Updating and expanding upon his previous work on origins, this riveting volume from John H. Walton marks the eighth entry in his bestselling Lost World Series, which has sold more than 125,000 copies.
For over a decade, John Walton's books The Lost World of Genesis One and The Lost World of Adam and Eve have shaped readers' understanding of the ancient Near Eastern world and its implications for modern scientific origins debates. But more than simply engaging the creation/evolution debate, these works explored questions related to interpretation of Genesis through ancient eyes, the theological purpose of a seven-day creation account, the historicity of Adam and Eve, and the history of interpretation of the creative narratives.
In New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis, Walton provides comprehensive and timely updates on the latest developments and research, including:
- a summary of positions addressed in his previous books on origins
- new insights, clarifications, and illustrations based on current scholarship
- answers to frequently asked questions
Engaging the latest scholarship as well as questions that his proponents and critics alike have raised, New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis provides a relevant update that will benefit students, professors, and pastors as they continue to explore questions of origins and their implications for the Christian life.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Introduction: How We Got Here
2. Methodology
3. Genesis 1: Creation Account Focused on Function/Order Instead of Physical/Material Objects
4. Genesis 1: Cosmic Temple and Rest
5. Genesis 2: The Garden and the Trees
6. Genesis 2: Adam and Eve
7. Genesis 3: The Fall
8. Genesis 3: The Pronouncement
9. Genesis and Science
10. Conclusion
For Further Reading
Scripture Index
About the Author :
J. Harvey Walton (MA, Wheaton College Graduate School) is a researcher in biblical studies and has contributed to a variety of publications. He is pursuing graduate studies at St. Andrews University.
John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament, emeritus, at Wheaton College and Graduate School. His many books include The Lost World of Genesis One and Wisdom for Faithful Reading.
Review :
"John Walton has been writing insightfully about the book of Genesis for over twenty-five years. His important reminder that the books of the Bible were not written 'to us' but rather 'for us' underscores the importance of reading the books of the Old Testament in their ancient Near Eastern context. John has helped us do just that for years, and in this new book, he revisits the topics that he has treated earlier on the book of Genesis to give us his most recent and best thinking on that foundational book. I recommend New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis for all readers of the Bible."
"John Walton, who has significantly shaped discussions on the early chapters of Genesis, continues to advance and enrich these conversations with his latest book. Drawing from a wealth of knowledge acquired over decades of research, John again provides insightful analysis of some of the Old Testament's most debated chapters with the clarity and expertise of a master teacher. His characteristic erudition and creativity are on display throughout, making this book an essential and engaging resource for students of Scripture interested in exploring the theology of the early chapters of Genesis."
"We still need Walton's Lost World Series. This is true for several reasons, but most of all because we still have readers in the church who continue to misappropriate Genesis simplistically by assuming that our cultural context today is sufficient as background for interpreting the book. And yet, if one considers the distance between Shakespeare (for example) and our own post-industrial and post-modernist context, it seems obvious that reading the Bard demands quite a lot of us if we are to understand him properly. How much more so the distance between us and the world of Genesis? Walton's agenda in the series has been to illumine the cultural river of the ancient world (to borrow his metaphor), among whose currents swirl Israel's ideas and ways of thinking. In this latest volume of the series, Walton (with the help of son J. Harvey Walton) has once again shown himself to be a dependable guide to exploring the currents of thought that informed Israel's Scriptures. As with other volumes in the series, the reader will benefit greatly by learning the currents flowing through ancient culture, which are so very different from the currents in which we swim in today's cultural river. All readers today will benefit from this latest contribution from the Waltons."
"John Walton is a master teacher. Here he makes his approach to Genesis 1–3 crystal clear, explaining advances in his thinking about both method and substance since his previous Lost World books. Careful attention to this book will make scholars better communicators and lay Christians much better readers of the Bible."
"Fifteen years ago, John Walton taught us that the Bible was written for us but not to us. His Lost World books open our eyes to the ancient cultures of the Old Testament, with a wealth of new insights that deepen our understanding of God's Word while upholding scriptural authority. For those who know Walton, this book compiles his latest thinking and shows a humble scholar at work. Much of the book is responses to common questions, a friendly dialogue format accessible for first-time readers."
"In this thought-provoking book, the author critically examines his understandings of the Genesis texts published over the past decades, greatly assisted by contributions from his son and coauthor. As a result, some perspectives are further nuanced, whereas in one case there is a radical re-interpretation. Whatever conclusions the reader comes to themselves, they will be challenged to grapple with the texts afresh in their ancient Near East contexts, a valuable exercise for anyone interested in Biblical hermeneutics."
"As one who is a church leader and also involved in academics, I can say that reading New Explorations in the Lost World of Genesis is, without exaggeration, a mind-blowing, heart-expanding, Scripture-focused adventure. This book causes you to grow incredibly more excited about studying the early chapters of Genesis, with so many insights into what was happening in that ancient world to bring fuller color and more clarity to understanding what is there. I highly, highly, highly suggest anyone studying the early chapters of Genesis to include this in your studies."
"Mention Genesis and biologists flee. This book should bring them to a screeching halt. John Walton reveals how God determines the foundations of order, and in doing so, he radically reshapes the many topics—not least Adam and Eve, the fall, and the seven days—that will provoke any Christian to fresh insights. But scientists need this book as well, both to reset their often simplistic assumptions and to ponder that as God's agents, even as products of evolution, we have a unique role."
