Reclaiming Genesis

Reclaiming Genesis
Melvin Tinker
Monarch Books 2010

Reclaiming Genesis is more an exposition than a commentary dealing with the first twelve foundational chapters of Genesis. These chapters are foundational, not just for the rest of Genesis and the Pentateuch, but for the whole Bible.

The book consists of ten chapters, each basically dealing with one chapter of Genesis, except for Genesis 7 (part of Noah's story on the ark) and 10 (a genealogy from Noah's sons).

Tinker takes a literary approach to the early chapters of Genesis and sees the primary meaning of these chapters in theological and polemical terms. He also argues that there is no need to accept a Young Earth Creationist (YEC) standpoint and even accepts that theistic evolution would be a compatible view with Genesis, so long as we only accept evolution as a mechanism under God's control. It is evolutionism - the naturalistic view that the life in the universe came about and continues without God - that the Christian view of creation cannot accept.

Rather than on the 'how" of creation, Tinker's chapter on Genesis One focuses on the chapters polemics against paganism, and a functional view of creation whereby God fits the universe to be "the theatre of his glory" (Calvin) and fills it with creatures.

A similar viewpoint carries us through the other chapters through to God's calling Abram in Genesis 12.

Tinker himself claims that much of what he writes would be agreed by Christians, no matter what view of creation we accept. In other words, much of what he says Genesis One teaches would not be denied by YECs. I'm sure he is correct in this. Even so, I think many would have problems with Tinker's acceptance that Genesis One does not rule of the biological evolution of life, even the descent of human beings from other primates.

This book is of value to all Christians, even those who cannot accept anything other than a YEC interpretation of Genesis. As someone who also takes a literary-theological approach to Genesis One (albeit a slightly different one), I found that a lot of what Tinker says made sense. I think he shows that the main points of these chapters of Genesis is not arguing over science, but seeing God as he really is and human beings as we really are.