20Something 1-18-06 Genesis 1 & 2

The Old Testament for Progressive Christians – Lesson 2- Genesis 1 & 2

Part 1. Exercise- Take your Playdough and CREATE SOMETHING in about 10 minutes. (A brief discussion will follow.)

Part 2. Introduction to Genesis: Some things to keep in mind when reading the First Book of the Old Testament:

Genesis consists of two types of literature:
Narratives- written by persons of faith to other persons of faith.
Genealogies- to track “pedigrees” of families for social or political purposes.
Genesis 1- 11 are about God’s relationship to and with all of Humankind. Chapters 12 to the end are about God’s purposes, promises and problems with Sarah and Abraham and their descendants. (called at various times Hebrews, Israelites, Jews.)

Part 3. In the Beginning: Large Group questions: What does the term “Intelligent Design” mean to you? How is the term used in the Creation vs. Evolution argument?

Read the Six days of Creation in Genesis 1. 1-31.

What are the most repeated phrases in these verses?
What are the similarities between this account of Creation and a story song, such as a ballad?
Consider the structure of modern “Country Western Ballads.”
Consider the “Rhyming of Thoughts” and repetitions of Hebrew poetry.
Did the writers of Genesis integrate their available data to incorporate the “scientific reflection” of their era into this theological writing?
Consider the “Dome of the Sky” and flat earth theory.
Consider the “sea monsters “at the edges of the earth.
What does this invite us to do in our era?
Why are we (and the ancient Israelites) so interested in the “how” of Creation or the origins of things?


Part 4. Group Reading: We will read aloud the second Genesis account of Creation, with the first reader reading one verse and passing the story stick to the next person to read. (If you don’t have a Bible, or don’t wish to read, pass the stick to the another person.) The reading begins with Genesis 2.4b (“in the day that the Lord made the Heavens and the earth…”) and ends with Genesis 2. 25.)


Part 5. Large Group Questions:

How many days does it take God to create the heavens and earth in this account?
Name some things that happen in a different order than in the Genesis 1 story.
What about this narrative lets us know it is a regional story?
What are some props and situations described in this story that are obvious set-ups for future plot twists?
What does the naming of the animals tell us about Humankind’s relationship with Creation?
Why is so much text devoted to the creation of Humankind?

Part 6. Some Thoughts to Ponder: The Creation stories are examples of Etiology which is the study of causation. ( the study of why things occur, or explanations of the way that people, animals or nature act the way they do). In the Bible, etiologies give theological explanations for everything from social customs to geological formations. For Example: the story of Lot's wife looking at the destruction of Sodom and turning into a pillar of salt in Genesis 19.26 is an explanation of why there are pillars of salt in the area of the Dead Sea.

List some examples of Etiology in both Chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis? Think about:
Social customs.
Relationships between Humankind and the rest of nature.
The “Order of things.”
The foundations for relations between the Deity and Humankind.
Things that will increase in importance in Humankind’s future.
Some illogical Etiology to consider: The tale of Woman being created from the rib of Man has been misused to define Woman as subservient to Man. Is Man, therefore, subservient to the dust of the Earth?

Next Week- SIN AND MURDER- Read Genesis, Chapters 3 and 4 to be prepared……………