Geology, Fossils, Dinosaurs, and Apologetics from Northwest Treasures - A Homeschool Coffee Break Review

When I was a student, I remember that geology was an area of science I was interested in, but it confused me because we were being taught that science had proved the rock layers were millions or billions of years old; yet I believed what the Bible said about creation. As an adult I've had many of my questions about science and the creation account answered, but I'm still fascinated by the debate. I recently took the opportunity to review one of the online courses from Northwest Treasures to get even more answers - I chose a course on Geology and Apologetics.

Northwest Treasures started out by taking interesting rock and fossil samples to area homeschool conventions, and then expanded to provide books and rock kits. They also offer specimen kits for the states they visited frequently, and soon were offering guided field trips too. Not everyone can make it to Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon for these trips, but the seminars and educational products offered by Northwest Treasures are excellent tools for helping anyone with interest to understand geology. And with geology as a foundation, to understand biology, paleontology, anthropology, and earth science. Most importantly, Northwest Treasures teaches these important sciences from a Biblical worldview, with deep respect for the truth in Scripture.

Online classes are a new offering from Northwest Treasures, and at this time include the six-part class Dinosaurs and the Bible (for grade 5 and up), the single episode 20-minute class Taking the Mystery out of Geology, and the six-part Geology and Apologetics. Through the Homeschool Review Crew we were able to review one of the six-part courses as well as Taking the Mystery out of Geology. I chose Geology and Apologetics which is suitable for high school age and adults.

I started out by watching the 20-minute class Taking the Mystery out of Geology. This video is a great introduction to the science of geology from a Biblical perspective. Patrick Nurre explains thirteen  important terms that clarify geology, and how the Flood and the Ice Age fit together. There's excellent information in this course about    - - - - - - -

With that foundation in place, I spent a couple of evenings watching the video classes Geology and Apologetics.

How did we use it?  Although this class would be suitable for high school age students, I thought it might also be interesting for a small group study for adults in a church setting, and that's sort of what I had in mind as I watched. My husband was available to watch some of it with me. The videos are delivered on the vimeo platform, so I watched some right on my laptop and some by casting to my TV.  The episodes average about 15 or 16 minutes in length, with the shortest one being 11 minutes and the longest being about 20. Patrick Nurre is the instructor and narrator, giving the lecture from his office, using charts and photos in a powerpoint style to illustrate his points. There are no animations or movies accompanying the lecture, so it is academic and geared to adults. There aren't printables to go with this course, but there are some questions for review and discussion given at the end of each episode.

This course explains how and why secular geology undermines many Christian views by bringing the reliability of the Biblical accounts of Creation and the Flood into question. This series examines these conflicts and studies them from a Biblical and geological standpoint that should help Christians defend their belief in Scripture, because the scientific evidence is consistent with what the Bible teaches.

Lesson 1, Knowing the Scriptures in the Secular Geological Age, deals with what apologetics is and is not, and why every Christian should be engaged in apologetics to some extent. It also explains how science and Christianity or belief in the Bible came to be at odds during the following the Age of Enlightenment. 

Lesson 2, Clarifying the Conflict between Science and the Bible, goes into a bit more detail about defining science as studying what can be observed, tested, and repeated. Nurre explains that our theories about the origins of the earth cannot be observed, tested, or repeated; therefore, both creationism and evolutionism are a matter of interpretation and philosophy rather than science. However, true science will not contradict what the Bible teaches. History relies on eyewitness accounts and original source documents to tell us what happened in the past. The Bible provides these sources, but there is no such source to support evolution. We also learn about radiometric dating and why its results must be considered interpretation rather than proof.

Lesson 3 takes a look at The Genealogies and Chronologies of Genesis, and asks "Are they accurate and reliable?" The age of the earth is an issue for many Christians because secular scientists tell us that the earth is proven to be billions of years old, and many claim that the genealogies given in Genesis contain gaps. However, as Nurre points out, the genealogies are presented as a critical record establishing lineage that would be useless for its purpose if there were generations left out. The records are also consistent throughout Scripture. 

Lesson 4 discusses Evolutionary Gaps in the Fossil Record, How Serious Are They? Fossils found in layers of rock all over the world are important, because they are a record of the past. But how geologists interpret the evidence of fossils makes a huge difference. Secular geologists take the view of uniformitarianism (a belief that only natural processes have occurred, and that those processes have always behaved in the same way in the past) when interpreting fossils, and impose those assumptions. They assume that the dating of the rock is accurate, that life evolved from simple to complex, and that only natural processes occurred. However, fossils are overwhelmingly found in sedimentary rock, and fossils of dinosaurs show tremendous disarticulation, indicating a catastrophic event. Creationists believe that catastrophic event was the worldwide flood of Noah's day.

Lesson 5 examines Dinosaur-to-Bird Evolution, the Story that Never Seems to Die. Evolutionary theory holds that birds evolved from dinosaurs, but what does the fossil record show? Nurre shows that even the educational materials produced in support of dinosaur-to-bird evolution ignore the supposed ages of the fossils they claim in this evolutionary chain!

And in Lesson 6, Time and Chronology in the Secular Geological Age, we discuss why the subject of time and chronology is important, and why the church needs to understand it. Secular geologists claim vast ages of time in the earth's past, because they need millions of years to put forth the theory of evolution. Sadly, many in the church think it's not an important subject. But if you think about it, the reliability and truth of the Bible is being attacked, and Christians must take this subject seriously.

 I really appreciated the clear explanations that made this information easy for lay people to understand. This course would be an excellent supplement and addition to a high school level geology course, or even to a general earth science or biology course, because it offers such important information on the views of the age of the earth and the impact of those philosophies and interpretations on other sciences. Many small group Bible studies geared for high school or college age students, or those geared for adults would find this an excellent resource as well, with its sound teaching on Biblical authority and apologetics. 

Those with younger students fascinated by dinosaurs may want to check out the six-part Dinosaurs and the Bible, which was reviewed by Crew members. 

What else will you find at Northwest Treasures? They have a wide selection of Educational Kits and Curricula available, from the Geology for "Little Eyes" series for PreK through 3rd grade, to the Northwest Treasures Curriculum Project series for high school students. I'm intrigued by the book Geology and Our National Parks, which gives an overview of twenty-nine of our nation's parks and monuments and focuses on a geological feature for each one. If you live near Yellowstone or Badlands, or will be vacationing in those areas, you might want to consider one of the Creation Adventures or Field Trips with Northwest Treasures. How exciting and eye-opening would it be to have the geological expertise and Biblical perspective of Patrick Nurre to guide your field trip to one of these beautiful locations? 

What we liked best:

• simple and clear explanations and definitions of terms and theories
• solid Biblical perspective that respects the truth and authority of Scripture
• presentations are intended for a high school age and older audience, without gimmicks or distractions

What I need to mention:

• there are no printable study materials to accompany this particular course, so depending on how you are using it, you may need to come up with your own notes or written materials
• this is not intended as a stand-alone credit course for high school, but would be an excellent supplement to a larger course of study, or resource for part of a larger study in Geology, Earth Science, Paleontology, or Biblical Apologetics.

Our bottom line: I can warmly recommend the video classes from Northwest Treasures as a valuable resource to homeschoolers, to churches, and to any Christian who desires to have a clear understanding of how the science of geology and a belief in the Scriptural account of the origin of the earth are related. And with so many other interesting books, curriculum, and even fossils, I think Northwest Treasures is an apt name for this valuable resource!

Would you like to learn more about these treasures? Here's what you need to know:

Visit the website:  www.NorthwestRockandFossil.com/

Find more information about their Online Classes.

You can follow Northwest Treasures on Facebook, and on Pinterest.

Visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog for more information and to read other reviews.

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