I own quite a number of Dr. Walton's books. Excellent writer! Adam, Eve, and many other of the Pentateuchal characters of Scripture are archetypal. However, as with most archetypes, they are based upon real people who had actually existed. Names and numbers change through time, yet the creation epic resonates through all ancient histories.
John Walton is right on. Genesis is a temple text presenting an allegorical story of mankind. I believe there was an Adam and an Eve but the story in Genesis is largely allegorical; Adam wasn’t the result of stirring up a recipe of dust and God didn’t make Eve using one of Adam’s ribs. The Tree of Life is symbolic of God’s love and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represents the temptations associated with sin.
If you're saying that Adam and Eve were real creations of God and that some added meanings were inferred by the writer, then I am fine. If you are saying that Adam was solely an archetype or a representation of man, then I have to step back. At what point do their stories become archetypal and what was really said or done by an individual? I love science as much as the next, but if this pandemic has shown you anything, it's that science is heavily influenced by politics (people). Same for the transgender debate in which we are now being told that males and females are the same and one can decide what they want to be now. You see you have to be careful with the archetypes because they can be applied to almost anything in Genesis for one looking to discredit the Bible. Maybe I am completely off base, seeing as how I am not a professor, but we must be careful not to give science too much credit, or the upper hand in dealing with the text of Scripture. With that being said, we should look at what science presents with open minds and diligently see if the thesis they present is correct and applicable to any Biblical narrative. IMHO
new age. this view makes a joke of everything else. Just the idea of the tree of life. If you study carefully you'll understand that just one eating of it will make Adam immortal in his fallen state. They never ate of the tree, and they were preserved by the Spirit of God, just like how we will be in the Resurrection.
How do people believe 'scripture' over science particulary the old testament which so obviously unprovable, how do adults believe this? Its amazing how interpretation of bible has had to chance as science gives answers that conflict with what the bible says
I own quite a number of Dr. Walton's books. Excellent writer! Adam, Eve, and many other of the Pentateuchal characters of Scripture are archetypal. However, as with most archetypes, they are based upon real people who had actually existed. Names and numbers change through time, yet the creation epic resonates through all ancient histories.
[1 Corinthians 15:45 KJV]
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit.
Walton is the best
Please get the book "Searching For Adam" by Terry Mortenson (editor) which refutes the archetypal view of Adam that Mr. Walton presents.
...Mr. Walton does not present only the archetypal view....
The Earth is Super Old and Evolution is real. So either the Bible wrong or maybe we shouldn't be hyper literal about Gen 1-3
John Walton is right on. Genesis is a temple text presenting an allegorical story of mankind. I believe there was an Adam and an Eve but the story in Genesis is largely allegorical; Adam wasn’t the result of stirring up a recipe of dust and God didn’t make Eve using one of Adam’s ribs. The Tree of Life is symbolic of God’s love and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represents the temptations associated with sin.
If you're saying that Adam and Eve were real creations of God and that some added meanings were inferred by the writer, then I am fine. If you are saying that Adam was solely an archetype or a representation of man, then I have to step back. At what point do their stories become archetypal and what was really said or done by an individual? I love science as much as the next, but if this pandemic has shown you anything, it's that science is heavily influenced by politics (people). Same for the transgender debate in which we are now being told that males and females are the same and one can decide what they want to be now. You see you have to be careful with the archetypes because they can be applied to almost anything in Genesis for one looking to discredit the Bible. Maybe I am completely off base, seeing as how I am not a professor, but we must be careful not to give science too much credit, or the upper hand in dealing with the text of Scripture. With that being said, we should look at what science presents with open minds and diligently see if the thesis they present is correct and applicable to any Biblical narrative. IMHO
Every character in the bible, including God, is an archetype of the finished man
new age. this view makes a joke of everything else. Just the idea of the tree of life. If you study carefully you'll understand that just one eating of it will make Adam immortal in his fallen state. They never ate of the tree, and they were preserved by the Spirit of God, just like how we will be in the Resurrection.
It's like a lemon he sucks on it makes them go away as soon as you try something he is already deconstructing gods spirit before it happens.
How do people believe 'scripture' over science particulary the old testament which so obviously unprovable, how do adults believe this? Its amazing how interpretation of bible has had to chance as science gives answers that conflict with what the bible says
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What a load of waffle !
Walton is the best
Walton is the best