Responsible Interpretation of Genesis 1 in Ancient and Contemporary Contexts

In the Beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth:
Responsible Interpretation of Genesis 1 in Ancient and Contemporary Contexts

How should we, living in a modern scientific age, interpret creation in Genesis 1? Does this ancient text contradict what we know of the world from modern science? Is it even possible to know what Genesis 1 intends to teach? This lecture will propose a consistent hermeneutic for responsible interpretation of Genesis 1 (applicable also to other biblical creation texts). But it will not stop with methodology. The core of the presentation will illustrate the proposed hermeneutic by a close, literary reading of Genesis 1 in its ancient biblical and ancient Near Eastern contexts to see what this crucial biblical text actually teaches about God, the world, their relationship, and the human status and calling in this world. The lecture will conclude with some reflections on the relevance of Genesis 1 for the scientific enterprise today.