Sleutels tot het verstaan van Genesis 1-3

Samenvatting

This article treats different interpretations of Genesis 1-3, especially in the context of the whole of the book. The relation between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2-3 is held as complementary and serving as a prologue to the book of Genesis. Several views on the genre of the chapters are discussed. A main issue in the debate on the supposed compatibility of Scripture with evolution theory concerns the goodness of the world. Can death and cruelty exist in a good world? How could that be compatible with the characters of God and that of Jesus Christ? A further point is the question how far-reaching the curse on the earth was. With regard to the relation between faith and science, the integration of the main views on evolution with the first chapters of Genesis is refuted. Certain views on theistic evolutionism are criticized for their too easy harmonization. At the same time, it is held necessary to carefully evaluate our own reading and explaining of Scripture.