George McCready Price and Seventh-Day Adventism’s Influence on the Rise of Modern Creationism

Abstract

Self-taught geologist and early convert to Seventh-day Adventism, George McCready Price played a significant, yet largely overlooked role in the rise of the modern creationist movement—and, to some degree, can be seen as the lynchpin leading to mainstream adoption of literal readings of the Christian scriptures. Influenced greatly by the writings of Ellen White, the prophetess of the Adventist movement, Price developed his ideas on flood geology which eventually became a cornerstone of creationist thinking. Price’s commitment to biblical literalism, influenced by White’s visions, shaped his worldview and led him to reconcile his interest in geology with the Adventist model of Earth’s history. His central argument for creationism was based on his belief in a worldwide flood, as described in the biblical narrative, which he saw as having shaped most of the Earth’s geological features. Although Price’s contributions were initially overlooked, his ideas gained prominence through the work of John Whitcomb and Henry Morris, who popularized his concepts in their influential book, The Genesis Flood. Price’s effect on modern creationism highlights the intersection of fundamentalist Christianity, particularly Adventism, with the evolving tension between theology and science in the 20th Century.