Creation Theory & the Old Testament

A. Comparison Between Priestly And Yahwistic Account

Yahwistic account of creation (Gen 2.4b- :24) differs remarkably from the Priestly cosmogony that precedes it (1:1-2.3[4a]). Whereas the latter begins with an “empty” mass of water and darkness, 2:4b-5 depicts an arid landscape devoid of vegetation and rain. God's first act from the Yahwist's account is not the creation of light (1:3) but that of a man (2:7). Only thereafter does vegetation spring forth (vv. 8-9). These two creation stories of differing historical contexts and ethical aims, though tightly linked, begin on opposite ends of the cosmic spectrum, as it were. Whereas the Priestly account concludes the six days of creation with the creation of the human race, the Yahwist begins with anthropogony (Rainey Pp. 63). Whereas the Priestly account is thoroughly cosmic in scope, the Yahwist recounts, in essence, the genesis or culture.

Whereas culture is rooted in cult from the Priestly perspective, culture begins with agriculture in the Yahwist's narrative. The centerpiece of the Yahwist's creation is a parcel of Arabic land in Eden. This garden not only serves as the literary point of departure for the larger narrative that extends from Genesis to Numbers, but also informs the structure and meaning of the Yahwist's epic as a whole. While many have described the garden story as something similar to “a true mythos, a panable of the human situation,” few have explored the garden's distinctive ethos in relation to the Yahwist's larger historiographic work. Within the primordial setting of the garden, the author limns a moral context or setting that persists throughout the narrative's panoramic sweep from primal community to Israelite culture. Indeed, the garden holds the key to the meaning of Israel's history, as presented by the Yahwist, and that key can be found in the dramatic layout of the garden story itself, which consists essentially of two scenes, 2:4b-25 and 3:1-24.

Comparison with current creationist theories

There are three significant theories pertaining to the creation or origin of life. At first, there is theistic evolution. The rest of the two theories include atheist evolution (commonly known as Darwinian evolution) and Special Creation (Darwin Pp. 133).

According to Atheistic evolution, god does not exist, and life might be the result of natural and, pre-existing factors influenced by natural laws (such as gravity). However, there is no credible explanation about these natural laws. According to the theory of Special Creation, god directly created life. The creation might be from the start or from existing things.

As far as the Theistic evolution is concerned, god does exist, but there is no direct involvement in the creation of life. In addition, the Theistic philosophy also includes that god may be responsible for the creation of the building blocks, he may have produced natural laws, and he may even be responsible for these creations with the ultimate purpose to create life. However, there was a point where he left for the creation of life to take place itself. God just let life to create ...