PINEVILLE, La (WNTZ) – A Louisiana Christian University professor has released a new book exploring the connections between science, faith and the natural order of Earth’s systems.

Dr. David Elliott, professor of chemistry at LCU, authored Air, Earth, Fire, and Water: A Glimpse of the Created Earth, published in July by iUniverse. The book examines what Elliott describes as the “orderly structure and measurable processes” of creation, framed through the classical elements of air, earth, fire and water.

“The underlying premise of the book is order,” Elliott said. “God ordered his creation so we can measure it. Measurement is the basis for scientific investigation.”

The book outlines four domains: air (the atmosphere and heavens), earth (the geosphere), fire (energy) and water (the hydrosphere and biosphere). Elliott said the interconnectedness of these systems sustains life and illustrates the “fingerprints of God” within the natural world.

Elliott began teaching at LCU in 2005 after a 25-year career in industry. He said the idea for the book emerged from teaching environmental science courses and grew as he developed a new Introduction to Earth Science course in 2015. He began writing the manuscript in 2016.

“What makes it unique is that it begins with the biblical principle underlying each of Earth’s components and lets that flow into natural science,” Elliott said. “It’s an integration of faith and learning in the science realm.”

While it is designed as a textbook for LCU courses, Elliott said the book can also be read devotionally by a general audience.