God Saw That It Was Good, Not Perfect

Huli Ramantswana’s canonical-dialogic reading of Genesis 1–3 is a good example of how contemporary approaches to biblical studies can uncover novel and exciting perspectives on biblical narratives. The author demonstrates how these passages, beyond the concerns of prior historical-critical or other synchronic approaches, reveal several layers of dialogue, within various units of the text, between adjacent units of Gen 1–3 and between this passage and other passages in the Hebrew canon. The result of such dialogical reading shows a more complex scenario than a simple motion between a perfect creation in Gen 1:1–2:4 and a degenerate creation in Gen 2:5–3. Rather, the question of good and bad, as two sides of a coin, remain interwoven into the tapestry of the entire narrative, and for the good reason of propelling a non-ideal creation towards its full potential. I recommend this work to students, scholars, and pastors alike, both for its academic rigor and for its ease of language.

Michael K. Mensah, PhD
Lecturer,
Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

This is a fascinating book. Its canonical-dialogical reading goes beyond traditional methods and church dogmas, and tries to do justice to the multiple voices about creation found in the Old Testament. In Genesis 1–3, creation is portrayed as “very good” and inherently bad simultaneously. The book’scanonical-dialogic approach interrogates the ongoing internal dialogue in Genesis 1–3 and within the wider Old Testament, including other creation traditions in the Psalter and the Prophets, and the building of the sanctuary in the second half of Exodus. This book will stimulate debate in the church and academia about our understanding of creation.

Esias E. Meyer, DTh
Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures,
University of Pretoria, South Africa

In his exploration of the concept “God saw that it was good,” Professor Ramantswana highlights the importance of intertextuality within the creation narrative, particularly in the passages of Genesis 1:1–2:4a and Genesis 2:4b–25. He emphasizes that a thorough understanding of this complex idea requires examining the internal dialogue among these texts. The book also delves into the conflicts presented within the creation story, focusing on different paradigms. This examination is designed to aid both scholars and everyday readers of the Bible, regardless of their religious background, in their spiritual growth and understanding. Professor Ramantswana argues that the creation narrative is multifaceted and becomes challenging to interpret when its various elements are viewed in isolation. By treating the creation story as a cohesive whole, the book enables readers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of its dynamics.

Tshokolo J. Makutoane, PhD
Academic Head of the Department of Hebrew,
University of the Free State, South Africa

1. List of Abbreviations
2. Acknowledgements
3. Chapter 1 Introduction: Trends in the Study of Genesis 1–3 and Methodology
1. Some Trends in the Study of Genesis 1–3
2. Modern Critical Readings of Genesis 1–3
3. Synchronic and Canonical Readings of Genesis 1–3
4. Postmodern Interpretation
5. Methodology: Canonical-Dialogic Reading
6. Canonical Approach
7. Dialogism
4. Chapter 2 Internal Dialogue in Genesis 1:1–2:4a: God Saw That It Was Good, But Not All Was Good
1. Introduction
2. The Good Creation – “God Saw That It Was Good”
3. Genesis 1:1–2:4a – Good in Contrast to What?
4. From an Unproductive and Uninhabited Earth to a Productive and Inhabited Earth
5. Coexistence of the Good with the Bad
6. Second Day – A Separator between Heaven and Earth
7. Conclusion
5. Chapter 3 Genesis 1:1–2:4a in Dialogue with Genesis 2:4b–25: Paradisiacal Situation Not All That Good
1. Introduction
2. Dialogic Relationship Between Two Creation Narratives
3. Paradiasical Situation Not All That Good
4. Limited Divine Presence in the Garden of Eden
5. Adam, Image of God – Dust from the Ground
6. The Good and the Bad in Paradise: The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad
7. Creation of Woman as a Correction of a “Not Good” Situation and the Separation from God
8. Conclusion
6. Chapter 4 Genesis 1:24–2:4a in Dialogue with Genesis 3:1–24 (Fall Creation Story): The Fall of Humanity within the Scope of God’s Very Good Creation
1. Introduction
2. Humanity Pronounced “Good” or Not
3. Genesis 1:24–31 in Dialogue with Genesis 3
4. The Presence of a Deceptive Serpent in the Garden, a Sacred Space
5. Clean and Unclean Food
6. Fallen but Functional Creation
7. Conclusion
7. Chapter 5 Conflicts at Creation
1. Introduction
2. Creation with or without Conflict, or Conflicts at Creation
3. Rebellion in the Sea
4. Rebellion on Land
5. Conclusion
8. Chapter 6 Creatio in Extremis: First Creation as Paradigm for Eschatological Uncreation and Re-Creation
1. Introduction
2. Genesis 1–11: Creation – Uncreation – Re-creation Pattern
3. Israel’s Prophets: Eschatological Uncreation and New Creation
4. The Day of Judgment as a Day of Uncreation
5. Eschatological New Creation
6. Conclusion
9. Chapter 7 Conclusion
10. Bibliography