The writer(s) of the book of Genesis assume a worldview that is different from ours, and this was also the view of their earliest audiences. For example, they perceived the earth to be flat and the universe three-tiered, with the earth at its center. They were unaware of territory or life beyond Mesopotamia to the north and east and Ethiopia to the south and west. They were also unaware of the long history of the universe and the earth before their own time. What we understand as natural processes, such as the disappearance of the sun in the west each evening and its reappearance in the east each morning or the sprouting of seeds into plants, were mysterious and magical events requiring direct divine action. Modern science and the accumulation of learning have caused us to view the world differently. Describe this difficulty in your own words and respond to these questions.
How might we approach Genesis as modern readers?
What issues does Genesis address that might still be important?
How might we still read Genesis in a way that addresses these issues constructively in our context?
