Excellent starting point Henry. I too would be curious where the framework theory has been taught before the 20th century. Dr. Terry Mortenson has done some excellent research demonstrating that the shift from a biblical, 6 ordinary days view of Genesis to long age views of Genesis began to take place during the 1800s when secular geologists (or really who were wannabe geologists who had the money to invest in the study of rocks) postulated that the earth was millions of years old and that the Genesis narrative was myth. The frame work theory, along with the day age theory, gap theory, et. al. emerged from that historic matrix. Before that turning point (the name of Mortenson's book) pretty much all orthodox, Bible believing Christians understood the Genesis record in a straight forward, historical manner. The same way we would understand the history of Joshua, 1 Samuel, Kings and so forth.



Fred

"Ah, sitting - the great leveler of men. From the mightest of pharaohs to the lowest of peasants, who doesn't enjoy a good sit?" M. Burns