mb)
Neglect of Geologic Data: Sedimentary Strata Compared with Young-Earth Creationist Writings.
Originally published in 1987, revised in 1993. Electronic edition (reproduced from the 1993 Edition) 2006.
"I find it unfortunate that, since the 1960s, a great many Christian teachers have neglected to take seriously the large array of evidences for long periods of time which are found in the sedimentary cover of the earth." [From the Author's Statement]
Papers
and Unpublished Writings
Research Reports
Coral
Reefs and
Related Carbonate Structures as Indicators of Great Age
Genesis 11 and Archaeological Evidence for Paleolithic Man
Abstract: Evidence
is abundant in the geologic literature
that
the earth is quite old, though typically overlooked or disregarded by
young-earth
creationists. Many large, biologically-built, in situ structures are
found
throughout the world in limestone and dolostone formations, such as
modern
and ancient coral atolls, the Grand Bahama Bank, and fossilized
hardgrounds
and stromatolites
Genesis 11 and Archaeological Evidence for Paleolithic Man
Abstract: There
are important reasons for attempting to see Genesis 11 and
archaelogical
data from Paleolithic peoples as compatible with each other. Abundant
archaeological
evidences for such people inhabiting both the Americas and Europe more
than 10,000 years ago are surveyed, and it is suggested that these fit
between the disastrous judgment of Babel and the birth of Abraham.
Archaeological
evidences for the true humanity of Neanderthal man are presented.
Lectures
1977 ASA Lecture, Deep-Sea
Drillings as Evidence for a Great
Age of the Earth
1981 Coral Reefs and Related Carbonate Structures as Indicators of Great Age
Presented to the American
Scientific Affiliation,
1981 Coral Reefs and Related Carbonate Structures as Indicators of Great Age
Presented at the Baltimore
Creation Fellowship, March
1981 Symposium.
1987 Some Important
Challenges for the Creationist Movement in North America
Presented at the Sixth Annual Baltimore Creation Convention of June 4-6, 1987
Presented at the Sixth Annual Baltimore Creation Convention of June 4-6, 1987
Published Articles
1963 A
Comparative Study of the Gross Anatomy of the Digestive System
of some North American Salamanders. Master's Thesis.
1970 The New Biology
1972 Review of article: IS THE CAPITAN LIMESTONE A FOSSIL REEF?
by Stuart Nevins, CRSQ, Vol. 8, March 1972, pp. 231-248.
1972 What's Wrong with Evolution?
Published in the Brethren Missionary Herald, March 18, 1972, pp. 18-19.
1975 Non-Radiometric Data Relevant to the Question of Age
Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, December 1975
1981 Scientific Truth: Is It Transient or Enduring?
Published in the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, Vol. 33 No. 11 (Sept. 1981).
1987 Review of article: Mississippian and Cambrian Strata Interbedding 200 Million Years Hiatus in Question by William Waisberber, et al. CRSQ, Vol. 23 #4 (March 1987), pp. 160-167
1987 Some Important Challanges for the Creationist Movement in North America.
Presented at the Sixth Annual Baltimore Creation Convention of June 4-6, 1987
1987 Critique of the Article, 'Mississippian and Cambrian Strata...' CSRQ 23 #4 (March, 1987)
of some North American Salamanders. Master's Thesis.
1970 The New Biology
1972 Review of article: IS THE CAPITAN LIMESTONE A FOSSIL REEF?
by Stuart Nevins, CRSQ, Vol. 8, March 1972, pp. 231-248.
1972 What's Wrong with Evolution?
Published in the Brethren Missionary Herald, March 18, 1972, pp. 18-19.
1975 Non-Radiometric Data Relevant to the Question of Age
Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, December 1975
1981 Scientific Truth: Is It Transient or Enduring?
Published in the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, Vol. 33 No. 11 (Sept. 1981).
1987 Review of article: Mississippian and Cambrian Strata Interbedding 200 Million Years Hiatus in Question by William Waisberber, et al. CRSQ, Vol. 23 #4 (March 1987), pp. 160-167
1987 Some Important Challanges for the Creationist Movement in North America.
Presented at the Sixth Annual Baltimore Creation Convention of June 4-6, 1987
1987 Critique of the Article, 'Mississippian and Cambrian Strata...' CSRQ 23 #4 (March, 1987)
Notes, Letters and Unpublished Writings
1972 Some
Types of
Non-Radiometric Data Now Available Which can be used in Relation to
the Problem of Age
1974 Letter to ASA Members The Young-Earth Misunderstanding
1983 Recent, Nationwide Developments Related to Young Earth Creationism
1983 Why Evangelicals Should Reject Theistic Evolution
1984 Letter, Dangers of June, 1984 Impact #132 by Henry M. Morris Calling on Evangelicals to Make a Choice
1987 A Brief Bibliography of Works which Emphasize Evidence for the Acceptability of an Old-Earth Creationist View.
1988 Can Creation Doctrine Agree with Modern Geology?
1988 How Sedimentology Was Developed Without the Young-Earth Creationists' Paying Any Attention To It
1988 Dinosaurs Fossils and the Bible
1988 A Consideration of What is Often Called The Fossil Evidence for Human Evolution.
1988 Some Important Problems Which are Related to the Theories of Biological Evolution,
1989 The Date of Creation: Bible-Compatible Evidences for Great Age.
1989 Some Parts of the Earth's Sedimentary Cover Which Evidently Were Formed Prior to the Biblical Flood.
1989 Why Was the Anti-Creationism Movement Able to Arise So Rapidly Folowing the Arkansas Creation Trials?
1990 Can We Easily Determine the 'Plain Literal Sense' of All Parts of Genesiss One?
1991 How to Believe the Biblical Teaching of a 'Universal' Flood Without Violating the Natural Laws Which We See in the Earth
1991 Letter: Reasons why Young Earth Creationism is a Delusion Brought On Themselves By Strictly Limiting Their Own Scientific Studies.
1992 Fanciful Bible-Science Stories as Harmful
1993 Letter: Re. Influence of extreme young-earth creationism on teachers and ministers at Columbia Bible College
1994 Letter: Re. Loss of Confidence in the creationist arguments for 'flood geology' and a young Earth regarding radioactive dating methods.
'I became gradually convinced that CSF was in serious error over the age of the Earth and that these 'Godless' scientists were far closer to the truth... Most of the early geologists were Christians who only began to conceive of an ancient earth after the weight of the evidence they had accumulated through mapping became too great to sustain a belief in a young earth and the belief that Noah's flood was responsible for all fossil bearing strata.'
1995 Young-Earth Creationist leaders false impression that there is abundant evidence that the earth is only a few thousand years old.
1995 Struggle Between Christians Regarding Geologic Evidences for Great Age
1996 Present-Day Problems Concerning the Use of the Young-Earth Flood Geology View of Creation
2000 Letter: Sonlight Curriculum Material on evidence of Old Age in Coral Reefs.
2002 The Date of Creation: Bible-Compatible Evidences for Great Age
1974 Letter to ASA Members The Young-Earth Misunderstanding
1983 Recent, Nationwide Developments Related to Young Earth Creationism
1983 Why Evangelicals Should Reject Theistic Evolution
1984 Letter, Dangers of June, 1984 Impact #132 by Henry M. Morris Calling on Evangelicals to Make a Choice
1987 A Brief Bibliography of Works which Emphasize Evidence for the Acceptability of an Old-Earth Creationist View.
1988 Can Creation Doctrine Agree with Modern Geology?
1988 How Sedimentology Was Developed Without the Young-Earth Creationists' Paying Any Attention To It
1988 Dinosaurs Fossils and the Bible
1988 A Consideration of What is Often Called The Fossil Evidence for Human Evolution.
1988 Some Important Problems Which are Related to the Theories of Biological Evolution,
1989 The Date of Creation: Bible-Compatible Evidences for Great Age.
1989 Some Parts of the Earth's Sedimentary Cover Which Evidently Were Formed Prior to the Biblical Flood.
1989 Why Was the Anti-Creationism Movement Able to Arise So Rapidly Folowing the Arkansas Creation Trials?
1990 Can We Easily Determine the 'Plain Literal Sense' of All Parts of Genesiss One?
1991 How to Believe the Biblical Teaching of a 'Universal' Flood Without Violating the Natural Laws Which We See in the Earth
1991 Letter: Reasons why Young Earth Creationism is a Delusion Brought On Themselves By Strictly Limiting Their Own Scientific Studies.
1992 Fanciful Bible-Science Stories as Harmful
1993 Letter: Re. Influence of extreme young-earth creationism on teachers and ministers at Columbia Bible College
1994 Letter: Re. Loss of Confidence in the creationist arguments for 'flood geology' and a young Earth regarding radioactive dating methods.
'I became gradually convinced that CSF was in serious error over the age of the Earth and that these 'Godless' scientists were far closer to the truth... Most of the early geologists were Christians who only began to conceive of an ancient earth after the weight of the evidence they had accumulated through mapping became too great to sustain a belief in a young earth and the belief that Noah's flood was responsible for all fossil bearing strata.'
1995 Young-Earth Creationist leaders false impression that there is abundant evidence that the earth is only a few thousand years old.
1995 Struggle Between Christians Regarding Geologic Evidences for Great Age
1996 Present-Day Problems Concerning the Use of the Young-Earth Flood Geology View of Creation
2000 Letter: Sonlight Curriculum Material on evidence of Old Age in Coral Reefs.
2002 The Date of Creation: Bible-Compatible Evidences for Great Age