In this episode, we get down and dirty and nerdy with Scripture, specifically with the first three chapters of Genesis. We’re breaking down the misconceptions about the text that we were taught by the evangelical churches we grew up in, and providing another way of looking at these topics from a scientific and LGBTQ+ affirming standpoint, while also honoring its place in the bigger story of God. We also discuss what the Bible is to us, as progressive Christians (definitely not inerrant, we can tell you that), and bring up our curiosities about the Creation narratives (yes, plural) that still remain unanswered.
Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, @RtGardenPodcast on Twitter. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd, @April_TheWriter (April is on Twitter and Insta)
Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!
Sources used in this episode [note: we are big proponents of clarity, so if a source we use is from a person who we know is not LGBTQ+ affirming, we will disclose that here!]:
For more information about the anonymous sources of the Hebrew Bible writings:https://www.britannica.com/topic/biblical-source
Inspired by Rachel Held Evans
A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
The works of Austen Hartke (YouTube, his book "Transforming")
“Science and Faith” from the Exploring My Strange Bible Podcast (Tim Mackie is not LGBTQ+ affirming, but is an expert when it comes to the texts of Genesis 1 and 2, and he does not speak directly about gender/sexuality in this episode)
Articles on BioLogos, a pro-science Christian org (BioLogos appears to be undisclosed in their position re: LGBTQ+ affirmation):
This explains the ancient Hebrew view of cosmology as represented in Genesis:https://biologos.org/articles/the-ancient-science-in-the-bible
Pete Enns discussing the Babylonian creation narrative and how that impacted the Hebrew Scripture creation narrative (Pete Enns is affirming, yay!): https://biologos.org/articles/genesis-1-and-a-babylonian-creation-story
The Lost World of Genesis One is cited by both RHE and Mackie as a source on their understanding of the text. The author, John Walton, as of 2019, is not LGBTQ+ affirming.
Jewish perspective on why God says "Let *us* create humans in *our* image": https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/558595/jewish/Who-was-Gd-addressing-when-saying-Let-US-create-man.htm
Read if you dare, John Piper’s explanation of complementarianism (CW obvi, evangelical bullshit): https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/god-created-man-male-and-female
Again, if you dare, a video that sheds light on John’s complementarian views and particularly his interpretation of Eve in Genesis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSvwEB2WDAU
