Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Chaos, Creation and Corruption

Chaos, Creation and Corruption

Last updated on: August 14, 2015 at 3:35 am by Brad Vaughn

Chaos, Creation and Corruption 2015-08-14T03:35:48-07:00 Brad Vaughn

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

People sometimes prefer to have two nicely divided categories: good or bad, right or wrong, love or hate, . . . . Similarly, in debates or conflicts, we are prone to label others either “for us” or “against us.”

Credit: geralt via pixabay (CC 2.0)

The debate over human origins has been plagued with false dichotomies. Some of the ones I hear most often include: conservative/liberal, literal/allegorical, perfect/fallen.

In The Lost World of Adam and Eve, John Walton breaks the traditional mold. He interjects fresh terms into the conversation about creation. His categories will not doubt confuse some readers. Ironically, these same ideas will simultaneously bring greater clarity of understanding for others.

A few questions help illustrate the point.

1. Should an earthquake be called “evil” in the same way murderers and child predators are called “evil”?

2. Are “innocent” and “perfect” synonyms?

I would say “no” to both questions. For instance, the earth does not conspire to bring us harm for its own gain. Although a baby in some sense can be called “innocent,” the infant is not “perfect” in any meaningful way.

Order, Disorder and Non-order

Walton says that Gen 1 tells at least a similar story as told by other ancient creation accounts.

The creation account depicts God the One who brings order out of (primordial) chaos. Chaos represents “non-order,” not “disorder.” Disorder is “evil.” By contrast, the ancient listeners/readers of Genesis would not necessarily regard non-order as “evil.”

(As a brief aside, Walton does not deny that God ex nihilo created the material universe. He simply says we can’t use Genesis 1 to arrive at that conclusion.)

At this point, Walton challenges some fundamental assumptions. For example, in this and previous books, he notes that ancient cultures had different ideas about existence and non-existence. If something was regarded as lacking a function, i.e. non-order, then is did not have “existence” (e.g. the sea, a desert).

According to Walton, humanity was called to serve God by bringing greater degrees of order to a world of non-order. It was not until the Fall (Gen 3) that disorder enters the world.

Death is an aspect of non-order, Walton says. However, when humans are denied access to the tree of life, we are no longer able to overcome our mortality. Consequently, death becomes lingering evidence of disorder.

Sin and Sacred Space

This interpretation does not totally dismantle Christianity’s view of Genesis; however, Walton will certainly cause people to rearrange some of the furniture in their theological house.

For instance, God’s work of “ordering” can be reframed in terms of Temple-building. God creates sacred space, one that will have neither non-order nor disorder.

Walton makes his own suggestions as to how this perspective of Gen 1–3 reorient our view of sin. Of course, readers will discern implications for other matters, like salvation and the work of Christ.

For many, Walton’s ideas will appear too novel to be reasonable. However, he would remind those readers of two points.

1. The past 100 years have yielded many significant insights into the ancient world that were not available to past generations when they interpreted Genesis. Scripture has authority, not tradition interpretations.

2. Walton’s reading of Genesis 1–3 coheres well with the rest of the Bible’s story and the imagery it uses.

For more elaboration, you’ll have to read the book (and perhaps some of his other ones as well).

In some ways, Walton’s interpretation is very “Chinese” in that it finds a “middle way.” People in Eastern cultures appreciate balance. Perhaps there is wisdom here for us as we real Genesis.

Whenever a debate is polarized between two strict alternatives, we ought to consider whether there might be a way to reconcile the legitimate observations of the competing groups. In The Lost World of Adam and Eve, Walton gives a careful and constructive starting place for finding a “middle way.”

Credit (Egyptian wall painting): geralt via pixabay (CC 2.0)

Previous Post

February 19, 2015

Honor-Shame in Ministry

Next Post

March 3, 2015 Christianity Today Features Honor-Shame

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atonement Biblical Theology Book Reviews China Chinese Church Chinese Culture Chinese Language Collectivism Contextualization Culture (General) Ecclesiology Evangelism Gospel Honor & Shame (Face) Interpretation/Exegesis Justification/Righteousness Missiology Mission Methods One Gospel for All Nations Other Practical Contextualization Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes Resources Romans Salvation (General) Saving God's Face Seeking God's Face The Cross in Context Theological Contextualization Theological Education Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which disciple of Jesus was a former zealot?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Simon Judas Iscariot Thaddeus Bartholomew

Books by This Author Books by Brad Vaughn

See All Titles »

Chaos, Creation and Corruption

Order, Disorder and *Non-*order

Sin and Sacred Space

Which disciple of Jesus was a former zealot?

Order, Disorder and Non-order