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Redeeming Adam and Eve: Genesis 1-4 for the Modern Mind

Genesis 1-4, or the stories of creation, often serve as metaphors for sin, hubris, and conclusions regarding all that is wrong with rigid, puritanical approaches to the Bible. This class hopes to redeem these narratives from their stilted, often narrow interpretations through a slow and careful process of close readings. This approach leads to a deeper understanding regarding the biblical notions of creation, stewardship versus dominion, disobedience, original sin, divine cursing, the male-female dynamic, fratricide, and the nature of sin and mercy. Consideration of Jewish and Islamic beliefs alongside ancient Near Eastern analogs furthers appreciation for the narrative elegance of this ancient cosmological vision of the divine and humanity's role within that created order.

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