Book Review: The Lost World of Genesis One

Book Review - The Lost World of Genesis One

In The Lost World of Genesis One, John Walton presents a way to understand the Genesis 1 creation account based on Aristotelian epistemology without once citing Aristotle. Aristotle defined four types of causation: material, formal, efficient, and final. Walton proposes that while most believers view (and have been taught) that Genesis 1 is an account of material causes of existence, the ancient Hebrews, and other ancient civilizations, would have received it as describing efficient and final causation. Restated in different words, the author of Genesis described the creation of the functions and purpose of the universe and its contents. It describes the nature of completion; God rested on the seventh day by taking His place in the cosmic temple that He had set in order. 

The difficulties that arise from trying to interpret this passage as a scientific description of material origins are numerous. Equally difficult, in a different venue,  is trying to use scientific theories to prove metaphysical truth. These problems do not arise when we receive Genesis 1 as a description of spiritual realities. God’s purposes in His kingdom are described as bringing light, life, provision, and order out of chaos. Walton points to God’s words to Job (38:1-40:2) as a warning against  trying to link our scientific understanding to proof for or against His existence or His actions.

“The book [of Job] is full of Job’s demand for an explanation. When God finally appears, he does not offer an explanation, but offers a new insight to Job. By confronting Job with the vast complexity of the world, God shows that simplistic models are an inadequate basis for understanding what He is doing in the world.” (p 132)

In eighteen propositions, after explaining his epistemological approach to Genesis 1, Walton proposes an approach to deal with teaching science as it relates to matters of faith. The relation of evolution, intelligent design to empiricism and teleology must be addressed in order to properly teach science and the humanities.  He proposes that a clear divide does exist between the empiricism that defines science, and the humanities that address purpose and meaning. There may be evidence pointing to purpose in a scientific theory, but it cannot be proven because it is the wrong sort of stuff. They operate on different layers. 

The bottom line on the first chapter of Genesis is, for believers, that God is the immovable mover, the first cause, at all levels of existence, but this account does not provide scientific details. Rather, the chapter is written to describe that God, the YHWH of the Jews, assigned functions in order to accomplish His purposes, and then entered into the role He had prepared for Himself, as the God of the universe.