What do we learn from the stories of creation in Genesis 1 and 2?

Lesson ONE

Focus question

What do we learn from the stories of creation in Genesis 1 and 2?

The bibleHow is it divided up?How many books does it contain?How do we write down where passaged come from?

The bibleThe bible is an ANTHOLOGY. It is made up of lots of different stories.

The bibleThe books we have in our Bible were collected together in the 4th Century by the Church Fathers. The names of the books sometimes give a clue about what the stories are about. Sometimes the book is named after a person, (although often that person did not actually write the book eg Judith); others are called because of what happens in the book (find the Acts of the Apostles – a story about what the apostles did after the resurrection and Exodus – a story about an exit or ‘departure’); other books are named because of the first few words of the book (Genesis – for the words, In the Beginning…’)

The old and new testament

Where is the Old Testament?

Where is the New Testament?

What is each one about?

The old testament

The Old Testament contains stories of the Israelites (Jews), their history and their

important figures, and that these books are some of the sacred scripture of the Jews today. Most of these stories were written down when the Israelites were in exile in

Babylon (sent as slaves to Babylon) when the Babylonians conquered the land. Before then,

they were oral stories – told from one generation to another. Jesus would have read

and learned from these stories.

Reading the bible

• When we read the Bible the Church asks us to think about the stories we read; when they were written, who wrote them and why they wrote them so we can understand what each author is trying to say to us. We have to think about the Bible; not just read it with our brains turned off!

Lesson two

Focus question


The bibleThe contents of Genesis are neatly divided

into two sections. The first section begins at Gen 1:1 and goes to the end of Chapter 11. In this section there are 2 stories of creation of

the world as well as 2 stories of the recreation of the world: Noah’s Ark (Gen 6: 9-9:28) and

the tower of Babel (Gen 11: 1-9).

The bibleThe second section begins at Chapter 12 and goes to the end of the book (the end of Chapter 50.) The second section contains the stories of the beginnings of the people of Israel: Abraham and Sarah (see Gen 12:1-3) and their son Isaac (see Gen 22:1-14); Isaac as an adult, his wife Rebekah and their twins Esau and Jacob. Jacob (who changes his name to Israel and gives his name to the tribes of Israel and the Israelites) and his two wives Rachel and Leah and their 12 sons.

Lesson three

Focus question


GenesisWe are going to be learning about one of the Biblical stories that tell us about the beginning of the world.

How the world began

Most cultures have stories about how the world began because it is one of the big questions that people like to think about. These stories are not science so when we read them we need to remember that they don’t intend to try to tell us what happened as a scientist might, instead they tell us in story form about what is important in creation: the creator and the things that are created.

How the world began

Creation stories are myths: stories (narratives) that contain special truths

about life. Myths are not science.

Let’s Look at some myths…

http://www.bigmyth.com

Myths vs science

Before becoming Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger said ‘We cannot say: creation or evolution, inasmuch as these two things respond to two different realities. The story of the dust of the earth and the breath of God, [found in the Bible], does not in fact explain how human persons come to be but rather what they are. It explains their inmost origin and casts light on the project that they are.

Myths vs science

• The theory of evolution seeks to understand and describe biological developments. But in so doing it cannot explain where the 'project' of human persons comes from, or their inner origin, or their particular nature. To that extent we are faced here with two complementary -- rather than mutually exclusive -- realities."

• (Cardinal Ratzinger, In the Beginning: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall

Big questions

Was the world created in seven days? • Level 3: Compare the literal version of the

creation story to the concept of evolution. • Level 4: Explain how the two theories can be

considered mutually exclusive. • Level 5: Go on to answer Cardinal

Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XIV question ‘but what does the story mean?’ in relation to our relationship with God and his hand in our creation.

Lesson four

Focus question


Creation stories

• The 2 creation stories written by the Israelites (Hebrews) and found in Genesis 1 and 2 are very different from each other but they both contain the same truths: that God is involved in creation and loves it. While both stories are myths, some people think that Genesis 1:1-2:4a could have been written for use in prayer or worship.

Creation stories

• In the first story (Genesis 1:1-2:4a) was written during the Israelites period of exile in Babylon around the year 500 BCE. It is ‘younger’ than the story that appears in Genesis 2. Genesis 1 was written by someone known as ‘P’ (Priestly) because of the structure that is like a hymn or prayer used in liturgy.

Genesis 1

• In Genesis 1, God speaks and things happen. God is presented as powerful and strong and one who speaks with great authority. This sense of God was probably meant to remind the Israelites that, even though they were far from their own land and in slavery, their God was a strong and mighty God who loved them and called them to faithfulness

Comparing theories of belief

Day Literal Theory

Scientific Theory

Our Belief

Day 1 God created Light

The big bang

Day 2

Day 3

Lesson five

Focus question


Genesis 2

• The story in Genesis 2 is actually the older of the two creation stories, being written about 900 BCE while Samuel was King of Israel. It was a time of strength and happiness for the Israelites. They had their own land, prosperity and wealth so this creation story tells of a lush land, made for a loved people by a loving creator.

Let’s Read…

Genesis Chapter 2

ADAm in ‘not male’ schocker

Poor translation of the term ha ‘adam into the English Adam (the male name) has brought about the misunderstanding that Yahweh created a male person first and then later a female person. This is incorrect: the first person created is a ‘creature of the ground or earth’ – ha ‘adam; an earth creature. This creature has no gender: it is simply an earth creature; one that Yahweh ultimately says should not be alone. It is not until after the earth creature is put to sleep and a rib taken from it that the Hebrew words for man, Iysh (male person, pronounced ‘Ish’) and woman Ishah (female person pronounced ‘Ish-ah’) appear in the text.

Genesis 2

• The author of the story in Genesis Chapter 2 is called ‘the Yahwist’ because they call God ‘Yahweh’.

• In this story the Yahwist tells us about God’s great love for us by imagining God creating a beautiful garden for people to live in.

tasks

• What do we, as Catholics, believe because of this story?

Tasks

Do we believe that God is forgiving? Why? How do we show that we believe he is forgiving? Consider: 1. Scripture – Jesus on the cross, allowing

us into heaven. 2. Mass – Penitential Rite, Apostle’s Creed. 3. Prayer – Our Father/Hail Mary. 4. Sacraments – Reconciliation.

Lesson six

Focus question


GENESIS 2Genesis 2 was written to

teach us things: something about people, something about God and something about our relationship with

God.

MINI - TASKFind all the verbs that

describe what God does in this story

KEY QUESTIONS– Is God passive or active in creation? – How does God create? –What does the way God creates say

about God as a creator? Make a list of words to describe the nature of God.

– Does God like what is created? How do we know?

– Is God interested in Creation? How do we know?

TASKS• What do we believe that God is like

because of this story?

TASKS• Does God like creation? How do we

know?

• Do you think God liked what he saw in the future?

• What about now?

What do we learn from the stories of creation in Genesis 1 and 2?

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