25-0402wc - Class Notes

On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, we watched the first half of Dr. Del Tackett’s Tour 7, "Sociology - the Divine Imprint," from The Truth Project, where he invites us into a profound exploration of order and relationships as reflections of God’s nature. He opens with Psalm 19:1-4, where "the heavens declare the glory of God," and Job 12:7-8, urging us to "ask the beasts" and let the earth teach us about its Creator. These verses frame Tackett’s central question: how do we account for the astonishing order in the world? To illustrate, he turns to the chicken egg, a seemingly simple object that unveils a breathtaking design.

The egg, Tackett explains, has three components: the shell, yolk, and egg white. The shell, perforated with 10,000 microscopic pores, facilitates a delicate exchange—air enters while carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) exit. Inside, the developing chick depends on four vessels: two connect to the yolk for nourishment, and two link to the membrane beneath the shell for respiration. As the chick metabolizes the yolk, it releases CO2 and H2O, which are expelled through the shell, while oxygen flows back to sustain it. By day 19, with air running low, the chick employs its "egg tooth" to break through, relying on a reserve air pocket at one end—containing precisely 6 hours of breathable air—to survive the hatching process. This intricate system, Tackett argues, is no accident. It’s a microcosm of the "countless and incredible systems of order" permeating creation—from the water cycle and DNA to photosynthesis, ocean tides, and blood clotting.

For Tackett, this order reveals a God of intentional design, whose glory shines through every detail. In Genesis, God surveys His work and declares, "It is good," a refrain that echoes through creation’s physical marvels. Yet, Tackett doesn’t stop there. He extends this principle to the social realm, where God has established structures like family, labor, church, state, the relationship between God and humanity, and community. These aren’t arbitrary constructs but deliberate reflections "of the way God Himself has ordered His creation," as Tackett often emphasizes in The Truth Project. The chicken egg’s precision mirrors the family’s interdependence or the church’s unity—each a testament to divine purpose.

Tackett contrasts this worldview with secular skepticism. He quotes Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA’s structure, who insisted, “Biologists must constantly keep in mind that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved.” Similarly, Charles Darwin admitted, “I remember well the time when the thought of the eye made me cold all over,” shaken by nature’s complexity. These confessions, Tackett suggests, reveal a struggle: the undeniable order of creation "baffles the blind." In his writings, Tackett frequently challenges the evolutionary paradigm, arguing that it fails to explain the "problem of order"—how chaos could yield such harmony without a guiding hand. The egg’s 6-hour air reserve, perfectly timed for the chick’s emergence, stands as a quiet rebuke to chance.

Then comes a pivot in Genesis 2:18: "It is not good for man to be alone." After repeated affirmations of "good," this declaration jars us. Tackett poses a question: Is this a qualitative statement about man’s condition or an ethical one about what ought to be? To answer, he turns to God’s nature. God is triune—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—existing eternally in perfect relationship. This relational essence, Tackett asserts, is the "divine imprint" stamped on creation. In The Truth Project, he often describes God as "the God of relationships," whose character is mirrored in what He has made. The physical order of the egg or tides is stunning, but the social order—where relationships flourish—reveals God’s heart most fully.

Why was aloneness "not good"? Tackett argues it’s an ethical problem, a violation of God’s triune nature. “God did not create us to be isolated,” he writes in his broader work, “because He Himself is not isolated.” To be alone is to be out of alignment with the Creator’s design, which is inherently communal. Tackett unpacks this imprint in three stages: one represents aloneness, a state God rejected; two signifies relationships and intimacy, as seen in Eve’s creation for Adam; and three embodies community and fellowship, reflecting the Trinity’s unity. The egg’s systems sustain the chick, but human systems—family, church, community—sustain the soul, fulfilling God’s relational intent.

This perspective builds on Tackett’s recurring theme: creation is a theater of God’s glory, and humanity’s role is to reflect it. In The Truth Project, he often ties physical order to moral and social order, arguing that rejecting the former unravels the latter. The chicken egg’s design—down to its 6-hour air pocket—illustrates a purposeful intelligence, but the social structures elevate this further. Family isn’t just a cultural artifact; it’s a divine institution mirroring God’s covenantal love. The church isn’t a human invention; it’s the body of Christ, reflecting His unity. Community isn’t optional; it’s the outworking of a triune God’s fellowship.

Tackett’s teaching challenges our modern drift toward individualism. The chick’s air pocket bridges it to life, just as relationships bridge us to God’s purpose. In a culture that prizes autonomy, he calls us back to connection—first with God, then with others. “We were made for relationship,” he writes, “because we were made in the image of a relational God.” This isn’t mere theology; it’s practical. The family’s breakdown, the church’s fragmentation, or community’s erosion signal a departure from the divine imprint, with consequences Tackett explores throughout The Truth Project.

The first half of Tour 7 leaves us marveling at creation’s physical wonders while pondering a deeper truth: the social realm is where God’s glory shines brightest. The egg’s order is a whisper of divine intent, but relationships—intimate and communal—are its shout. Tackett invites us to see both as gifts from a triune God, whose nature is order, beauty, and fellowship. As we stand in awe of DNA or tides, we’re called to stand in greater awe of the family dinner table, the church pew, or the neighborly handshake—spaces where the divine imprint transforms us from alone to alive.