We need to talk – a meander

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: Dec 20, 2015
Keywords:
Genesis, creation, dialogue

Main Article Content

Ian M. Fraser
Formerly Warden of Scottish Churches House in Dunblane, Executive Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Dean and Head of the Department of Mission at Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham

Abstract

Dr Ian Fraser reminds us, that despite modern cultural assumptions to the contrary, the Book of Genesis states that human beings are expressly forbidden ‘to work their own will on the world’. We are to fulfil God’s will, not ours, for the development of the world. On the basis of Genesis, he argues, human beings are not simply to subdue the Earth, but to take care of it and cultivate it. This cherishing of the Earth and its living beings is, therefore, our human responsibility. Referring to the development of the universe, Fraser explores the meaning of ‘creation’, and argues for the importance of dialogue between the disciplines. He returns to the text of the first chapters of Genesis which presages the history contained in the Old and New Testaments and concludes by offering a further five cosmological points for further consideration.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 22 No. 2 (2015)
Section
Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish in the journal grant to Theology in Scotland, St Mary’s College, University of St Andrews (“the Publisher”), the following:

1. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to reproduce, republish, transmit, sell, distribute, and otherwise use the Work in electronic and print editions of the Journal and in derivative works throughout the world, in all languages, and in all media now known or later developed.

2. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to create and store electronic archival copies of the Work, including the right to deposit the Work in open access digital repositories.

3. An irrevocable non-exclusive right to license others to reproduce, republish, transmit, and distribute the Work under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial [CC-BY-NC] 4.0 licence.

Copyright in the Work remains with the author and the author retains the right to reuse the article (e.g., in institutional repositories, on their website or published in a book).

Warranties

The Author represents and warrants that the Work is the Author’s original work and that it does not violate or infringe the law or the rights of any third party and, specifically, that the Work contains no matter that is defamatory or that infringes any literary or proprietary rights, intellectual property rights, or any rights of privacy. It is the author's responsibility to obtain written permission to reproduce copyright-protected material in her/his article.

The Author also warrants that he or she has the full power to make this agreement, and if the Work was prepared jointly, the Author agrees to inform the co-Authors of the terms of this Agreement and to obtain their signature to this Agreement or their written permission to sign on their behalf. The Author indemnifies the Publisher against any losses and other expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, after final judgment of any claim or action against any or all of these warranties.