The Neptunian or Water Theory of Creation

In The Neptunian or Water Theory of Creation J. M. Woodman advocates for the Neptunian theory which was one of the dominant geological theories of the 18th and early 19th centuries. This theory originally proposed by German geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner argues that the Earth's geological formations were created primarily through the action of water specifically from ancient oceans that covered the entire planet. Woodman’s book elaborates on Werner’s ideas and applies them to the biblical account of creation particularly the Flood attempting to reconcile Neptunian geology with scriptural history. He interprets various geological phenomena—such as the formation of sedimentary rocks the shaping of mountains and the deposition of fossils—as evidence that water was the primary agent in shaping the Earth. The book contrasts the Neptunian theory with the opposing Plutonian or Volcanic theory which argued that volcanic activity and the Earth's internal heat were the primary forces behind geological changes. Woodman criticizes the volcanic theory and defends Neptunism insisting that the observable geological strata and fossil records more strongly support the idea of a world shaped by water.