A Profile of apologist Kevin Birdwell written by Susan Hanks Mowen
By day, climatologist Kevin Birdwell seeks answers to mysteries of human history via climatological records. By night, he uses that research to enhance his
A Profile of apologist Kevin Birdwell written by Susan Hanks Mowen
By day, climatologist Kevin Birdwell seeks answers to mysteries of human history via climatological records. By night, he uses that research to enhance his teaching at a Christian college. Studying ancient weather at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee intrigues Birdwell “because it reveals so much about the intricacies of Earth’s ability to support life." And, the way these discoveries affirm the Christian faith stimulates his enthusiastic pursuit of more new evidence.
Paleoclimatology—the science dealing with the weather of past ages—often supports or sheds new light on biblical narrative. Birdwell says: “Analysis of pollen, ice cores, tree rings, coral bands, carbon-14, uranium series dating, and ocean sediment gives us a window to the past. Recent advances in tree ring studies, for example, allow a more precise calibration of carbon-14 records, thus fine tuning dates of some documented events.”
Connecting Climate and Scripture
According to Birdwell, paleoclimate information may help resolve the dating of Noah’s flood as well as clarify some of the obscure details of history between Noah and Abraham. Birdwell is currently investigating the possibility of a Beryllium-10 spike (an indicator of a cosmic event) in the Vostok Antarctic ice core. This could be a signal of the Vela supernova, probable contributor to the shortening of human life spans recorded in Genesis 6:3.
"Some people think climate change is a modern phenomenon, but it's not." Birdwell's passion and curiosity become contagious as he discusses one of the great mysteries of climatology. "Around 4,100 years ago a major discontinuity appeared when the entire tropical climate system around the world appears to have shut down. The land around the Mediterranean Sea used to have a lot of trees, but it became mostly rocky hills. Egyptians saw the Nile dry up and the Sahara grasslands where hippos once roamed turned into the Sahara Desert. The Old Testament mentions of major droughts such as the one of Joseph’s era (Gen. 41-47), among others, seem consistent with this paleoclimate evidence. Dramatic climate change provides a powerful time marker in Earth’s history."
Paleoclimatologists have yet to discover the cause of some ecological transformations. They do surmise, however, that some of these changes may help explain human migration. A drought may have coincided with the famine that compelled Abraham's move from Canaan to Egypt (Gen. 12:10).
Archaeology uncovers additional evidence for the Christian faith. “During the ice age, at least 11,000 years ago, sea levels were as much as 200 feet lower, which means a lot more land was exposed. Humans likely settled along those coasts, which are now under water." Exploration of such inaccessible areas is costly, but if it takes place, Birdwell believes scientists will gain some significant Bible-affirming data about human history.
"Such discoveries often validate the Bible’s statements. The more I get into the study of climate and its history, the more I find out about human history and how it fits into the biblical story."
Connecting the Facts
Solid understanding of the Bible helps Birdwell sort out the complexities of spiritual terrain. During his early college years he worked hard to resolve what appeared to be inconsistencies between the Bible and nature. He began to realize that interpretations could be confused with facts. Introduced to the claims of Christ as a preschooler, Birdwell credits good teaching for helping his faith make sense. “My family traveled a lot since my father worked for the government, but we were always in churches that took the Bible seriously. I am thankful for teaching that sustained my faith.
To help others discern the facts in which Christian faith is rooted, Birdwell has developed two apologetics classes for seco