Creation Unit 1

• God


  The creator
• Michelangelo's Creation of Adam depicts God creating Adam
• 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'
• God gave humans free will to express their own beliefs freely


  • This freedom should be respected
  • Along with this freedom comes the responsibility to respect the dignity of self and others as everyone is a child of God
• • God's grace is available to all
  • The command to love one's neighbour requires giving respect to others
  • Underpins the belief in the dignity of all humans
• • Humans are not like God
  • Humans die, God is eternal
  • Humans sin, God is perfect
  • Humans are not omnipotent/transcendent like God
• • God is far beyond human understanding
  • God is all-loving
  • People hurt each other
  • Humans are not all-knowing, like God
  • Humans are selfish, God redeems humans out of love for them
• • Atheists do not believe in God, so humans are not made in God's image
  • Scientific beliefs do not support creation in the image of God
• • The belief that humans are made in God's image is in the Bible (Genesis 1:26)
  • In Paul's letters
  • It is a belief that has been held by the Christian Church from its beginnings
• • 'Made in God's image' does not mean humans are equal to God
  • It means that all humans are holy
  • Should be respected (sanctity of life)
• The laws of the land support this idea by protecting human life and dignity
• In the creation God breathes life into a human, so Christians believe humans share God's Spirit (breath)
• God gave humans responsibility for creation, so humans are acting as God's stewards
• Humans share some of God's qualities, e.g. love/compassion/mercy/a desire for truth/justice
• Humans were given dominion over creation so act in a God-like capacity over nature