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God First, Then Religion?: The Book of Genesis: A Narrative and Theological Study
Paperback
Series: God or Religion? Serious, Book 2
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jun 11 2026
Pages: 316
Weight: 0.93
Height: 0.71 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
God First, Then Religion? The Book of Genesis
What does Genesis actually say?
Before doctrine, tradition, and centuries of interpretation, the Book of Genesis presents a foundational narrative that has shaped religious thought, theology, and human understanding for millennia. Yet beneath its familiar stories lies a complex world of covenant, creation, promise, judgment, exile, inheritance, reconciliation, and divine purpose.
This volume offers a comprehensive narrative and theological study of Genesis, following the text from Creation to the death of Joseph. Rather than approaching Genesis through predetermined conclusions, the study examines the narrative on its own terms, exploring its literary structure, theological themes, covenantal development, and recurring textual tensions.
Topics explored include:
- Creation and the nature of God
- Humanity, responsibility, and moral choice
- The Flood and the reordering of the world
- Babel, language, and human ambition
- Abraham and the emergence of covenant history
- Promise, inheritance, and divine selection
- Jacob, identity, struggle, and transformation
- Joseph, providence, preservation, and reconciliation
- The development of covenant across generations
- Major textual tensions and theological questions within Genesis
Special attention is given to the internal structure of the narrative, recurring literary patterns, and the relationship between divine purpose and human action. Difficult passages are not ignored but examined carefully within their narrative and theological context.
Genesis begins with creation and ends with a coffin in Egypt. Between those two points unfolds one of the most influential narratives ever written a story of beginnings, promises, conflict, displacement, preservation, and hope.
Part of the ongoing God or Religion? Research Series, this study is intended for students of Scripture, researchers, theologians, and readers seeking a deeper engagement with the biblical text.
H. Cumaili
Independent Researcher
Biblical Hermeneutics - Hebrew Semantics - Comparative Abrahamic Studies
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