In Context,
Then & Now

A no-holds-barred 
contextual look 
at Genesis 1-11:
the foundations of faith.

This course will
demonstrate . . .

1. that before we take any other approach to this book, it is best if we understand Genesis as an ancient "faith-community" book.

2. that Genesis has been shaped within, toward, and for a community for specific reasons.

3. that Genesis is a book of conversation—with God and with each other; and with the past, the present, and the future.

4. that Genesis addresses questions, not merely "Where did we come from," but even more “How does God work among us now?”,  “What does God want from us now?”, and "How do we begin again?"

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This course will demonstrate that the book of Genesis does each one of the following things:

1. Pulls together numerous traditional stories that lay a foundation for important life-giving themes that will occur throughout the five-book Pentateuch [namely: Promise, Presence, Power, Deliverance, Covenant];

2. Overtly and intentionally offers a context for understanding and applying Torah-Covenant (the “Law of Moses”) as God’s outreaching act of grace for the benefit of his people;

3. Addresses questions for how God is a God of new beginnings, helping a faith community (both long ago and even now) to start anew, especially when following disastrous events.

Questions/Topics
This Course Will Discuss

Here is a general list of things that are covered during this course:

1. Who are we in the great scheme of things?

2. Some attention to historical backgrounds (general dates, history and the like)

3. The question of authorship

4. Is Genesis 1-11 history? Science? Psychology? Fiction? Myth?

5. Genesis 1-11 as a foundation for the Pentateuch (namely, foundation for covenant life)

6. Genesis as a whole: internal structural elements/signals

7. Genesis in ancient literature: How Philo, Josephus, and NT texts interpret Genesis.

8. Genesis 1 and 2 in ancient context; only then in current context

9. Attention to specific stories in Genesis 1-11 and how they function as community conversation with each other and with God.

Course Units

Instead of getting lost in the tiresome "Bible vs Science" debates (many of which do not take Genesis on its own terms, but try to read it through some kind of scientific lens), this course will demonstrate how to read Genesis first and foremost as an ancient document of faith.

Serious literary questions are addressed that are usually left out of more general or "popular" Genesis discussions. Especially for Genesis 1-3, the Hebrew text is placed alongside a new and fresh translation, in addition to current English translations.

This allows for a truly fresh approach to Genesis, while also keeping in touch with current biblical scholarship on the topic. 

Intro to the Study of Genesis 1-11

This is the 1st session (1 hour) of 13 hours. This is not only content-rich, it will give you a taste of what our LIVE sessions are like.  

What you don't get to see is what the online discussions are like all week long between LIVE sessions.

See below for how to take the entire course.