What is Baraminology?

 

In simple terms, Baraminology is the way creationists classify living organisms. Creationist Kurt Wise defines it as “a young earth creationist biosystematics method with the ultimate purpose of identifying, classifying, and studying God’s created kinds (baramins)” (Wise). The term “baramin” is made up of two Hebrew words: the verb bārā’, meaning “create,” and the noun mîn, meaning “kind.” Therefore, Baraminology is the study of created kinds. 

 

In order to understand Baraminology it is crucial to know what a “kind” (mîn) is. In total, there are 30-31 occurrences of mîn “kind” in the Old Testament (it’s use in Ezekiel 47:10 is debated) and all the references occur in a similar phrase, “[plant or animal] according to its kind.” In order to show the meaning of kind, I’d like to show you the points Kurt Wise made in his book “Devotional Biology: Learning to Worship the Creator of Organisms” and the points made in Christian Ryan’s book. “Epoch Explorer: According To Their Kinds.”

 

1. When the term “kind” is used it is always in the context of organisms, which indicates that it refers to something biological. 

 

2. “And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort [mîn] shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind [mîn], and of cattle after their kind [mîn], of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind [mîn], two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.” Genesis 6:19-20 KJV

 

In this verse, God commands that Noah take two of every kind of all creatures, other than aquatic creatures, into the Ark with Noah and his family. This gives evidence that kinds are groups that have more than one member. 

 

3. Kinds would have to be identifiable from other kinds in order for Adam to name all of the kinds or else he would not be able to discern one kind from another (Genesis 2:19-20). This means animals within one kind must have similarity to other members in its kind to a certain extent. 

 

4. Kinds are meant to reproduce, aka multiply and fill the earth, meaning members of a kid should be able to reproduce. Which implies that members of different kinds can not reproduce. 

 

Based on these 4 points above, while we cannot make a definite definition of “kind”, it seems “kind” refers to a biological division of organisms into groups based on characteristics and reproduction.

 

Now there are three main types of Baramins. Scientists use suites of additive criteria to unite smaller groups of organisms into what is called a monobaramin and then use subtractive criteria to split up large groups of organisms called apobaramains. The goal then is to identify a group of organisms that is both an apobaramin and a monbaramin which is called a holobaramin.

 

How Do We Determine Different Kinds?:

 

Statistical Baraminology is a multi-step process used by researchers in baraminology in order to determine different created kinds. A baraminologist will compare and contrast as many diagnostic species characteristics as possible using a computer program such as BDIST aka Baraminic Distance Correlation. These characteristics include things such as morphological, molecular, and ecological traits. The proportion of these characteristics not shared between two species are mathematically converted into dissimilarity values called baraminic distance. These results are then plotted out on a three-dimensional graph using another computer program such as MDS aka Multidimensional Scaling. Species that are separated by less baraminic distance are more similar and form clusters. These are likely created kinds. 

 

Another method which some consider superior to BDIST is Genomics-based methods, such as the Gene Content Method (GCM) could potentially harness the vast quantities of genomic data in public databases. With it we can analyze the genome of archebaramins. The whole genome sequences of Neanderthal and Denisovan have already been determined. Such analyses could shed light on intrabaraminic relationships and could possibly resolve certain issues regarding the baraminic status of certain species, such as the recently discovered Homo naledi, which is held in creationist circles to be either an ape, human, or a mixture of the two. Fossils may be interpreted in many different ways, but genome sequences are less subjective and more easily quantifiable.

 

Summary:

 

To summarize, Baraminology is a method that classifies living organisms into what is called a “kind.” A kind (mîn) is a term in the scriptures that likely refers to biological division. Baraminologists can determine kinds by various methods like statistical baraminology or the Gene Content Method. 

 

Sources:

 

Wise, Kurt P. Faith, Form, and Time: What the Bible Teaches and Science Confirms about Creation and the Age of the Universe. Broadman & Holman, 2002.

 

Wise, Kurt P. Devotional Biology: Learning to Worship the Creator of Organisms. Compass Cinema, 2018.

 

Ryan, Christian. According to Their Kinds. Epoch Explorer, Book 2. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, 2021.