C. John Collins - Reading Genesis Well: Navigating History, Poetry, Science, and Truth in Genesis 1-11

Anyone struggling to relate Genesis 111 to modern knowledge should welcome Collinss work. His literary, rhetorical, and theological analysis breaks the bonds of literalism that bind many scholars and fundamentalists, showing how the text gives the faithful the divinely approved way of picturing the events and that there are actual events that the pictures refer to. His approach, indebted to C. S. Lewis, allows modern readers to appreciate the familiar ancient stories more richlyto read them well!

Alan Millard

Emeritus Rankin Professor of Hebrew & Ancient Semitic Languages, The University of Liverpool

In the beginning and throughout the process of reading, there is interpretation. This is true of all books but especially of the Bible. The peoples of the earth have for centuries been reading Genesis according to their own hermeneutical kinds. And God saw that it was not always good. I therefore thank God for Jack Collinss masterful guide to reading Scriptures good-faith communication in good faith, with literary sensitivity, an ear to the history of interpretation, and an eye on the present scientific context. Reading Genesis Well lives up to its title and then some. The first third treats biblical interpretation in general and is itself worth the price of the book. The rest of the book puts his reading strategy to work. He builds on C. S. Lewiss critical and imaginative approach to reading then offers a contextually sensitive account of just what the author of Genesis is saying and doing in . Its important for reading the rest of Scripture to get the beginning right, and Collins here provides the resources for doing just that.

Kevin J. Vanhoozer

Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

An intelligent and well-informed discussion about reading the Bible sensibly and sensitively, especially the early chapters of Genesis. Collins brings the delightful common sense of C. S. Lewis to this confused and controversial area, and the result is a book that not only develops a coherent approach to reading but is also entertaining to read. There is an overwhelming amount of literature on the topic of how to read Genesis: It is worth taking time for this one.

Kristen Birkett

Lecturer in Ethics, Philosophy, and Church History, Oak Hill Theological College

Reading Genesis Well is a book aptly titled. Jack Collins once again shows himself to be a careful exegete and wise guide. He skillfully examines the biblical text with an eye attentive to both its ancient Near Eastern setting and its divine revelatory content. His treatment of the relevant biblical, theological, literary, historical, and scientific questions is masterful and judicious.

Paul Copan

Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and coauthor of Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration

Since I first came across Jack Collinss work (some twenty-odd years ago), it stood out for me as a model of honest and respectful interaction between reading the Bible and science. Ive always been impressed by his way of combining respect for the Bibles teaching, willingness to let the Word of God speak for itself (without superposing foreign categories on it), insights from modern linguistics, and a thorough concern for dialogue with science.

Lydia Jaeger

Directrice des tudes, Institut Biblique de Nogent, Nogent-sur-Marne, France

This book is full of good sense about biblical interpretation. Readers who work through the principles and examples in the early chapters will be prepared for an approach to Genesis that prioritizes the intended message of the sacred text rather than modern disputes. Those who want the Scriptures to set the agenda regarding creation will benefit from this careful appropriation of C. S. Lewiss literary wisdom. Jack Collins has the spiritual sensitivity, exegetical skill, and theological savvy to be a trustworthy guide.

Dan Treier

Knoedler Professor of Theology and PhD Program Director, Wheaton College Graduate School

In Reading Genesis Well, C. John Collins teaches us how to be good readers of Genesis 111. Collins guides conservative readers between the twin errors either of interpreting the text in a woodenly literalistic fashion or of segregating Genesis and science into entirely different realms. Rather, he leads the reader to approach Genesis with linguistic and literary tools provided by C. S. Lewis. The result is an excellent theological reading of the first chapters of Genesis.

Kenneth Keathley

Senior Professor of Theology, Jesse Hendley Endowed Chair of Biblical Theology, and Director of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture

Jack Collins provides the kind of work on Genesis 111 we need today: a careful, balanced analysis that will guide readers of good will to greater understanding. Collins cuts through liberal and conservative rhetorical politics to help readers see what is really in this great summative passage.

Paul House

Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

A trenchant and yet irenic critique of literalistic interpretations of Genesis 111, whether on the part of skeptics or of Bible-science defenders... an impressive inter-disciplinary investigation that is both informative and thought-provoking.

William Lane Craig

President, Reasonable Faith, and Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology and Houston Baptist University

As a religious Jew, I found Jack Collinss Reading Genesis Well to be a highly erudite and fascinating exposition by a religious Christian of the foundational stories of Genesis 111. The author is a superior scholarthoughtful, cautious, measured, and ethically sensitive. I appreciated very much the wealth of information on Christian perceptions of Genesis. It was also encouraging to learn that, both in terms of his methodology of analysis and religious understanding, a considerable fortuitous overlap exists between Christian and Jewish comprehensions. For all the reasons mentioned above, I heartily recommend the book.

Professor Jeremiah Unterman

Herzl Institute and author of Justice for All: How the Jewish Bible Revolutionized Ethics

We know what Genesis says. But how many of us are confident that we know what it means? In this insightful and imaginative volume, Jack Collins gives us the tools we need to understand these vital opening chapters of the Bible. With C. S. Lewis as a conversation partner, Collins walks us through contested terrain with the settled step of a seasoned trail guide. His writing is precise but not pedantic, learned yet practical. Reading Genesis Well delivers even more than it promises, teaching us skills and principles that also apply to the entire Bible.

Rebecca Rine

Assistant Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College

Every student and scholar of Scripture should read Collinss Reading Genesis Well. It is that rare piece of biblical scholarship that manages to be thoroughly conversant in the wide-ranging scholarship relevant to its subject, while managing to be quite readable and intuitive. In the process, it offers a fresh and compelling way of reading the Bible and the opening texts of Genesis with integrity. Collins has found a way through the interpretive thicket that frustrates ordinary Christians and misleads many prominent biblical scholars. Whether you have studied the Bible for decades or just want to read it more carefully, you will benefit from this book.