Project Genesis: Part One

Wait… there's no way it really says that in the Bible.

Created byJames Bower

Last updated 2/2023

English

What you'll learn

Experience the powerful and poetic beauty of the first creation story and the complexities of a reality where there aren’t plenty of fish in the sea
Enjoy the dysfunctional first family of the Bible as they move from nudity to God garments
Judge whether a rainbow can make everything better after the annihilation of virtually every living creature
Appraise your feelings as you read nearly unpronounceable names while learning the real reason why men are from Mars and women are from Venus
Read the story that convinced 26 US states that it is not so bad to allow first cousins to marry
Discover the events that ensured Lot would not win father of the year.

Course content

8 sections • 38 lectures • 4h 15m total length

Lecture 13:12
Welcome and Course Overview

Do you mind if I breathe into your nostrils?5:44
Student Reflections:
God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why would God create an attractive tree with edible fruit yet cause anyone who eats the fruit to die? 2:1-17
How do you spell giraffe?3:59
Student Reflections:
Because woman was taken out of man, men need to be joined to their wives and become one flesh. If woman were taken from the dust like Adam instead of out of him, would men and women still need to ditch their parents and be joined in holy matrimony?
no shirts, no shoes, no pants, no service9:26
Student Reflections:
Genesis chapter three gives us three reasons why the woman ate the forbidden fruit: she saw the tree was good for food, it was a delight to the eyes, and it was to be desired to make one wise. Are these three reasons good enough for the woman to eat the fruit snack?
Nod your head.10:15
Student Reflections:
Genesis doesn't explain why Yahweh did not respect Abel and his offering. What reasons can you imagine God having?
Preacher Commentary10:13

You Look Just Like Your Dad5:31
Student Reflections:
Genealogies can be a pain in the buttocks, bogging the reader down with an impossibly long list of names. Why do you think the biblical authors chose to include them?
Those human women are hot!7:22
Student Reflections:
The earth and humanity are not very old when God decides he's had enough of it. Did God expect a different result from his human experiment? If so, what does that say about his creation-building skills? If not, why would God create something destined to be so wicked?
dead, dead, dead3:28
Student Reflections:
The earth and humanity are not very old when God decides he's had enough of it. Did God expect a different result from his human experiment? If so, what does that say about his creation-building skills? If not, why would God create something destined to be so wicked?
Who wants some steaks, fresh from the grill?3:45
Student Reflections:
If a dove flaps its wings on Mount Ararat, will it set off dry land in Fresno?
I smell bacon!9:40
Student Reflections:
The sole surviving godly man gets drunk shortly after debarking the ark. What does this say about the nature of humanity?
Preacher Commentary9:57

In hopes that you will be forever asked to repeat yourself when people ask your0:53
Student Reflections:
Why are biblical names such as Noah, Isaac, and Seth still popular today while other names such as Arpachshad, Sabteca, and Eber were destined for the ash heaps of history?
I want to touch the sky!5:48
Student Reflections:
God says that nothing can stop humans if they can all speak the same language. What accomplishments could they have achieved if God did not confuse their language?
Honey you’re so beautiful! Maybe a little bit too beautiful…8:08
Student Reflections:
Since it is Abram who tells his wife Sarah to tell the Egyptians she is his sister – and pharaoh treats Abram very well by giving him slaves and camels and more – is it fair that God punishes pharaoh and his household with plagues? Should Abram have been punished instead?
Livestock battle!4:47
Student Reflections:
How do you think Abram felt when God told him all the land he could see would be his?
Preacher Commentary8:49
Preacher's Commentary

Don’t forget to take the women back also.5:27
Student Reflections:
Melchizedek brings out bread and wine before he blesses Abram. What about this combination of food and beverage has made them still prevalent today?
What do you get when you cross a heifer, a lady goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a6:48
Student Reflections:
Why is it so important to God that Abram knows his offspring will be vast in number?
Call me Ishmael.6:46
Student Reflections:
When the angel of the Lord attempts to console Hagar by telling her her son will be, "… Like a wild donkey among men [often translated "wild ass of a man"], do you think the angel's words made Hagar feel better or worse?
You want me to cut off what?8:42
Student Reflections:
Why do you think God chose circumcision as the sign of his covenant with Israel instead of a secret handshake?
Preacher Commentary10:58
Preacher's Commentary

Sweet, sweet veal!2:29
Student Reflections:
Abraham goes above and beyond his duties as a host by giving strangers a feast with a fresh calf at its centerpiece. Why is Abraham so anxious to please these guests?
50 righteous men, now 45, now 40, will you give me 40? 30 righteous men, no6:11
Student Reflections:
Abraham bargains with God to ensure righteous people are not killed by God in Sodom. Did he believe God would destroy the righteous along with the wicked? If so, why?
You have got to appreciate their honesty.6:22
Student Reflections:
Imagine you are at home with several guests and people from your city gather at your door demanding they rape your company; what would your reaction be, and is offering your two virgin daughters to the crowd a viable option?
Hey daddy, can I pour you some wine?3:25
Student Reflections:
Why were Lot's daughters so desperate to continue the family line that they would resort to incestual relations with their father? Do you think the sex was any good?
Preacher Commentary10:24
Preacher's Commentary

Sister knows best.6:31
Student Reflections:
Should Abraham consider hiring a bodyguard since he is so afraid his gorgeous wife will get him killed?
From laughter to very rude6:44
Student Reflections:
What does casting out Hagar and her son say about Sarah's character? Is she being sensible or reprehensible?
I love you, but I have to kill you.8:22
Student Reflections:
If someone today proclaimed that God asked him/her to sacrifice her/his son, the government would institutionalize the parent and the son taken from his parent for safety. Why does it seem natural to Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac?
Bury the dead.1:20
Student Reflections:
Why does Abraham insist he pays for the burial plot rather than receiving it as a gift?
Wife quest10:53
Student Reflections:
Abraham refuses to allow his son to marry a Canaanite woman even though they're living among them. Does this make him a racist or a bigot?
Haven’t I heard this before? Or happily ever after2:43
Student Reflections:
Does it seem creepy that Isaac takes Rebecca into his mother's tent to get married?
Preacher Commentary9:27
Preacher's Commentary
Part One Closing0:34
Farewell for Now

Requirements

A digital copy of Genesis (as well as the rest of the Bible) will be provided as well as links to websites that lead to dozens of translations.
For those who prefer a physical copy, most English translations of Genesis and the entire Bible will suffice.
While most English translations will work for the course, consider this option: The HarperCollins Study Bible: Fully Revised & Updated Revised Edition (ISBN: 0061228400). It is a superb translation with thorough commentary by some of the world’s best biblical scholars.

Description

Did you know that Abraham married his half-sister? Did you know that after the great flood, Noah got drunk and one of his sons saw him naked and Noah him exiled for it?

These are a few things you will learn if you take this course. You will realize the Biblical book of Genesis is a marvelous and sensational work of literature rather than simply a part of a religious tome often used to cudgel infidels into submission. The lessons will offer a fresh and diverse reading for those already familiar with the book of Genesis. For those unfamiliar with Genesis, including atheists and agnostics, it will present an overview of Genesis in a way that doesn’t have the pressure or trappings of formal religious thoughts. The course will include a bonus section crafted by a real-life preacher, giving the viewer a well-rounded perspective. The series would likely not appeal to Christian fundamentalists or most evangelicals with rigid views concerning the Bible. This course aims to entertain and educate with no agenda to lead people to or from faith in any religion and, at its core, offers no devotional elements. Writing prompts will be given for those who want to dig more deeply into personal reflections.

This is the first of a series of video-based courses that will cover the entire Christian Bible, including the deuterocanonical (apocryphal) books. Part One will cover Genesis chapters 1-24.

Who this course is for:

people who want to examine Genesis in a whimsical (and at times sardonic and ironic laced with parody and humor) manner to provoke curiosity.
people who are willing to reflect on every aspect of Genesis, stories filled with sex and violence and salacious details rarely heard from the pulpit or in polite company
people who have tried to read Genesis but find it too dense to finish
people who have gone to church, Sunday school, vacation Bible school, youth group, or general Bible studies but found Genesis dull and convoluted
people who want to look at Genesis while mixing humor, entertainment, literary elements, and more
people who aren’t easily offended and are willing to look beyond an evangelical or fundamentalist interpretation of Genesis
people of any faith hoping to look beyond a standard view of the Bible
people with no beliefs: atheists, skeptics, and agnostics who want to take a closer look at Genesis and gain a deeper secular understanding
people who are curious since Genesis is a book of faith for billions of people around the world
people who don’t want to deal with proselytizing or any effort to force a particular belief on them
people who have an open mind and know there are many interpretations of Genesis
People with a very rigid view of the Bible and are easily offended will likely not enjoy this course.
While the Bible is a religious book, this is NOT a devotional or religious course; instead, it is a light-hearted and riotous romp through Genesis chapters one through twenty-four.
This is the first in a series of courses covering the entirety of the Christian Bible.

Project Genesis: Part One

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Module 11 lecture • 3min

Module 2: The Beginning of the Beginning: Chapters 1-2:33 lectures • 31min

Module 3: It’s Her Fault! Read: Genesis 2:4-4:265 lectures • 40min

Module 4: Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head: Read Genisis chapters 5-96 lectures • 40min

Module 5: Who Became the Father of Whom? Read: Genisis chapters 10-135 lectures • 28min

Module 6: Promises, Promises: Read: Genesis chapters 14-175 lectures • 39min

Module 7: Please Pass the Salt: Read: Genesis chapters 8-195 lectures • 29min

Module 8: That’s Not My Sister; That’s My Wife! Read: Genesis chapters 20-248 lectures • 47min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: