Genesis creation narrative

The book of Genesis contains the Judeo-Christian religious account of God’s creation of the universe, in general, and of humankind, in particular. This narrative is central to understanding the origin of life within Judaism and Christianity, two of the world’s major religions. The term genesis derives from the Greek language, meaning "to be born." The Genesis creation narrative chronicles God’s creation of the universe in six days, God’s day of rest on the seventh day, the creation of the first two humans (Adam and Eve), the "Fall of Man" in the Garden of Eden, and the subsequent peopling of the world. The Genesis creation narrative, or myth (in this case a widely believed traditional tale of the origins of a specific people and not the general reference to ideas or beliefs that are false), has played a significant role in Western culture since antiquity. Renaissance artist Michelangelo’s masterpiece painting The Creation of Adam (produced in approximately in 1511 or 1512) on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is one of the most well-known paintings in the world, as well as arguably the most famous depiction of the Genesis creation. The Genesis creation narrative continues to play a significant role in American social, cultural, and political life.

Background

According to the book of Genesis, the first book of both the Torah (one of the sacred texts of Judaism) and the Old Testament (the first section of the Bible, the sacred text of Christianity), God created the universe and all life within it during a seven-day period that marked the beginning of time. The book of Genesis does not provide a description of God’s physical appearance, although God is presented as a male figure who created the first human man, Adam, "in his own image" (Genesis 1:27).

According to the first chapter of the book of Genesis, God created the universe along the following time line: On the first day, God created the heavens, the formless earth, and light (which led to the division of days into daytime and nighttime); on day two, God created the sky and separated it from the earth (which was entirely covered with water at the time); on day three, God created land on earth, and provided shape to earth by separating the land from the waters—God also created plants, trees, and other vegetation on this day; on day four, God created the sun, moon, and stars to separate daylight from nighttime on earth; on day five, God created birds and other flying creatures to inhabit the sky, as well as fish and other aquatic creatures to inhabit the seas and waters on earth; on day six, God created land animals, the first man (Adam), and the first woman (Eve); and on day seven, God rested for a day after completing his creation. This day of rest is commemorated as the Sabbath in Judaism and some Christian denominations. While Jews observe the Sabbath as occurring from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday, most Christians recognize Sunday as the Sabbath.

Some critics of the Genesis creation narrative note that the book of Genesis contains two somewhat differing accounts of the creation. God created animals before humans in the account of the creation presented in the first chapter of Genesis, while in the second creation account, found in Chapter 2 of Genesis, God created animals after already creating Adam so that Adam would not be alone on earth. The second account also explicitly states that God created Eve after he had already created Adam, in order to provide Adam with a companion because the animals had failed to provide him sufficient company. Supporters of the Genesis creation narrative argue that the two accounts are not contradictory but merely present the creation from two different perspectives. The first account, they assert, tells of the creation from God’s perspective, while the second account does so from mankind’s perspective.

Overview

Since the Renaissance, supporters of the Genesis creation narrative have fallen into one of two broad categories: either young earth creationists or day-age creationists. Although both groups of creationists believe in the biblical account of the creation as described in Genesis, they employ markedly different approaches toward their respective interpretations of the creation; their approaches have profound impacts in present-day society. Young earth creationists are biblical literalists who emphasize a direct, literal, word-for-word interpretation of the Bible and, consequently, of the creation outlined in Genesis. This group believes that God created the universe in six twenty-four-hour days, and that by calculating the genealogies of various men chronicled throughout the Old Testament, the approximate age of the earth is between six thousand and ten thousand years old. On the other hand, day-age creationists believe in the divine creation of the universe and the basic tenets of the creation as outlined in Genesis, but they interpret the scriptures as metaphorical and allegorical, rather than literal. Under this view, a "day" as referred to in Genesis may be a metaphor for a period of time much longer than a mere twenty-four-hour cycle; since God’s intelligence and knowledge is far superior to that of humans, day-age creationists claim that a "day" to humans is not necessarily equivalent to a "day" in God’s eyes.

The ramifications of such a stark difference in interpretation of Genesis holds major consequences in American society, particularly in terms of public support for or opposition to the teaching of evolution or the origin of the earth in public schools. Astronomers and geologists claim that the earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old, while physical anthropologists claim that modern humans (Homo sapiens) first appeared approximately 200,000 years ago. Such scientific views are in direct conflict with (and even possibly offensive to) young earth creationists, while day-age creationists often see no inherent conflict between their religious belief in the biblical creation and scientific discourse on the evolution of life on earth. The Roman Catholic Church, for example, has repeatedly stated that a belief in evolution does not necessarily undermine one’s belief in God or God’s creation, although the church does emphasize that one’s soul is of divine creation. A June 2014 Gallup poll found the American public split in their views of creationism: 31 percent of Americans believed that humans evolved over time, with God shaping this process, while 42 percent of Americans believed that God had created humans in their present form (no evolution had occurred). Only 19 percent of Americans believed that humans had evolved with no influence or direction from God.

Bibliography

Bruinius, Harry. "Pat Robertson Rejects ‘Young Earth’ Creationism." Christian Science Monitor. Christian Science Monitor, 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 4 Aug. 2016.

Giberson, Karl. Saving Darwin: How to Be a Christian and Believe in Evolution. New York: HarperOne, 2008. Print.

Giberson, Karl. Seven Glorious Days: A Scientist Retells the Genesis Creation Story. Brewster: Paraclete, 2012. Print.

Lennox, John C. Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011. Digital file.

MacDonald, Nathan, M. W. Elliott, and Grant Macaskill. Genesis and Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012. Print.

McCoy, Terrance. "Pope Francis May Believe in Evolution, but 42 Percent of Americans Do Not." Washington Post. Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 4 Aug. 2016.

Newport, Frank. "In U.S., 42% Believe Creationist View of Human Origins." Gallup.com. Gallup, 2 June 2014. Web. 4 Aug. 2016.

Rose, Seraphim. Genesis, Creation, and Early Man: The Orthodox Christian Vision. Platina: St. Herman, 2011. Print.