The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

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The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 366 ratings · 73 reviews

In this astute mix of cultural critique and biblical studies, John H. Walton presents and defends twenty propositions supporting a literary and theological understanding of Genesis 1 within the context of the ancient Near Eastern world and unpacks its implications for our modern scientific understanding of origins.

Ideal for students, professors, pastors and lay readers wi

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Paperback, 192 pages

Published May 22nd 2009 by IVP Academic

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Dec 15, 2010 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bible

A great book on how to read Genesis 1. Walton argues that when we look at the ancient context we see that creation is Genesis 1 is not material, rather it is functional. In other words, though Christians believe God created the materials (the stuff), Genesis 1 is about how this stuff was given its functions (jobs). All sides in the debate on Genesis 1 are mistaken then, for they assume create is to create the materials when it actually is to give them function.

From this he argues that Christians...more

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Apr 14, 2013 David Shane rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had mixed feelings about this book, and am rather surprised it has been so favorably reviewed, actually. The author's big idea is that Genesis 1 is not actually an account of material origins, but rather an account of functional origins - it is an account of God giving functions to the pieces of the cosmos. (Walton doesn't deny that God is also responsible for the material creation of the universe, he just doesn't think that's what Genesis 1 is about.) He offers the analogy of a computer - whe...more I had mixed feelings about this book, and am rather surprised it has been so favorably reviewed, actually. The author's big idea is that Genesis 1 is not actually an account of material origins, but rather an account of functional origins - it is an account of God giving functions to the pieces of the cosmos. (Walton doesn't deny that God is also responsible for the material creation of the universe, he just doesn't think that's what Genesis 1 is about.) He offers the analogy of a computer - when might we say that a computer exists? At one end, you might say it exists as soon as the hardware components have all been assembled, even if no software has been installed and no one sits at the computer to use it - that is the way we modern people often think about creation. But you might instead say that the computer is nonfunctional and, for all intents and purposes, nonexistent, until it has been completely integrated into an ordered system, with the software, user, and everything else required for it to accomplish its reason for being. In Genesis 1, Walton says, the creation God is undertaking is the assigning of functions. One big benefit of this interpretation, if correct, is that it would mean Genesis 1 has absolutely nothing to say about the age of the Earth, evolution, the Big Bang, etc. - Christians are completely free to accept modern scientific findings and, at the same time, have complete confidence in the Biblical text.

In support of this viewpoint, he examines the Hebrew words used (especially the word translated "create"), and also examines how other ancient cultures understood their own creation stories. He concludes the book by discussing what this interpretation means for current debates about topics like evolution and the teaching of Intelligent Design in public schools.

But I have several problems with the book.

1. It is commonly said that if you think you're the first person in world history to correctly understand what the Bible is really trying to say, you're probably wrong. So where are all the Christians (and Jews) who have understood Genesis 1 in the same way as Walton? Especially because he isn't some theological liberal claiming that modern scientific findings should change our interpretation - in fact, you'd expect people closer in time (and thus closer in thought) to the original author should be more likely to share his understanding. So where are they? If such people do exist, not quoting them in the book was a serious oversight. If they don't exist, that's a problem. At one point he even says that his interpretation goes against the traditional understanding.

2. One chapter is largely devoted to looking at other examples of "create" in the Bible to show that the word is used functionally, not materially. But I just didn't find many of those examples convincing. It often seemed like the word could have been understood either way (or even both), just as we use our English word to describe both types of creation.

3. The book seemed to imply that we needed to study other cultures around the ancient Jews in order to get a handle on how the ancient Jews themselves thought, and thus understand the text. I guess that made me a little uncomfortable. First - wasn't the revelation given to the Jews something special? How much should we really look to other cultures, then? And second - the documents we use to learn about surrounding cultures are themselves often fragmented or in short supply, the conclusions we draw from them debatable. I could easily imagine someone objecting, "did God really intend to keep us in the dark like this?". I told a friend that this seems like the sort of book that might drive some people toward Catholicism, and this is why - of course it is tempting to believe that, rather than asking us to dive through a smorgasbord of poorly preserved ancient texts, God might have appointed some sort of easily understood authority still present on Earth to clear up these confusions. (But, on the other hand, even though I find the need to reference other ancient documents a little off-putting, surely this would hardly be the first time our Biblical understanding was enhanced by extra-biblical information. So maybe I should just stop being uncomfortable.)

4. Walton also seems to think that we shouldn't expect to find modern science in Genesis 1 because the original audience certainly wouldn't have understood it. But we all know that the Biblical authors sometimes said things beyond their own understanding (the messianic prophecies, for example), so I didn't find that objection very valuable either.

All that said - of course it is easier to tear down someone else's argument that to present your own, which I'm not doing here. (I did like some of Tim Keller's comments in "The Reason for God" on this matter, as I recall.) I did think Walton was at his best later in the book, when he talks about what science is and what its limitations are. (He offers the analogy of an upper layer, where God, ultimate causation, and purpose are found, and a lower physical layer, where all scientific investigation takes place. Although science might infer the upper layer indirectly, it can neither prove nor disprove its existence.) I also though the discussion about teaching science in such a way that questions of purpose are not addressed was also rather good, so that Christians should not expect God to appear in science classrooms (in public schools), but atheists should just as much not expect science classrooms to deny the possibility of purpose. Walton also thought that some sort of metaphysics instruction in public schools was extremely important, it just shouldn't take place in science classrooms.(less)

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Feb 06, 2013 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

Biblical hermeneutics is a tricky business. For Bible believing Christians there is an acute awareness that we're not just dealing with any old text, but the sacred word of God. Generally, there are a broad range of principles that Protestant interpreters more or less agree on, even if they don't agree on the interpretation that results. One of these principles is interpreting Scripture in the light of its historical and cultural context. This is a principle John Walton relies on heavily in "The...more Biblical hermeneutics is a tricky business. For Bible believing Christians there is an acute awareness that we're not just dealing with any old text, but the sacred word of God. Generally, there are a broad range of principles that Protestant interpreters more or less agree on, even if they don't agree on the interpretation that results. One of these principles is interpreting Scripture in the light of its historical and cultural context. This is a principle John Walton relies on heavily in "The Lost World of Genesis One." It is both a strength and weakness of the book.

Walton's premise is that the worldview of the Ancient Near East that Israel was a part of was more concerned with functional questions about the world than, what we would call, scientific questions. Essentially, they didn't care so much how the world was created but why. He also argues that the Hebrew word for creation, as often as not (he argues more often than not, although some say he overstates his case), has a functional rather than material meaning and dives into a number of other exegetical considerations to build his case. His conclusion is that the 6 days of creation are not an account of material origins that are in any way relevant to science. Rather, they are an inauguration event where God prepares the cosmos as His temple and then takes up residency in his 'control room'.

Consequently, he argues, there is no conflict between science and Bible, including evolution. He only touches briefly on the identity of Adam and Eve (which he takes literally) and the origins of death. In response to the assertion that there could be no death before Adam, he argues that death was no introduced in the garden, immortality was never attained.

In the latter part of the book Walton wades into the public education debate in the US about teaching evolution and creation in school. It is interesting but probably not so relevant outside the US (at least as pertains to public education).

Walton gives a refreshing insight into Genesis 1. He draws on his expertise and recent scholarship to open up new possibilities. If he is correct, this view resolves the tension between science and faith, arguing that we can leave science for the scientists and theology for the theologians without having to pit the one against the other. The cosmic temple inauguration view also provides a theocentric view of the universe that denies the possibility of de facto deism and requires us to see God as continually and intimately involved in his creation.

A potential weakness with his thesis is what may be seen as a novel approach to Genesis. We may well be sceptical about interpretations that have been 'lost' for millennia but, yay for us, God has restored in this generation. And yet, if we are not open to the insights gained from archeology and historical studies, or concerned with genuinely engaging cultural questions, then we may as as well freeze theology in the 2nd century and scrap the gains of the 2000 years in our understanding of God and his ways.

"The Lost World of Genesis" is written in an accessible style that has something to offer the scholar and layperson alike. (less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Brent Rosendal rated it 2 of 5 stars

In the book, the Lost World of Genesis One, the author attempts to redefine how we should interpret Genesis 1. Walton attempts to show that Genesis 1 has nothing to do with the creation of the world, rather it shows how God gives function and meaning to the world that man was to inhabit. He then relies heavily on other ancient books to show that that is how other cultures viewed their creation stories. People in Moses' time were not interested in how the world was created but rather how it got i...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Paul Bruggink rated it 4 of 5 stars

The author is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College and wrote the volume on Genesis in Zondervan's NIV Application Commentary series, as well as "Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context" and "Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament."

This book is written for lay persons, pastors and science teachers who want "some stimulating ideas for thinking about the Bible, theology, faith and science." The purpose of the book is to "introduce the reader to a careful reconsider...more The author is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College and wrote the volume on Genesis in Zondervan's NIV Application Commentary series, as well as "Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context" and "Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament."

This book is written for lay persons, pastors and science teachers who want "some stimulating ideas for thinking about the Bible, theology, faith and science." The purpose of the book is to "introduce the reader to a careful reconsideration of the nature of Genesis 1."

This book is organized around 18 relatively short chapters. Each chapter title is a proposition, e.g., Genesis 1 Is Ancient Cosmology, Ancient Cosmology Is Function Oriented, Divine Rest Is in a Temple, The Cosmos Is a Temple, The Seven Days of Genesis 1 Do Not Concern Material Origins, "Functional Cosmic Temple" Offers Face-Value Exegesis, Other Theories of Genesis 1 Either Go Too Far or Not Far Enough, The Difference Between Origin Accounts in Science and Scripture Is Metaphysical in Nature, God's Roles as Creator and Sustainer Are Less Different Than We Have Thought, and Resulting Theology in This View of Genesis 1 Is Stronger, Not Weaker. Each proposition is then defended. The propositions are organized so that the whole book flows very nicely.

The main theme of the book is that Genesis 1 describes functional creation, rather than material creation, in that the days of Genesis 1 are seven 24-hour days of the inauguration of the functions of the cosmic temple. The author believes that the true literal translation is the translation that the Israelites understood. He suggests that "the Israelites were much more attuned to the functions of the cosmos than to the material of the cosmos," and that for them "something existed not by virtue of its material properties, but by virtue of its having a function in an ordered system." The author concludes with discussions of the impact of his functional view of Genesis 1 on our understanding of evolution, Intelligent Design, and public education. The main theme is an expansion of views that the author previously presented in his "The NIV Application Commentary: Genesis," (Zondervan, 2001), especially on pages 147-157 of that volume.

Each chapter ends with a brief bibliography entitled "Technical Support." There is a final chapter of "Summary and Conclusions", a four-page FAQ, extensive Notes, and a brief subject Index.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is still struggling with (or should be struggling with) how to understand the text in Genesis 1.(less)

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Dec 17, 2011 Ben Zajdel rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are countless books arguing about evolution, creationism, and intelligent design. At first glance, The Lost World of Genesis One would seem to be one more addition to what is becoming a frivolous library. But upon more careful inspection, one would find that it is actually an original approach with a much different conclusion.

John H. Walton approaches the first chapter of Genesis from a literary and historical context, rather than a scientific one. His idea is simple: read Genesis one thr...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Keith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Certainly the best interpretation of Genesis One i've heard yet. Walton argues that Genesis One is meant to set forth the function of the creation rather than merely a materialistic account of how the world came to be. One of the main differences between the Hebrew creation story and other ancient creation stories, is that most other accounts show the world as being made for the gods and humans created to cater to the gods. The Hebrew creation account reveals a world that is meant to serve the n...more

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Jun 19, 2011 John Gardner rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book stirred up quite a bit of controversy when it was published in 2009. Unfortunately, I let it gather dust on my bookshelf for a year before I recently picked it up to read it. I wish I'd gotten to it sooner! I enjoy a challenge, and this was a challenging book for me — not because of it's readability (it's quite approachable) but because it forced me to think hard about a perspective on Scripture I've never considered. Any book that can do that is worth reading, no matter whether I end...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Stephen Griffin rated it 5 of 5 stars

It seems there are several areas of scripture that are ripe with differing interpretations. And when surveying the varying interpretations of an area of scripture one can easily become frustrated. It seems at times that all the interpretations carry the backing of scripture and reason whether viewed literally, metaphorically, or some other way. And it is when many or all of the differing interpretations are shaped as to present no conflict with accepted doctrine that one is tempted to say, "Why...more

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May 03, 2010 Tyson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a good book in showing the cultural background for Genesis 1. It is quite an interesting read, short chapters, flowing text, etc. My main problem is that it doesn't seem to deal with any literal expression of Genesis. By this I mean to say that it assumes that if Genesis 1 is not literal, then perhaps modern scientific theories are not in conflict with it. He does state that Paul may be in conflict with them, but to say that Genesis is not in conflict with current theories, or whether cr...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Joe Iovino rated it 4 of 5 stars

In The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate John H. Walton asserts that a proper, and what he calls "literal," reading of Genesis 1 does not concern material creation of the world, but rather the functional creation of the cosmos. This does not deny that God is the creator of the material, but simply that Genesis 1 is an account of that process. The author of Genesis 1 is explaining God gives function to all that has been created, bringing order out of the chaos of...more In The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate John H. Walton asserts that a proper, and what he calls "literal," reading of Genesis 1 does not concern material creation of the world, but rather the functional creation of the cosmos. This does not deny that God is the creator of the material, but simply that Genesis 1 is an account of that process. The author of Genesis 1 is explaining God gives function to all that has been created, bringing order out of the chaos of verse 1. The ultimate function of all that is created is to make the earth habitable for humanity.
Most intriguing to me is Walton's conclusion that Genesis 1 is the account of God creating a temple in which he will dwell. Through some great extra-biblical examples and passages from the Hebrew scripture, Walton makes a convincing argument that the statement that on the seventh day God rested, is a statement of God taking his place in the temple of the cosmos he as completed. This idea of God dwelling among us, rather than watching us from a remote heaven, is an important and often missing piece of one's theological understanding of our lives.
This argument of God's creative work including giving purpose (rather than limiting God's creation to shape and form) allows for God to remain the eternal creator. In other words, it is not as though after Day 6 of Genesis 1, God hung up his work boots, never to create again. Rather, as God gives each of us purpose, not just an eternal purpose, but a purpose for today, God is continuing his creative work.
I would have liked the book to turn toward a discussion of how this understanding of creation informs the rest of the Old Testament, the ministry of Jesus, the authors of the New Testament, our eschatologies, and the church. I am still processing these areas on my own. If you are interested there, you might want to turn to N. T. Wright's Simply Jesus. But this was not the purpose of this book.
Instead, the final section of the book is a discussion of the evolution/creation/darwinism/intelligent design debate. I have recognized for some time that this debate is asking Genesis 1 to do something the author never intended, so I found this section a bit tedious. For those mired in the debate though, Walton offers some great insight. He argues that science deals solely in the material which Genesis 1 does not address, and Genesis 1 deals only with function/purpose which is outside the realm of science. Thus the conflict need not continue.
I recommend this book to all who have questioned what Genesis 1 is all about, and those who feel that acceptance of science is somehow a denial of Genesis 1, and by extension the whole canon of scripture. (less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Adam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biblical-studies, old-testament

Finally! A reading of Genesis One that doesn't resort to textual gymnastics in order to make it concord with either modern science or our chosen ideology of material origins.

Walton is a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton who specializes in ancient Near Eastern literature and that is exactly how he approaches the Genesis text. Furthermore, Genesis One needs to be understood as ancient cosmology. If we try to turn it into modern cosmology, we are making the text say something that it never sai...more

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May 30, 2011 Adam Shields rated it 4 of 5 stars

Short review: A careful and compelling book about Genesis one story of creation. The main argument is that the creation story is not about the material creation, but the functional creation (for instance day 1 was about the creation of order in time, not the physical creation of light photons.) Walton (a professor at Wheaton and Moody Bible Institute, so not 'liberal schools') is trying to show that the best reading of scripture is the one that takes into account what the author intended and wha...more

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Jun 25, 2010 Ben De Bono rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reference, favorites, theology

Awesome book! This one's a must read for anyone interested in the ongoing origins debate.

Those of us who take the Bible seriously are often given a tough choice on Genesis 1. We either interpret the 7 days as 7 literal days and must therefore adopt a young-earth view that doesn't jive well at all with scientific discovery. Or we perform exegetical gymnastics to turn the 7 days into longer time periods (or some other approach) so that we can feel comfortable adopting modern science without rejec...more Awesome book! This one's a must read for anyone interested in the ongoing origins debate.

Those of us who take the Bible seriously are often given a tough choice on Genesis 1. We either interpret the 7 days as 7 literal days and must therefore adopt a young-earth view that doesn't jive well at all with scientific discovery. Or we perform exegetical gymnastics to turn the 7 days into longer time periods (or some other approach) so that we can feel comfortable adopting modern science without rejecting Scripture.

Neither of these alternatives is satisfying. Thankfully, Walton suggests another approach.

His thesis is that Genesis 1 does not refer to material origins but to functional creation. It is not about how God made something out of nothing but how he gave the material he has already made purpose and order.

Walton takes on both sides in the debate. He agrees with the young-earth crowd that those who attempt to read Genesis 1 through an old-earth lens are approaching the passage with a very poor hermeneutic. However, the young-earth interpretation isn't much better. To interpret Genesis 1 as affirming young-earth creationism is to read our culture and language back into the text. Rather than performing a careful, literal exegesis, young-earthers are performing eisegesis, a practice that has never been acceptable for someone trying to take a respectful, literal, conservative approach to Scripture.

The evidence Walton presents for Genesis 1 being function oriented rather than material oriented is overwhelming and very persuasive. He dives into studies of both the cultural context of Genesis 1 and Hebrew linguistics. The research is phenomenal. Far from being a concession to modern science, this approach presents Genesis 1 as it would have been read by the original audience.

Toward the end of the book, Walton looks at the current intelligent design in education debate. He states that science, by definition, should be neutral regarding the supernatural. Intelligent design is not neutral as it assumes a designer and therefore is not in line with science. However, he also acknowledges that what is often taught now is not a neutral position but metaphysical naturalism, which assumes randomness in the same way the ID crowd assumes purpose.

His solution is for both sides to step back, encourage neutrality and promote more philosophical classes in public education where the debate between randomness and design can take place. I think his view is really ideal, however I'm not sure it's practical. Metaphysical naturalism is so entrenched in scientific thought that I'm not sure a neutral position is possible anymore. It would better to have the debate take place entirely outside of science class but that train seems to have left the station.

I believe his proposal is worth serious effort but if neutrality ultimately becomes impossible than ID should be introduced in the classroom as a balance for metaphysical naturalism.

As a whole, this book is incredibly freeing. Christians shouldn't have to feel like there's a choice between science and the Bible and, thanks to people like Walton, we don't have to. His view is that the Bible is silent on the age of the earth and we are therefore free to follow the evidence where it leads. Consider me convinced. This is by far the best of Genesis 1 I've ever encountered. Highly recommended

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Apr 14, 2012 Paul Hinman rated it 5 of 5 stars

"those who accept the bible by faith accept also by faith a teleological view of origins. Empirical science is not designed to be able to define purpose, though it may theoretically be able to deduce rationally that purpose is logically the best explanation."

Walton lays out what I think is a rather strong argument that the creation story of Genesis 1 is a functional description rather than a material. Even on a face reading, this paradigm instantly makes much more sense - reconciling current sci...more

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Aug 08, 2010 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: faith

First off, if anybody begins a review of this book and talks about it being a non-literal, symbolic, or metaphorical reading of Genesis 1, stop reading because they've already demonstrated that they don't understand both the book and the historical-grammatical method of interpreting Scripture.

What Walton has actually done is pursue the most literal reading you can of Genesis 1, one that isn't based on 21st century though processes or questions, but on how the original audience would have underst...more

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Mar 19, 2011 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, religion

Fantastic. A study of Genesis 1 by a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, who specializes in the culture and literature of ancient near eastern civilizations. He uses that knowledge to bring a satisfying reading of Genesis 1 that allows a serious, literal, authentic approach to the text without requiring a Young Earth approach to origins.

Before reading this book, I had already come to view the Young Earth Creationist perspective with which I was raised as scientifically untenable, but...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Kevin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Straddles the line between academic and popular. The argument itself is not that complex and the writing is well done. But the background and philosophical arguments can be somewhat daunting.

But for anyone interested in the debates over evolution and creationism or seeking a better understanding of Genesis this is a must read.

I found the argument compelling and very helpful and I think his ideas about how this impacts theology and should impact education and popular debates is spot on: keep scie...more

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May 15, 2012 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: origins

Walton's book leads the reader through a number of propositions regarding the text of Genesis 1. He shows the great relationship between Genesis 1 and other creation myths of the ancient near east, as well as the major dissimilarities. In doing this, he shows the reader how best to understand the text of Genesis 1 as an ancient creation myth, speaking within the ancient culture of the Israelites.

To the average reader of the Bible, this will require a massive paradigm shift, because Walton shows...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Keith Bell added it

An analysis of Genesis One that is based on interpreting the text through the culture in which it was originally written and translating the Hebrew word "create" in the context of that culture. This gives the creation process a functional role rather than a material one. Especially relevant, is his contention that Science needs to be taught without bias. Science can deal with the physical and draw it's conclusions from there, but when it comes to the metaphysical, it has no voice. This can be co...more

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Mar 24, 2010 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Finally a book that puts to rest the false dichotomy of scientific truth versus Biblical truth. John Walton shows that Genesis chapter one is concerned with the functional origins of the universe, not the material origins. God is explaining the purpose and meaning of the cosmos, not a detailed blow by blow account of how he made all the parts. The Bible answers the who and why questions that science cannot answer. Science answers how and what questions. They are sources of different types of kno...more

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Mar 08, 2011 David S. T. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, own, read-in-2011

I remember once when I was a kid my dad gave me permission to leave my elementary classroom if a teacher tried to teach me the lie of evolution, we were created in 6 days by God and its not possible that creation could have happened over millions (or billions) of years. I remember later wondering, if Genesis was to be taken as six 24 hour days then how were light, days and nights created before the sun, the moon and the stars. As science presents more evidence for evolution a book like this is n...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Adam Spivey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is the best interpretation of Genesis 1 that I have read. Unlike YEC or OEC he doesn't attempt to make Genesis One concord with modern scientific evidence. He explains the original author's intention in communicating Genesis 1 and how the original audience would have heard it. Walton calls this interpretation the "Cosmic Temple Inauguration View" and demonstrates from the text within the Bible and from surrounding cultures that ancient people were not concerned with material origins but "fu...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Fr. Ted rated it 3 of 5 stars

Walton proposes and defends his idea that Genesis 1 is not about God creating material creation but about God giving function to the created world. He argues that the ancients were not at all concerned about material existence which is a focus of the modern scientific world and so we should not read back into Genesis 1 modern scientific concerns but rather should pay attention to what the ancients were concerned about with creation. He then uses his thesis to argue for a different approach to ev...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Mike Holmes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Probably a three and a half star rating, but that option is not available. Some of his arguments are persuasive, others not so much. His explanation of his theory's theological strength is not quite as strong as it needs to be. It is a short book, but that is one of it's flaws. I feel like you gain a surface understanding of his idea of Functional Creation and the Cosmos as the Temple. Maybe a later volume will delve deeper. I do think it is a worthwhile read in the origins/Genesis debate. If yo...more

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Jan 29, 2012 D.J. Butler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, bible

This book squarely demonstrates the unnecessary nature of the clash between those who Bible believers who feel obligated to defend Genesis one as some sort of account of the material creation and people convinced by modern science that material creation came about some other way. Genesis one, the author demonstrates, is a temple text whose meaning has nothing to do with material creation at all. Five stars, plus one, like, mandatory reading for anyone who cares about the issue, about temple text...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Jeff Noble rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was unconvinced with his reasoning and interpretation that he offered in the first half of the book.

However, the second half of the book, beginning with the chapter titled "Other Theories of Genesis 1 Either Go Too Far or Not Far Enough" is truly good. I'd encourage anyone to read from there to the end of the book. It is there that - regardless of his own interpretation of Genesis 1 - he offers extremely helpful thoughts and principles that could dramatically reshape the current angst over or...more

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May 22, 2012 Brandon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: theology

Very insightful and needed clarification on the creation narrative. His handling of the narrative is highly recommended. This alone is worth the price of the book. His conclusions, however, vaguely seek to encourage the ongoing dichotomy between science and the Bible. That he softened the pressure to look at Gen. 1 as a scientific document is very needed. But that this enables us to find satisfaction in allowing the study of science to ignore the metaphysical only encourages the Christian's divi...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Jonathan Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-theology, theology

Very interesting! This little book is well written with an understanding and relevant message to the church today which is becoming more and more polarized over basic cosmological issues. Walton presents a view that the creation of the world according to Genesis 1 MUST be interpreted through an ancient middle-eastern worldview, which he proposes is seriously missing in the traditional evangelical interpretation of the creation account.

I think Walton makes some very convicting points when it com...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Chad Gibbons rated it 5 of 5 stars

Walton is an expert on the ancient Mediterranean and this book is the dissemination of his and others more scholarly works on the topic in regards to Genesis 1. The basic thesis is this: The first chapter of Genesis should be read how the original readers would have understood it. The original readers weren't concerned about material origins, but rather what Walton calls 'functional' origins. Reading it in this light shows that the first chapter of the bible describes God's plans for nature in r...more

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About John H. Walton

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament; Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context; Covenant: God’s Purpose, God’s Pla...more

More about John H. Walton...

Books by John H. Walton

Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament

The Essential Bible Companion: Key Insights for Reading God's Word

Genesis (The NIV Application Commentary )

Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament

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“The most central truth to the creation account is that this world is a place for God's presence.” — 3 people liked it

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title link	preview: The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate
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BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6515073-the-lost-world-of-genesis-one?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348625916l/6515073.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6515073-the-lost-world-of-genesis-one?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate by John H. Walton[/url]

The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

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