Episode 137: The BIG Question: Who Was Noah?

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En provenance du cours de University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101

25 notes

University of Alberta

Science & Religion 101

25 notes

This course examines the nature of both science and religion and attempts to explore the possible relationships between them. The primary purpose is to dispel the popular myth that science and religion are entrenched in a never-ending conflict. As a result, this course argues that if the limits of both science and religion are respected, then their relationship can be complementary. Topics include: Science and Religion Categories and Foundational Principles, Definitions of Science and Religion, Science-Religion Models and Relationships, Intelligent Design and Natural Revelation, the Galileo Affair, Geology and Noah’s Flood, Evolution and Darwin’s Religious Beliefs, the Modern “Evolution” vs. “Creation” Debate, the Problem of Evil, and Interpretations of the Biblical Accounts of Origins in Genesis 1-11. The course employs a Constructive Teaching Style in order that students can develop their personal views on the relationship between science and religion and on each of the topics listed above. St. Joseph's College is a Catholic, undergraduate, liberal arts college on the University of Alberta campus. It is an independent institution that is affiliated with the University of Alberta.

À partir de la leçon

Geology & the Biblical Flood

Over the 20 years that I have taught this course, I have found that religious students struggle the most with the topic of Noah’s flood in the Bible (Genesis 6-9). The first half of this section is a brief history of geology, beginning with the worldwide flood as the central paradigm and ending with its complete elimination from science. This is another example of science powerfully impacting religion. In the second half, the three basic views of the biblical flood are presented—Global Flood, Local Flood, and Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory. In particular, the challenging topic of whether or not Noah was a real person in history is explored. We also consider the notion that the biblical flood (Genesis 6-9) is composed of two original sources (Jahwist and Priestly sources).

Episode 117: Key Thoughts. Biblical Texts on the Flood6:11

Episode 118: Biblical Texts on the Flood (Continued) Brief History of Geology & the Biblical Flood4:10

Episode 119: The Early Church & the Flood. Flood Scholarship4:07

Episode 120: Flood Scholarship (Continued). St. Augustine on the Flood4:23

Episode 121: St. Augustine on the Flood (Continued)5:51

Episode 122: The Middle Ages & the Flood. The Early Modern Period & the Flood5:27

Episode 123: The Early Modern Period & the Flood (Continued)4:57

Episode 124: Niels Steensen & Principle of Superposition. Global Flood Theories5:43

Episode 125: The Beginning of Geology. James Hutton & Principle of Actualism4:37

Episode 126: Catastrophism. Adam Sedgwick’s Recantation5:05

Episode 127: Conclusion: The Beginning of Geology. 19th Century Modern Geology4:43

Episode 128: 19th Century Modern Geology (Continued) The Anti-Geologists3:53

Episode 129: 19th Century Modern Geology (Continued) The Harmonizers4:55

Episode 130: Conclusion: Brief History of Geology & the Biblical Flood7:00

Episode 131: What about Noah’s Flood? (1) Global Flood Theory7:37

Episode 132: (2) Local Flood4:19

Episode 133: (3) Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory5:34

Episode 134: Re-Cycled & Re-Interpreted Flood Motif Theory (Continued)5:28

Episode 135: Origin of the Biblical Flood Account (Gen 6-9)4:39

Episode 136: Evidence for Two Sources in Biblical Flood Account (Gen 6-9)9:24

Episode 137: The BIG Question: Who Was Noah?5:28

Hermeneutics 13B: The Heavens & Ancient Astronomy (Part I). The Firmament8:33

Rencontrer les enseignants

Denis Lamoureux
Associate Professor
St. Joseph's College

Episode 137.

I know that you've been very patient, but the big question I suspect

that you've been wanting to ask is this, who exactly was Noah?

Here is the answer.

Noah, is the creation of re-cycling and theological re-interpreting.

According to this theory, there were real Mesopotamian floods and

real Mesopotamian flood survivors.

The Mesopotamians interpret these events in the light of their pagan theology, and

then they write down their flood accounts and focus on a central flood hero.

The Hebrews then recycle and re-interpret the Mesopotamian flood accounts.

And here's the key idea, the Mesopotamian flood hero is morphed

into the flood hero of the biblical flood account, and this is Noah.

He is a morphed Mesopotamian flood hero.

It's important to emphasize, Noah is not a literary invention, or

fictional character in an allegory or fictional story.

The P author, the J author, and

the redactor believe that Noah was a real person.

To fully appreciate this view of Noah, we need to think like the ancient Hebrews.

They would've argued, yes,

there really was a worldwide flood, everybody knows that.

But no, it was not launched because noisy humans stopped the gods from sleeping.

Instead, it was launched by the God of the Hebrews because humans were sinful.

The Hebrews would have also argued, yes, there really was a man.

His family and animals saved in an ark but, no, it was not the pagan

flood heroes, Ziusudra, Atrahasis or Utnapishtim.

Instead it was the only righteous man, Noah,

who was saved by the Hebrew God.

To further explain this approach to Noah and the flood,

let me offer a modern example of re-cycling and re-interpreting.

This would be evolutionary creation.

Evolutionary creationist like myself argue, yes,

living organisms originated through biological evolution.

Every biologist knows that, but, no, its not a destriological process.

Instead, it's a process that was ordained and sustained by God.

In the light of our discussions on Noah and the flood,

we can take the Message-Incident Principle and offer a new application.

Please turn to page 40 in the class hand outs.

The central message of faith in the biblical flood account is not difficult

to understand.

God judges humans for sin, and God saves the righteous person.

As well, Noah is also typological, that is,

he is an example of a righteous person who obeyed God.

In order to deliver these messages of faith,

God allowed the great flood motif to be used as an incidental vessel.

In the ancient world, the flood is ancient historiography

based on an ancient phenomenological perspective.

Belief in a worldwide flood is the history of the day in the ancient near east.

In other words, it is an ancient understanding of history.

To repeat, in Genesis 6 to 9,

the flood is used as an incidental vessel to deliver spiritual truths.

In this way, the Holy Spirit accommodated and

allowed the Mesopotamian flood accounts and their flood hero,

to be recycled and reinterpreted into the biblical flood account and Noah.

And so here is the bottom line, and

this might be a bit uncomfortable for some of you.

The biblical man, Noah, never existed.

Now, there's no doubt about it, this idea that Noah never

existed is quite shocking and even distressing to most Christians.

As I mentioned earlier,

this section of the course is the one that Christians struggle with the most.

Here's a couple suggestions that I'd have for the Christians.

Firstly, never lose perspective.

Christianity is not based on Noah, it's based on Jesus.

And my second suggestion is, just leave this theory of recycling and

reinterpreting flood motifs as that, leave it as a theory,

and let it percolate in your mind for a while.

And you'll see when you revisit this in the future,

it won't bite or be as shocking as when you first learned about it.

End of episode.

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