The Universal Story: Genesis 1–11

“With relevant explorations on sex, technology, power, sin, death, and life, this is a book to which I shall return regularly. Highly recommended!”

The-Universal-Storyamazon_logo_500500

Genesis 1-11 is a parade of stories of humanity intertwined with the most intriguing subjects we still wrestle with today: the beginning of the cosmos, the nature of humanity, family, sex, deceit, death, murder, mass murder, ecology, agriculture, urbanization, and more.

In The Universal Story, Dru Johnson shows how Genesis 1–11 is written in a way that informs the rest of biblical history—including the exodus, the kings of Israel, the exile, the Gospels, and the early church. Genesis 1–11 presents a story of humanity that seeks to explain the background of every human endeavor. It is the universal story—the story of stories—because it is a story about how all of these things came to be the way the Hebrews understood them to be. These bizarre and ancient stories frame the story of God and His plan for earth and humanity. Through these stories, God speaks and pleads with us. Let us learn how to listen and hear God’s voice well in Genesis 1–11 and throughout the rest of Scripture.

Reviews
“Johnson’s short exploration of Genesis 1-11 is at once biblical, illuminating, provocative, and insightful. Readers will encounter the biblical text of Genesis and the ways it drives us to consider what it means to be human, living in God world, today. With relevant explorations on sex, technology, power, sin, death, and life, this is a book to which I shall return regularly. Highly recommended!”
—Dr. Heath A. Thomas, Dean, Herschel H. Hobbs College of Theology & Ministry and Professor of Old Testament, Oklahoma Baptist University

“Dru Johnson captivates his readers by highlighting the fact that Gen. 1­­—11 appeals to humanity’s biggest questions. He lists questions that modern readers bring to the text such as: How does evolution fit in the Biblical creation narrative? Why is Noah’s family portrayed so negatively? Further he cautions readers that a text from the Ancient Near East (ANE) is not always geared to answer such questions.”
—Reviewed by Lynsey Stepan, Euangelion Blog

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Genesis 1–11 and the Rest of Scripture
  3. Genesis 1: The Lineage of the Universe
  4. Genesis 2: Humans, Always in Relation
  5. Genesis 3–4: Humans Shift Their Trust
  6. Genesis 5–9: God Publicly Commits Himself to the World
  7. Genesis 10–11: Fame and Nations
  8. Genesis 1–11 in the World of Science
  9. Genesis 1–11 in the World of Ethics