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The Theology of Sexuality in the Beginning: Genesis 1-2

The first two chapters of the Bible deal directly with the question of human sexuality. Not only is human sexuality presented as a basic fact of creation, but an elucidation of the nature of sexuality constitutes a central part of the Creation accounts.

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Some Notes on Translating Genesis 1:16

The translation of 1781 as the preposition "with" removes the anomaly of the stars being created on the fourth day of the creation week. It follows that the issue of the creation of the stars is not necessarily a specific topic within the horizon of the creation pericope of Gen 1:1-2:4a.

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The Longer Look

Belief in creation is far more widespread than the impression given in the mass media, and is increasingly coming to the attention of the scholarly community. The Bible and naturalistic science are both regarded as authoritative sources, and it is unlikely the conflict between them will go away soon. Published in Origins v. 14, n. 2.

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Can Science and Religion Work Together?

The practice of science does not depend on the beliefs a scientist has about origins. Creationists are able to conduct scientific research , and may even be aided by ideas that derive from the Bible. Conflicts may arise between science and religion, but this is an indication of the need for more study. Published in Origins v. 12, n. 2.

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Beyond Arithmetic: the Truth of Creation

Throughout the Old Testament the phrase, "the heavens and the earth," is used as the nearest Hebrew equivalent to our term, "universe."

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How Accurate is Biblical Chronology?

Thiele discovered an underlying harmony in the Biblical records that is not only internal but external as well. Once he solved these apparent discrepancies in the Biblical data, he found that the reigns of the Jewish kings matched the Assyrian chronology perfectly.

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Genesis One in Historical-critical Perspective

I hope to illustrate how an approach that attends to the culture, history, philosophy and religion of the Bible's time and place can enhance our understanding of its message.

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Adam and Adapa: Two Anthropological Characters

The word "parallel," though difficult to replace, may be inappropriate and quite inadequate to take account of the complex relationships that exist between biblical and extrabiblical literary tradition. It is the purpose of this essay to address that problem with specific reference to the Adapa myth.

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The Doctrine of Beginnings

The way we perceive God, the way we look at the world around us, and the way we understand our own selves all have their roots in the opening verse of Scripture: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

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The Word "Earth" in Genesis 1:1

Does the word "earth" refer a) to the physical material of the earth; b) to the planet earth as a part of our solar system; c) to our earth in the sense of the land upon which life can exist? We will address this question very briefly by reviewing four problems. Published in Origins v. 8, n. 1.

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Can the Bible Establish the Age of the Earth?

I maintain that there is no biblical basis for any date in the B. C. scale for a biblical event preceding the birth of Abraham.

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The Literary Structure of the Genesis Creation Story

The Documentary hypothesis and the so-called Tatbericht-Wortbericht theory have been the two main starting points of any relevant scholarly study of this text. Recently, under the influence of contemporary literary studies, attention has been drawn to the validity of the synchronic approach, and more and more scholars have thus become aware of the importance of the literary structure of this text.

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The Genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 and Their Alleged Babylonian Background

With the discovery in the early 1870's of the Babylonian flood account, which was recognized to be closely related to the flood story in Genesis, there was opened a new chapter of comparative studies relating the various aspects of the book of Genesis to materials uncovered from ancient Near Eastern civilizations.

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Two Reviews of a Comprehensive Overview — A

This book is one of the few recent attempts to present both sides in a logical, understanding manner so the reader can be informed on the issues, regardless of the position for which he opts. Published in Origins v. 5, n. 2.

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Two Reviews of a Comprehensive Overview — B

Review of the book, The Creation-Evolution Controversy. This may be the best comprehensive treatment of scientific creationism that has become available prior to mid-1977. Published in Origins v. 5, n. 2.

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Adam in Ancient Mesopotamian Traditions

Since the recovery and publication of texts from the Ancient Near East is a continuing endeavor, the materials already published need to be reexamined from time to time in the light of more recent information.

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The Meaning of Genesis 1:1

It may be surprising to some students of the Bible that the translation and meaning of the opening words of the Bible are disputed. For 2,000 years the first verse of the Bible has been officially translated into Western languages with the familiar words, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Now three authorized versions of the Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Protestant communities translate the first verse of the Bible differently.

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Equality from the Start: Woman in the Creation Story

The first three chapters of Genesis are of crucial importance for both the origins of our world and for determining relationships between man and woman. Without these chapters, any understanding of the mutuality between man and woman is impaired and one-sided.

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The Meaning of “Let Us” in Genesis 1:26

The plural "let us" in the phrase "let us make man" in Gn 1:26 has a long history of interpretation, reaching into pre-Christian times. What does the plural "us" in this enigmatic phrase indicate?

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