Adam and Eve: History or Myth?
This week's video looks at the first humans in the Bible and how we relate to them.
We’re getting into the meat of Genesis 2 and 3 and the origin story of humanity in our series on Genesis, and I wanted to take a little bit of time to talk about these stories of Adam and Eve, which are certainly different than the ordered and liturgical account of Creation in Genesis 1. Generations of biblical scholars and scientists have wrestled over the question of whether these stories belong in the category of factual history, allegorical fable, mythology, or something else altogether. In this week’s video, I offer another alternative, one that I’ve been thinking through ever since I read John Walton’s book The Lost World of Adam and Eve, which is a follow-up to his book on Genesis 1. Walton wasn’t the first to observe that the Bible itself treats Adam and Eve as historical archetypes of humanity rather than prototypes, but his work certainly helps to clarify a lot of questions we might have about the text and about how we might read it in light of modern science. It won’t settle the debate, of course, but perhaps it will give you a different way of looking at these important stories in Genesis.
Live Q&A on Genesis This Wednesday (1/22/25) at 7:00pm Eastern!
Just a reminder that I’ll be going live on the Substack app on Wednesday evening to answer your questions about Genesis (so far)! To view the video and to send in your comments directly, you’ll need to download the Substack app on your phone or tablet and make sure you’re subscribed to this feed (bobkaylor.substack.com). You can also email me your questions in advance at robert.kaylor@aldersgateyork.com and I’ll answer them during the session. The session will be recorded and posted right here for everyone who isn’t able to join us. I look forward to seeing you Wednesday evening!
Humanity and the Image of God
In case you missed Sunday’s sermon due to the snowy weather, you can catch it here. It’s an important foundation for understanding this upcoming week’s sermon on Genesis 3.
Join us each Sunday for worship in person or online at Aldersgate Church!