The Genesis of Germs

by Alan L. Gillen

The concept of disease and germs can be dfificult for Christians to understand in a creationist worldview. The author sheds light on the origin of germs and how they fit into a Biblical worldview and the possible function of these microbes before the fall. He also considers how these constantly mutating pathogens are not evidence for evolution, but rather of de-evoution. Every year seems to bring an impending threat of a new disease outbreak. The spread of these scary diseases, from avian flu to SARS to AIDS, is a cause for concern and leads to questions, such as: Where did all these germs come from? How do they fit into a biblical worldview? What kind of function did these microbes have before the Fall? How can something so small have such a huge, deadly impact on the world around us? Dr. Alan Gillen sheds light on these and many other questions in this revealing and detailed book. He shows how these constantly mutating diseases are proof for devolution rather than evolution, and how all of these germs fit into a biblical worldview. He also shows how germs are symptomatic of the literal Fall and Curse of creation as a result of man's sin, and the hope we have in the coming of Jesus Christ.

204 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2007

Reviews

[Hannah Mozingo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m really not a science person. Give me all the English and history you want - I’ll devour it all day long. But hand me a science book and suddenly I loose my appetite. Nothing really against this book.... Yes it was hard to follow in places... Yes it was rather densely written. But it did its job. I did learn a lot, and I appreciate the Biblical perspective it gave. I just... didn’t enjoy it. But hey - it’s done with now and I can just forget all the hours I spent slogging through it and just hold onto to everything I learnt from it instead!

[DrosoPHila · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the most bizarre things I have ever read.

[Joyfully Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

"There is hope for the Christian: some day, Eden will be regained. The Curse will be removed and there will be
no more disease! Revelation 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Christ will provide the cure. This great deliverance from disease has been purchased by the Great Physician and Savior himself, Jesus Christ. Revelation 21:6 says, "It is done" The Greek word for this proclamation is Gegonan. This is a statement of divine finality. The genesis of germs will be no more. They will be going, going, gone!"

This was a pretty decent book. I did this for school, and although it was quite tedious, I finished with a thorough understanding of germs and diseases. Would highly recommend to someone who wants to go into the medical field and appreciates faith-based education. :)

[The Jesus Fandom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof, the information density in this was HEAVY.

I liked how it gave a Christian explanation for things, although with the way they announced it at the beginning I was expecting it for a long time before they actually did it.

Only quibble I have is that on one page, they say covid has caused an x number of deaths (a lot less than a million anyway) and then a page or so later they say it has caused “millions” of deaths. That… kinda contradicts each other, doesn’t it?

[Rehab Dynasty Amy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

While there is mixed reviews in this book, the most bizarre is the publication date of 2020 & the amount of information about Covid-19 they already knew!!! Talk about dispelling lies & propaganda. And while they try to squeeze in a Christian worldwide viewpoint, it misses the mark there. However, great book on the scientific side of things. And a good reference for the individual specific "virus" of interests, including its history, mechanisms, and continued life.

[Joel Husted · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the content and the things it taught. However, he needed to get an editor, because the review questions and the book itself often are choppy, and with several errors. Also, Dr. Gillen could have spent less time trying to prove that pathogens didn't exist before the fall.

[Kyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this as part of my pre med studies course. Very informative!

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a good overview of microbiology. It is interesting and presents the topic from a Creation point of vew. Quite refreshing!