A Biblical Approach to Physiology

When you need to shoe a horse, you get some basic tools to do the job. The shoe itself was made and given the proper shape through some other tools. Those tools can be considered simple, but they are designed to work together for the purpose of shooing.

Credit: Unsplash / Everton Vila

Another example is the bicycle. It has a drivetrain that transfers power from pedaling via chain and gears to the wheels, the rider steers the contraption (sometimes at comparatively high speeds) with handlebars, has a saddle that is supposed to be adjusted to optimal height, and brakes. Many of those can be considered machines by themselves, but don't do much good anywhere else.

Some tinhorns claim that organisms, Earth, the universe, all have the appearance of design and purpose, but that is not so. Such remarks are assertions of opinion and defy reason. People are designed by the Master Engineer. We can see the specified design and complexity of the ear, the eye, those molecular machines, the respiratory system, and too many more to list.

Darwinists insist that living things are the products of time, chance, random processes, external "pressures", and so on. Their "EvolutionDidIt" mantra hollers "Whoa!" to science. Let's focus on the human body. It makes far more sense to realize that our structure and functions were engineered to work as a unit; each item was put in place for a reason.

We have been created fearfully and wonderfully by our Creator God, and the human body showcases God’s intricate design. Design features are evident in the structures and functions of each of the body systems. In this paper, I present a design approach to the study of human anatomy and physiology from a biblical worldview. I establish a theology of the body as a foundation for the study of human structure and function. I then discuss key repeating themes in the human body systems as evidence for design and offer suggestions for biblical integration in the study of these themes. I also highlight the concept of overdesign in the human body as evidence for a Great Designer. I conclude the paper with a discussion of ways that a design approach to the study of anatomy and physiology could inspire praise, promote deeper reflection on God and His creation, and encourage a holistic view of stewardship of the body.

To finish reading Dr. Sled's paper, click on "Biblical Integration in Anatomy and Physiology: A Design Approach". For some of Dr. Sled's peer-reviewed publications, click here.