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Genesis 1-3 In The Lost World Of Adam And Eve

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In The Lost World of Adam and Eve, Walton presents Genesis 1-3 in a way that many have never thought of before. Walton uses his extensive study of Ancient Near East texts and an open minded interpretation of Genesis in order to develop his theories. Walton proposes that the Genesis account is not a material origin but a functional origin Walton raises 21 “propositions” to present his case. Walton’s opening proposition brings to light that modern readers of Genesis are in a very low context setting of communication. This means that because we are separated by a large period of time, language, and cultural difference, we are not viewing the author’s words within the context they were originally given; therefore, it is very likely that we are …show more content…
Walton’s use of Adam as an archetype is essential to his argument because he does not believe Adam and Eve were the first humans. Although I have long believed in Adam as a “representative head”, I find the archetype argument interesting. I think that Walton is correct with his belief that humans have been born sinful since the fall because all participated in sin with Adam. However, I do not believe Adam is an archetype simply because of that. I think that if Adam was not the first man then the discussion of archetype and “representative head” is irrelevant, but if Adam was the original human he is not merely an archetype. Overall, I think that the discussion of archetype vs. representative head has little more than a minimal impact on the argument of Genesis 1-3. In conclusion, Walton’s approach to Genesis 1-3 is “outside the box” and unorthodox. Although I do not agree with many of the things Walton writes, I think that it is good for Christians to try to further understand scripture. Walton’s proposition does not need to be scientific and may be accepted by more people. It is not a salvation issue if one would believe one argument or another, so it does not matter what people choose to believe. I believe that Walton’s book could bring more people to the Word and accepting Jesus which makes it a successful interpretation of Genesis

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