The Genesis Creation Days

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. — Gen. 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
— Gen. 1:1
As a scientist and as a Christian I have long been interested in the opening chapter of Genesis dealing with creation. This chapter has generated considerable controversy both within and outside the church. Since this chapter clearly identifies God as the creator, it will certainly conflict with the views of those in our society who believe that everything can be explained in terms of undirected natural causes. However, this chapter has also generated considerable controversy within the Christian church. The controversy here centers primarily on the timing of the creation events and whether the account should be interpreted literally or as a literary form.
In this paper I present some background information relating to the controversy and then summarize the major interpretations of the creation days in Genesis. I hope this will be helpful to those seeking to understand this important chapter.
The Table of Contents for this paper (labeled Contents) can be accessed on the top bar. To view or download a copy of this paper in Adobe Acrobat format click on the link Creation Days in Genesis (PDF).
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