Genesis, Chapters 1, 2, and 3

Lesson 1 examines the creation stories of Chapters 1 and 2, with special emphasis on their differences of language and style, the concept of "deity", the purpose of the text, and the significance of being "made in the image of God". The discussion of Chapter 3 focuses on the enduring vitality of the Adam and Eve story and the Myth of the Fall. Do Adam and Eve assert their basic human dignity in their defiance? What does it mean to be fully human according to the Adam and Eve myth? Why should the gaining of knowledge/experience and the loss of innocence/simplicity require a connection with Sin, Error, and Pain? Featured interview: Dr. Wil Gaylin, author of Adam and Eve and Pinocchio: On Being and Becoming Human