How did the world come into being? Who is its creator? What role does humankind play in the larger scheme of creation? Andreas Schüle addresses these and related questions through close readings of Genesis 1-11 and scrutinizes faith in God as creator despite the experience of evil in the world.

The Primeval History (Genesis 1-11) is one of the most complex theological compositions of the Old Testament/the Hebrew Bible. Woven into its multi-layered text one finds reflections on an array of fundamental questions: How did the world come into being? Who is its creator? What role does humankind play in the larger scheme of creation? Why is the world that God made not a perfect one? And finally, is it possible to lead a meaningful and even happy life despite the unpredictabilities of existence? The essays by Andreas Schüle assembled in this volume address these and related questions through close readings of Genesis 1-11 and by relating them to kindred textual traditions throughout the Old Testament/the Hebrew Bible.

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Born 1968; studied Theology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Heidelberg; PhD in Semitic Studies (Heidelberg); PhD in Old Testament Studies (Heidelberg); Habilitation in Old Testament (Zurich); 2005-12 Professor of Biblical Exegesis and Old Testament at Union Presbyterian Seminary (Richmond, Virginia); since 2012 Professor for Exegesis and Theology of the Old Testament (Leipzig) and Extraordinary Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa).