Did Adam and Eve really exist? Of all the things that are in the Bible, does this one really matter? After all, it is a huge barrier to people coming to faith, particularly for people living in a culture that is heavily influenced by the belief in a rigid divide between faith and reason. Even Christian scientists who advocate for a sort of theistic evolution, such as Francis Collins, would contend that traditional beliefs about Adam and Eve are no longer viable. So, really, what’s the big deal? Would we lose anything if we decided that Genesis 1-11 was mythological rather than historical?
Yes, argues C. John Collins in Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?: Who They Were and Why You Should Care. Collins aims “to show why I believe we should retain a version of the traditional view, in spite of any pressures to abandon it” and argues that “the traditional position on Adam and Eve, or some variation of it, does the best job of accounting not only or the Biblical materials but also for our everyday experience as human beings” (p. 13).
Collins’s exploration is divided into four parts: He first addresses the shape of the biblical story before moving on to examine particular texts that speak of Adam and Eve. He then addresses human uniqueness and dignity. Finally, he looks at whether or not science can help us “pinpoint” Adam and Eve.
Critical thinking matters

Perhaps what I appreciate most about this book is its commitment to good critical thinking. For those of us who do hold to a view, it can be really easy to give a simple “yes” to the question that the book asks and leave it at that.1
I really appreciated Collins not wanting to fall into that trap but being willing to thoughtfully examine what the Scriptures have to say, as well as arguments that are counter to the traditional view. As he puts it, if we examine the position and find difficulties, it “may mean that we should try to make some adjustments to the traditional view, but it does not of itself mean that we ought to junk [it] altogether” (p. 15).
Collins does an excellent job critically examining the issue. He carefully looks at the biblical storyline, noting that while some would suggest that Genesis 1-11 in particular offer “an ancient, premodern, prescientific way of addressing questions of ultimate origins and meaning in the form of stories,” Genesis itself doesn’t allow for that. It is written as “history.” Its author intended it to be read as actually having happened. Therefore, he writes, “we might do best if we think of ‘history’ less as a literary genre . . . and more as a way of referring to events” (p. 35).
This is particularly important when we look at the issue of sin. The alternative views all wind up “telling a very different story from the one we find in the Bible,” if for no other reason that sin ends up being “natural.” Yet the Bible and its authors consistently “portray sin as an alien intruder in God’s good creation. The story of Adam and Eve, and their first disobedience, explains how this intruder first came into human experience, though it hardly pretends to explain how it is that rebellion against God . . . came about in the first place” (p. 49).
The foundation of our value
This he also illustrates well as he examines the biblical passages referring to Adam and Eve. The key question: is their existence a “forest for the trees” or “trees for the forest” problem?
Basically, the question here is what happens when we remove a historical Adam and Eve from the Scriptures. What happens to Hosea 6:7, Ecclesiastes 7:29, Matt. 19:3-9, 1 Cor. 11:7-12, 2 Cor. 11:3, Romans 5:12-19, and so many other passages that either directly or indirectly refer to them or rely on the historicity of Genesis 1-11?
Collins argues that we lose them completely. Not the whole Bible, of course. There are many passages that do not require a historical Adam and Eve. But there are more where it is an absolute necessity. And so the biblical story unravels. The same is true for questions about human dignity. He argues that if we abandon Genesis 1–11, we also abandon the belief in the inherent dignity and value of humanity. Why? Because our dignity and value is inextricably tied to our being made in the image and likeness of God.
Do faith and science contradict one another?
His final chapter addresses the relationship between science, faith, and the historicity of Genesis. Can science help us pinpoint Adam and Eve?
This is the chapter over which I believe many who hold to the traditional view will have the most contention, if for no other reason than that it’s kind of messy. Essentially, he argues for an old-earth view of creation (based on the fossil record in particular). This also includes the possibility of there having been more than one man and one woman being created. Collins admits that his view is one filled with uncertainties. But he also believes that these uncertainties “in no way undermine our right to hold fast to the Biblical storyline with full confidence. In fact, this holding fast actually helps us to think well about the scientific questions” (p. 131).
Now there’s a sense in which I certainly agree with this. There is a great deal of uncertainty that comes from trying to figure out how the Bible and science work together on these issues. Yet, I wonder if this has more to do with us making things more complicated than they need to be. When our explanations become so convoluted that we don’t know whether we’re coming or going, we’ve got to start asking if we’re overthinking things a bit and as if, perhaps, the simplest explanation of the events is not the best one.
Valuable but challenging
There is much to appreciate about Did Adam and Eve Really Exist. The arguments are as careful as you would expect from an academic. However, like any good academic, his writing is not really meant for popular consumption. In some ways, this is good because you know he’s not just some schmoe (like, say, me). Unfortunately, it does result in a less-than-engaging reading experience. As such, average or less academically inclined readers might struggle to do so. But if they can make it through its density, readers will find much value in this book.
Title: Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?: Who They Were and Why You Should Care
Author: C. John Collins
Publisher: Crossway (2011)
A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review purposes by the publisher. Originally published August 2011. Updated for style and content in May 2024. Photo by Calvin Craig on Unsplash.
- “Traditional” does not mean affirming a literal seven-day, young earth creation view, only that Adam and Eve were real people. That perspective is actually relatively new, which doesn’t mean wrong either. ↩︎