Contents

1. Course Description
2. Course Objectives
3. Required Texts
4. Supplementary Texts
5. Course Evaluation
6. Course Outline & Schedule of Readings
7. Bibliography

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Contents

1. Course Description
2. Course Objectives
3. Required Texts
4. Supplementary Texts
5. Course Evaluation
6. Course Outline & Schedule of Readings
7. Bibliography

1. Course Description

Biblical Theological Themes (RLGS 440s) — Each course in this series examines a selected biblical theological theme such as the theology of the Hebrew Scriptures, the kingdom of God, Pauline theology, Johannine theology or the biblical view of disadvantaged people. Prerequisites: RLGS 101, 102, 201, 360.

2. Course Objectives

A study of creation in the Old Testament would go beyond the confines of Genesis 1 and 2, even though that material had taken pride of place already within the biblical period. In addition to ancient Near Eastern parallels, one would have to consider various psalms, prophetic texts from Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and other biblical literature such as Exodus and Job. Theologies of creation in the OT are more diverse than many realize, and would take more than a semester to master. Still, the parameters for such a study are relatively well defined and narrow.

For creation and the Old Testament, one might expect to confront any and all of the above, plus something of the vast cultural and theological chain that runs unbroken from the ancients down to the present day. (As an indicator of its stature, Genesis 1 is surely the only chapter of the Bible for which laypeople still use Latin.) This seminar will give students an opportunity to explore several aspects of a core doctrine, not just in Christianity, as they measure it against the biblical witness. Comparisons of ancient, medieval and modern cosmology, to say nothing of the controversies about science and religion that can attend such matters, will play only a minor role in the discussion. Rather, a more basic aim is to learn whether a credible and creedal affirmation of creation now has as much to do with epistemic and philosophical knots as it does with a life of moral and religious engagement. Students can expect to take at least two things from the course: knowledge of creation’s meaning in an OT context, and an awareness of how a few contemporary theologians express belief in the maker of heaven and earth.

3. Required Texts

1. A Bible in a modern English translation. Many scholars use the NRSV, which is available with Tyndale’s subscription to http://oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/. A number of other Study Bibles will also do. Paraphrastic translations will not. If you need a new Bible, I recommend The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha, edited by M. D. Coogan (Oxford, 2001).
2. Jon D. Levenson, Creation and the Persistence of Evil (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994). [ISBN 978–0691029504]
3. J. Richard Middleton, The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2005). [ISBN 978–1587431104]
4. Mark S. Smith, The Priestly Vision of Genesis 1 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2010). [ISBN 978–0800663735]
5. Thomas Burnet, Telluris theoria sacra (London, 1680–1689) = Sacred Theory of the Earth (London: R. Norton, 1691). We will read Book I of the 1691 edition, which is online at http://www.marathon.uwc.edu/geography/burnet/burnet.htm.
6. Galileo Galilei, “Letter to Madame Christina of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany: Concerning the Use of Biblical Quotations in Matters of Science” (1615). Stillman Drake’s translation, with annotations, is online at http://www.disf.org/en/documentation/03-Galileo_Cristina.asp.

4. Supplementary Texts

The following books are for the weekly student reviews, listed in the order in which they are to occur.

1. David Burrell et al., eds., Creation and the God of Abraham (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010). BL 263 .C79 2010
2. William P. Brown, The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder (Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2010). BS 651 .B7878 2010
3. Ronald Numbers, The Creationists: From Scientific Creationism to Intelligent Design (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2006). BS 651 .N85 2006
4. Peter C. Bouteneff, Beginnings: Ancient Christian Readings of the Biblical Creation Narratives (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008). BT 695 .B63 2008
5. John Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2009). BS 651 .W275 2009
6. Leon Kass, The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006). BS 1235 .53 .K37 2006
7. Sean M. McDonough, Christ as Creator: Origins of a New Testament Doctrine (Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). BT 203 .M33855 2009
8. Stephen C. Barton and David Wilkinson, eds., Reading Genesis after Darwin (Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). BS 651 .R37 2009
9. Marva Dawn, In the Beginning, God: Creation, Culture, and the Spiritual Life (Downers Grove: IVP, 2009). BS 1235 .52 .D39 2009
10. Hermann Gunkel, Creation and Chaos in the Primeval Era and the Eschaton: Religio-Historical Study of Genesis 1 and Revelation 12 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006). BS 1235 .52 .G8613 2006
11. Joseph Ratzinger, “In the Beginning…”: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall (trans. Boniface Ramsey; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995). BS 651 .R34513 1995
12. Michael Fishbane, Biblical Myth and Rabbinic Mythmaking (Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2003).
13. Richard Bauckham, The Bible and Ecology: Rediscovering the Community of Creation (Waco, Tex.: Baylor University Press, 2010). BS 660 .B38 2010
14. Colin Gunton, The Triune Creator: A Historical and Systematic Study (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998). BT 695 .G86 1998

A few dozen options exist just from the last three or four years. In our stacks are at least five recent books on creation and ecology alone, for example. I tried to select unique voices, or the best representatives of trending themes, usually opting for something current but sometimes making room for more classic 20th century titles. If you end up with something that does not suit your interest, I would be open to your proposal for an alternate. The following are pre-approved:

1. Bernhard W. Anderson, From Creation to New Creation: Old Testament Perspectives (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994). BS 651 .A54 1994
2. Margaret Barker, Creation: A Biblical Vision for the Environment (London/New York: T&T Clark, 2010). BT 695 .5 .B369 2010
3. Richard J. Clifford, Creation Accounts in the Ancient Near East and in the Bible (CBQ Monograph Series 26; Washington, D.C.: Catholic Biblical Association, 1994). BL 325 .C7 C55 1994
4. Langdon Gilkey, Maker of Heaven and Earth: The Christian Doctrine of Creation in the Light of Modern Knowledge (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1959, repr. 1965). BT 695 .G5 1965
5. Stephen Jay Gould, Time’s Arrow, Time’s Cycle: Myth and Metaphor in the Discovery of Geological Time (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1987). QE 508 .G68 1987
6. James K.A. Smith and Amos Yong, eds., Science and the Spirit: A Pentecostal Engagement with the Sciences (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010). BL 240 .3 .S3495 2010

5. Course Evaluation

1. Each week of class will commence with a reading quiz. These are designed to ensure that you have read the assigned material carefully. Quizzes may not be made up in the case of absence, though in special cases they may be taken in advance.

2. The first of two main essays is to be a book review, and several activities accompany it. For the essay itself, carefully read and report on one of the supplementary texts. The essay should be between 2500 and 3000 words in length. About 60% of the piece should be devoted to a careful summary of the content — assume that nobody in your audience has had a chance to read the book, but then imagine that the author will later see your summary, too. Be fair to the book, providing the kind of summary in which an author would recognize his or her work. The remaining 40% is for your assessment of the work. Options include lodging criticism (charitably), framing a larger question or two that the book provokes, reflecting on the implications of the author’s thesis, or some well-considered combination of these or other tactics.
   • You will read your essay aloud to the class on the Wednesday set for your particular review in the course outline. Do think of how you will capture and hold your classmates’ interest for the 25 minutes that the reading will take. You are welcome to bring in slides or other presentation aids; however, do not neglect the basics of strong, clear writing. I recommend that you compose an effective phatic device, write a draft and sit on it, and pay a visit the writing centre.
   • Your report is due one full week before your presentation, at which point you must return the book under review to the library. Bring two clean copies of the paper to class, and give them to your designated evaluators (see below). Punctuality is critical to the success of your review session, and any failure to meet your deadlines will be heavily penalized (a letter grade per day, meaning 20% for the first day and 10% thereafter).
3. Every member of the class will conduct two peer evaluations of the review essays presented on Wednesdays. Each is to have a different focus. Both should target between 500 and 1000 words.
   • One evaluation will focus on the presentation itself. Chiefly this means the quality and clarity of the writing, but there will also be an opportunity to add anything you might observe about the live performance. Strive to be courteous and direct.
   • A second evaluation will focus on the content of the presentation. For this you will need the book that has been reviewed. The expectation is not necessarily that you will read all of it — certainly not all of it as carefully as the primary reviewer. Rather, you need to be able to offer informed judgment about the fairness and comprehensiveness of the review. Plan to spend a few good hours with the book before you turn to the review essay itself.
4. An optional third stage is for the original author to write a significant revision of the review essay that incorporates feedback from the instructor and the class. If you choose to do this — and I hope most or all of you do — you will need to document the extent of the revision by attaching copies of the two review essays and your original paper. In the margins highlight any changes you have made. If you like, append a short (250 words max.) paragraph explaining what has been done.
   • If 70% the essay remains unchanged, I will not consider it to have been significantly revised.
   • If you choose not to conduct a rewrite, you are still responsible for assembling your essay and the two responses into a packet. This can be handed in as soon as your presentation is over, and as late as two weeks afterward.
5. Finally, compose a 12 to 15 page paper that advances a theological reading of some aspect of Genesis 1. Make use of 12 to 15 high quality sources. Some should come from peer-reviewed journals and books. The views of at least one classic theologian needs to be included. I recommend consulting the bibliography at the end of this syllabus.
   • By no means should you attempt to write on all of Genesis 1. Instead, select a theme or a few verses that you can handle adequately in a short paper. You might look at connections with another biblical text (eg, Psalm 104). Or you might focus on a theme, such as light or blessing or Sabbath. Or you might let a theologian guide you to a concern that you will measure against the text. Or you might exegete a few verses in a context you define some other way. You might do one of fifty things. Narrow your topic early and run a written proposal by me in my office.
   • Please do not do either of the following: conduct a word study of “day,” or outline the way days 1–3 mirror days 4–6. Other topics may also prove insufficient to meet the requirements of this paper. Generally, it should not resemble anything you can find in five minutes on the Internet. Be sure to check with me if there is any doubt. In all likelihood your proposal can be shaped into something that is appropriate.
   • The paper is due at the start of the final exam period set by the Registrar.

6. The semester’s work will be weighted as follows, though the instructor reserves the right to adjust the balance as necessary:

My attendance policy follows the one set forth in the Academic Calendar (cf. “Classroom Expectations and Guidelines”). Missing more two weeks of class (two sessions of a once-per-week course, or four sessions of a twice-per-week course) results in an automatic reduction of the final grade by one letter. Missing more than four weeks of class results in an automatic F for the course. Students are permitted up to two weeks’ absences for any reason. If you simply miss a class or two, you do not need to email me to tell me about why. Should you find yourself in extenuating circumstances, be prepared to document your case formally for the Academic Standards Committee.

Finally, students are responsible to keep a backup print copy of all assignments.

6. Course Outline & Schedule of Readings

Please note that this is a tentative schedule. The instructor reserves the right to adjust it as necessary.

7. Bibliography

The literature on the subject of creation — in theology, in the Bible, in the Bible’s reception — is massive. What follows is a highly selective list geared to creation’s reception history in the church. It is further restricted by what is available online or in Tyndale’s library. Thanks to Anna-Maria Agostan for compiling the bibliography.

Early Church/Synagogue

1. Irenaeus of Lyons

   • Against Heresies. Translated by Alexander Roberts. New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.
   • Irenaeus discusses his theology on God, angels and all of creation in this work. Refer specifically to Book II. Read online.
   • Cf. Steenberg, Matthew C. Irenaeus on Creation: The Cosmic Christ and Saga of Redemption (Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV, 2008). Read online.

2. Origen

   • Homilies on Genesis. Translated by Ronald E. Heine. Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1982. Read online; call number BS 1235 O7 1982.

3. Athanasius of Alexandria

   • “On the Incarnation.” In The Catholic Encyclopedia. Translated by Archibald Robertson. Buffalo: The Catholic University of America Press, 1982. New Advent Online <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2802.htm>.

4. John Chrysostom

   • Homilies on Genesis. Translated by R.C. Hill. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1986–1992. Call number BS 1235 .C42.

5. Maximus the Confessor

   • Cf. Tollefson, Torstein T. Christocentric Cosmology of St. Maximus the Confessor. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. Read online; Tollefson is also available from the library in e-book format.

6. Augustine

   • The Literal Meaning of Genesis. New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1982. Read online; call number BR 60 .A3 v.41–42 1982.

7. Ambrose of Milan

   • Hexameron, Paradise, and Cain and Abel. Translated by John J. Savage. New York: The Catholic University Press of Amercia, 1961. Read online.

8. Ephraim the Syrian

   • Commentary on Genesis. Read online.

9. Philo of Alexandria

   • On the Creation of the World. Translated by C.D. Yonge. London: William Clowes and Sons Limited, 1800. Read online.
   • Questions and Answers on Genesis Translated by Ralph Marcus. Massachusetts, Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 1953. Read online.

10. Victorinus of Pettau

    • On the Creation of the World. Translated by Robert Ernest Wallis. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886. Read online.

11. Tertullian

    • Against Hermogenes. Translated by Peter Holmes. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885. Read online; call number BR 60 .A3 v.24 1956.
    • Refer specifically to chapters 26, 29, 32, 33, and 34.

Medieval

1. Bede

   • On Genesis. Translated by Calvin B. Kendall. Liverpool, England: Liverpool University Press, 2008. Read online; call number BS 1235 .B43 2008.

2. Thomas Aquinas

   • Contra Gentiles. Translated by James F. Anderson. New York: Hanover House, 1955–57. Read online.

Reformation

1. John Calvin

   • Commentary on Genesis. Translated by John King; London: Billing & Sons Limited, 1957. Read online; call number BS 1235 .C2913 1965.

   • Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated by Henry Beveridge; Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, 1845–46. Read online; call number BX 9420 .I65 1845. Refer specifically to chapter 14.