How the Science Versus Religion Debate Has Missed the Point of Genesis 1 and 2: Jacques Ellul (1912-1994)

Abstract

From a social and historical perspective, the conflict between science and religion regarding the opening chapters of Genesis in the Jewish and Christian Bibles may have more to do with uncritically reading these texts through our “cultural glasses” than with what these texts actually say. Within the context of his work, Jacques Ellul read these texts as having nothing to do with creation or evolution, but instead with the relations between God, his people, and the land. It includes a polemic against morality and religion as fundamental threats to these relations. This is an excerpt of a larger study of the first three chapters of Genesis, as well as other portions of the Jewish and Christian Bibles.

Keywords

science religion creation intelligent design evolution Genesis

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References

Chaine, J. ( 1949). Le livre de la Genèse [The Book of Genesis]. Paris, France: Cerf.

Chouraqui, A. ( 1992). Entête (La Genèse) [To begin with: Genesis] . Paris, France: Jean-Claude Lattès .

Ellul, J. ( 2010). On freedom, love, and power ( W. H. Vanderburg , Compiler , Ed., & Trans.). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

Fabre D’Olivet, A. ( 1971). La langue hébraïque restituée [The Hebrew Language Restored]. Paris, France: Éditions de la Tête de Feuille.

Vanderburg, W.H. ( 2004). Perspectives on our age: Jacques Ellul speaks on his life and work (2nd ed.). Toronto, Ontario, Canada: House of Anansi Press.