Creation

• God


  The creator who created the universe, including humanity
• God


  • Creates the universe and humanity in his image
  • Desires a close relationship with humans (Adam)
  • Powerful, ancient and therefore eternal
• Nicene Creed: 'I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible'
• Adam


  The perfect man, full of strength and potential, created by God
• God


  • Transcendent - God said 'Let there be light' and there was
  • Humans (Adam) depend on God for everything
• Michelangelo's Creation of Adam

  • God portrayed as a human-like figure, with a muscular body similar to Adam's
  • God and Adam in similar poses, with fingers nearly touching, showing close contact between God and humanity
• 20th Century Mosaic by Meière


  • Conveys a greater sense of God as creator than Creation of Adam
  • Representation of God is better as God is infinite/transcendent and should not be presented as an old man
• Comparing Meière's mosaic and Creation of Adam

  • Both show God is the creator and powerful/eternal
  • Meière's mosaic is more abstract and conveys more about God's role in creation, while Creation of Adam focuses more on God's relationship with humanity
• Michelangelo's painting of The Creation of Adam perfectly expresses a Catholic understanding of humanity
• Genesis 1


  Describes the creation of the earth
• Genesis 2


  Focuses on the creation of the first humans, Adam and Eve
• God in Genesis 1


  • The only creator who created everything, influencing us to worship only one God
  • All creation is sacred/holy
  • Humans created in God's image, sharing qualities with God and having a close relationship with God
  • Omnipotent, able to create from nothing
  • Transcendent, only needing his words to create
  • Omnibenevolent, creating everything we need to thrive
• Humans in Genesis 2

  • Formed from the dust of the ground, given the breath/spirit of God
  • Given the gift of free will
• Transcendent


  God is beyond the world/outside space and time, cannot be described in human words
• Michelangelo's Creation of Adam

  Painting that reflects Catholic belief about God as creator and the creation of humanity in the image of God
• Catholic beliefs about God shown in Michelangelo's Creation of Adam

  • God is the creator
  • God creates the universe, including humanity
  • God desires a close relationship with humans (Adam)
• Imago Dei


  Humans are made in the image of God
• Catholic beliefs about God shown in Michelangelo's Creation of Adam

  • God made (Adam) humans perfect
  • God is transcendent
  • God is omnipotent
• Two ways Michelangelo's Creation of Adam shows that human beings were made in the image of God


  • God portrayed as a human-Adam is shown as a perfect man
  • The body of God is muscular like Adam's
  • Adam and God lie in similar poses- their fingers nearly touch, showing close contact between God and humanity
• Genesis 2:7 notes that God brought Adam to life by breathing into his nostrils, rather than touching him
• In the painting, God and Adam are nearly the same size, suggesting that God and humanity are equal- they are not
• 20th Century Mosaic by Hildreth Meiere


  • Conveys a greater sense of God as creator than Creation of Adam
  • Michelangelo only deals with one point of creation, this shows God is always creating
• Some feel the representation of God is better. Since God is infinite/transcendent, some Christians believe God cannot and should not be presented as Michelangelo did (i.e. old man)
• Michelangelo's painting of The Creation of Adam perfectly expresses a Catholic understanding of humanity: 'It shows that humans are in Imago dei (Gen 1:27)/it shows that man is receiving life from God and is totally dependent on God. The female figure in human form is thought to be Eve so reinforcing the idea that Adam was created first (Gen 2). Others think that the image is the Virgin Mary and the child next to her who is being touched by God is the baby Jesus. This would show that the promise of Christ was there from the beginning, as was the fall that required the coming of Christ'
• The image of both God and Adam is white which some find misleading as it does not reflect Catholic teaching about the equality of all people
• It does not correspond closely to the biblical account which it is supposed to represent as the figure of Adam is already alive so it does not depict creation from dust, nor breathing in the breath of life
• The Catholic Church does not teach that the creation of humans as shown in Genesis is factual. This picture does not reflect Catholic teaching about the role of evolution in God's creation
• Genesis 1

  Describes the creation of the earth
• Genesis 2

  Focuses on the creation of the first humans, Adam and Eve
• Genesis 1: Teaching about nature of God

  • God is Creator
  • God is Omnipotent
  • God is Transcendent
  • God is Omnibenevolent
• The most important lesson that Genesis 1 teaches Catholics is to trust in God
• Genesis 2


  • Humans are given the gift of free will
  • God made the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve
  • God instructed that they do not eat from the tree of knowledge of God and Evil
• Transcendent


  • God is beyond the world/outside space and time
  • God cannot be described in human words because words get their meanings from this world
  • God is outside that/humans cannot understand God
• The idea that humans have free will is the teaching in Genesis that has the greatest influence on how Catholics live their lives today


  • Without free will, people would not have to worry about making the right choice or taking responsibility for their actions
  • Means Catholics have to try to make decisions pleasing to God while exercising their free will. This will affect the decisions they make
• Significance of the Creation Stories for Catholics

  • Stewardship
  • The Dignity of Human Life
  • Sanctity of Life
• Stewardship


  • God created all things and gave Adam and Eve power to 'subdue' it and to 'till it and keep it'
  • Believers have a duty to respect all of God's creation
  • We must make sure no part of creation is destroyed/undervalued
• Dignity of Human Life

  • God created humans in 'his image'
  • All people are equal have a dignity as they are created by God
  • We should use our free will to respect our own dignity and the dignity of others
• Sanctity of Life


  • Genesis tells us God made humans 'in his image'
  • God blessed human after he created them
  • All life is holy and is created and loved by God
  • Human beings should not be misused or abused
• Two ways the sanctity of life/ imago dei influences Catholics today

  • God created humans in his image (imago dei) and thus, all human life should be protected. This influences Catholics to oppose abortion
  • The Catholic Church teaches the child has a right to life from the moment of conception. Therefore, an unborn baby has the same rights as babies which are born
  • Furthermore, imago dei links to the sanctity of life. As we are made in God's image all life is given by God and only God can take it away. This influences Catholics to oppose the campaign to legalise euthanasia
• Youcat explains, 'every person, from the first moment of his life in the womb, has an inviolable dignity, because from all eternity God willed, loved, created and redeemed that person and destined him for eternal happiness'