Dr. John H. Walton is Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Wheaton College, where he has been since 2001. His areas of expertise include: The Old Testament and the Ancient Near East, Old Testament Theology, Science and Faith, Genesis, Job, and Daniel. Dr. Walton has written numerous books, including commentaries on Genesis, Job, and an upcoming commentary on Daniel, as well as his renowned “Lost World” series. 

Check out Dr. Walton’s update version of the book, “New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis.”

Click here for the Amazon link.

Outline

1. Introductions
   1. How did you get into Old Testament studies?
   2. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not teaching or writing?
      
2. Why is it important to reject “concordism” and attempts to read modern science back into the Old Testament?

3. You argue that Genesis 1, taken in its ANE context, is not an account of material origins but functional origins.
   1. “People in the ancient world believed that something existed not by virtue of its material properties, but by virtue of its having function in an ordered system.”
   2. Explain what you mean by “functional” rather than “material” origins. 
   3. Talk about the use of the word “created” (Gen 1:1) throughout the Old Testament. 
   4. Days 1-3 God created a functional cosmos. Days 4-6 he created “functionaries.” 
   5. Day 7 as the inauguration of a temple

4. Speak about the theological implications of seeing God’s construction of the cosmos as a temple.
   
5. How does such an interpretation of Genesis 1 address the current divide among many Christians over the origins of the universe and the tension between faith and science?
   1. Does accepting Genesis 1 as “functional origins” and God’s creation of a cosmic temple force someone into a particular belief about material origins?
      1. It seems to me that your argument is primarily that Genesis 1 is not about material origins, and to make it so is to ask the wrong questions of the text. It is much better to read the text theologically (i.e., asking questions about God) and understanding it in its ANE context. This would leave questions of material origins to individuals’ interpretation of science. 

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Additional Content

Check out Dr. Walton’s other books

• The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority
• The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2-3 and the Human Origins Debate
• The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites
• The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate
• The Lost World of the Torah: Law as Covenant and Wisdom in Ancient Context
• The Lost World of the Prophets: Old Testament Prophecy and Apocalyptic Literature in Ancient Context

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