I read Genesis 1 literally, but not word for word - A Conversation with Prof. Dr. John Walton (Wheaton College)

Part 2 of our mini-series: Today, Prof. Dr. John Walton - one of the world’s leading Old Testament scholars -addresses a crucial question: What if the biblical creation account was never meant as a scientific explanation, but as something entirely different? Walton shows why taking the Bible seriously means reading it correctly — not literally, but in the sense intende by its original authors.

An episode for everyone who believes, doubts, or simply wants to know whether the creation account truly conflicts with science.

Keywords: Genesis, creation, primeval history, Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden, tree of knowledge, the fall, archetype, order, chaos, functional ontology, biblical anthropology, cultural river, biblical authority, hermeneutics, exegesis, contextualization, image of God, image of humanity, authorial intent, Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, temple motif, divine rest, seventh day, house and home metaphor, divine order, Holy Scripture, doctrine of Scripture, theological methodology, consequence vs. punishment, original sin, theodicy, serpent, chaos creature, protoevangelium, moral order, human responsibility, autonomy, order-bearer, participation, covenant, Abraham, Israel, priesthood, sacred space, theology of creation, textual fidelity, reader perspective, reader context, Bible and science, faith reflection, spiritual transformation, biblical metaphor, narrative theology, anthropological reading, Prof. Dr. John H. Walton, Wheaton College, United States, ancient worldview, Mesopotamia, Ancient Near East, philosophy, tradition, systematic theology, enlightenment, new creation, hope, human history, self-understanding, search for truth