RE

• Genesis


  First book of the Bible, means "beginning"
• Creation narrative in Genesis

  • Two creation accounts
  • Form of meditations on creation
  • Not literal scientific description
• Catholic attitude to scripture


  • Understand what the writer meant to their original audience
  • Texts written as poems or meditations, not historical or scientific
• Scripture


  Has both divine and human authorship
• Genesis 1 creation account

  1. Six-day creation

  2. God forms the world by separating and distinguishing certain elements in days 1-3

  3. God fills creation with man and women being created together on the sixth day
• Genesis 2 creation account

  1. One day of creation

  2. God creates man

  3. God creates animals

  4. God creates woman as companion for man
• God


  • Creator
  • Transcendent - outside of the universe, not part of the created order
  • Omnipotent - all-powerful
  • Benevolent - all-good, loving
• Humans


  • Made in the image of God (imago Dei)
  • Sacred, have innate dignity
  • Free, can make moral choices
  • Stewards of creation
• Differences between Genesis 1 and 2 creation accounts

  Genesis 1 - creation in 6 days, man and woman created together, vegetation before animals and humans

  Genesis 2 - creation in 1 day, man and woman created separately, vegetation after man created
• In Genesis 1, God is referred to as Elohim, in Genesis 2 as Lord God (Yahweh Elohim)
• In Genesis 1, humans are created by God's Word, in Genesis 2 they are given life by God's breath
• Creation


  The belief in Christianity that the world is God's loving creation
• Fundamentalist


  A person who believes in the literal interpretation of religious scripture
• Liberal Christian


  A person who believes religious scripture is not supposed to be read literally, but rather interpreted by taking into account modern knowledge, science and ethics
• Genesis creation story


  1. Day 1: Light created

  2. Day 2: Sky created

  3. Day 3: Dry land, sea, plants and trees created

  4. Day 4: Sun, moon and stars created

  5. Day 5: Sea creatures and flying creatures created

  6. Day 6: Land animals and humans created in the image of God

  7. Day 7: God rested
• Pope Francis said "When we read about creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so."
• Fundamentalist Christian view


  Believe the Genesis creation story is literally true because the Bible is the infallible and inerrant word of God
• Liberal Christian view


  Believe the Genesis creation story is not meant to be taken literally, but rather contains a metaphorical or spiritual truth about God as the creator
• George Lemaitre, an early pioneer of the Big Bang theory, was also a Catholic priest who saw no conflict between religion and science
• Fundamentalist Christians


  Believe the Genesis creation story is literally true
• Liberal Christians


  Believe the Genesis creation story is not meant to be taken literally, but rather contains a metaphorical or spiritual truth
• The Bible does not provide a complete scientific account of how the universe was created
• Incarnation


  The belief that Jesus was God in human form, that Jesus had a divine nature and a human nature
• Primary source of information about the life of Jesus

  • The four Gospels
• The word 'Incarnation' is not found in the Gospels, since it is a Latin word and the Gospels were written in Greek
• The concept of the Incarnation is present in the Gospels
• Annunciation


  1. Angel announced that Mary would give birth to a son

  2. Jesus's birth was announced by an angel before he was born

  3. Jesus was identified as being sent by God before he was born

  4. Mary was a virgin

  5. Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

  6. Mary and Joseph consented to God's plan
• Matthew was a Jewish writer writing for a Jewish audience


  Focuses his account on Joseph, since in Judaism the testimony of women was not acceptable in court
• Luke was a Gentile writing for a non-Jewish audience


  Prefers to report the Annunciation from Mary's perspective, as this would have been acceptable to his audience
• Son of the Most High


  A key concept related to the doctrine of the Incarnation
• Kingdom of Jesus will have no end


  A key concept related to the doctrine of the Incarnation
• John's Gospel introduction


  1. Draws parallels with the creation narratives in Genesis

  2. Equates Jesus with the Word of God

  3. Emphasizes that Jesus is an eternal being who existed from the beginning

  4. Emphasizes that Jesus was fully divine

  5. Introduces the Incarnation - the idea that God took on human flesh

  6. Explains the purpose of the Incarnation - for Jesus to bring God's truth and grace to human beings
• The term 'Incarnation' literally means 'the word became flesh'