In this week’s podcast, we learn from Dr. Jeffery M. Leonard about his book “Creation Rediscovered: Finding New Meaning in an Ancient Story,” which was written to help Christians understand the creation stories in our Hebrew Bible, while also appreciating what science tells us about our world. He talks with us about the struggle that many Christians face when trying to love their Bible and science – and ways to understand the various creation stories in our Hebrew Bible.
You can get this episode on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or YouTube. You can also listen or download the full podcast episode here.
In this episode, Dr. Leonard talks with us about:
• Understanding the mindset of ancient Hebrews writing about creation
• The Christian dilemma of loving the Bible & science
• Different creation narratives and allusions in the Hebrew Bible
• The cosmic battle between God and leviathan in Psalm & Job
• How to talk to kids about allusions and parables in the Bible
• How ancient Hebrew people thought how our world was structured
• Why Biblical authors thought the moon was a light and that stars would fall from the sky
• The church’s response to Copernicus that the earth isn’t the center of the universe
• How a misunderstanding of Sola Scriptura tripped up Luther, Melanchthon & Calvin
• Understanding that the Bible is a product of human authors and divine
• The Poetry & Allusions in Biblical Creation Accounts
• Creation Story in Genesis vs Babylonian Creation Account in Enuma Elish
• “Let there be Light”
• Why Genesis Doesn’t Include the Cosmic Battle Between God & Leviathan
• Advice for discouraged Christians when science and scripture clash
• What the Genesis creation story teaches us (and how it relates to Revelation)
Jeffery M. Leonard is Associate Professor of Religion at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, where he specializes in Hebrew, Hebrew Bible, and the ancient Near East. He received his MDiv from Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, and his PhD from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA.
