In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. So begins the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament and one of the worlds oldest tales. In Genesis Beginning, author Brian M. Boyce offers a Biblical account of creation re-told in rhymed verse. Helping the Bible come alive, this picture book geared toward children tells the story of how God created the earth and mankind in an understandable format. Taking scenes from the Bible, Boyce explores the timeless questions involving God and the universe. Through rhyme and illustration, he shares some of the worlds most ancient stories, fascinating in their account of the human condition. What would you put in a bath tub That was as big as the bowels of the Earth? It was easy for God to make something To fill up the tides and the surf. He made fishes from wishes to ride in the splishes And eels and whales galore. They ride on the tides, in deep caves abide And sleep near the oceans rock floor. Monsters and creatures and beings That fumed and bloomed and roared. Some of them still swim around us, Others died with the last dinosaurs.

Everything in the Bible—and in the Catholic Church—starts with the Book of Genesis. The Greek word genesis means "beginning", and this inspired text reveals to us not only our origins, but our purpose, our meaning, and God's plan for mankind. Yet Genesis can be daunting, especially given the scientific discoveries of the last few centuries. Stephen K. Ray, author of Crossing the Tiber, breaks down this sacred and profoundly influential book, wrestling with the complex intersection of history and theology. Thoroughly Catholic in his approach, Ray is unafraid to draw from sources of all kinds: from Jewish and Protestant commentaries, from archaeology, from geography, and even from modern literature. Genesis: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary uncovers the excitement and drama of this ancient narrative, so often ignored or misunderstood. In Ray's reading, the Book of Genesis is a shout of joy: "We can know where we came from! We can know who we are! We can know our destiny! And we are not alone in the universe!"

“Reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.” —The New York Times “One of the best books I have ever read…will live in the hearts of readers for the rest of their lives.” —Colby Sharp, founder of Nerdy Book Club “An emotional, painful, yet still hopeful adolescent journey…one that needed telling.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “I really loved this.” —Sharon M. Draper, author of the New York Times bestseller Out of My Mind This deeply sensitive and “compelling” (BCCB) debut novel tells the story of a thirteen-year-old who must overcome internalized racism and a verbally abusive family to finally learn to love herself. There are ninety-six reasons why thirteen-year-old Genesis dislikes herself. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list: -Because her family is always being put out of their house. -Because her dad has a gambling problem. And maybe a drinking problem too. -Because Genesis knows this is all her fault. -Because she wasn’t born looking like Mama. -Because she is too black. Genesis is determined to fix her family, and she’s willing to try anything to do so…even if it means harming herself in the process. But when Genesis starts to find a thing or two she actually likes about herself, she discovers that changing her own attitude is the first step in helping change others.

Does this view of Genesis violate the doctrine of revelation, inspiration, and authority of the scriptures? Indeed not. Surely God could, and did, inspire the unknown persons who wrote and compiled Genesis to write as they did, using whatever sources were at hand. The authority of Biblical versions of ancient legends is not diminished by having been adapted from pre-existing documents of the world from which Abraham came. We may believe that God was in control of the process by which these documents were transmitted, as well as of the modifications made to these ancient documents in the Hebrew accounts. There is no reason to think that the resulting documents which we now have are any less important and authoritative than if they had been provided by God by direct insertion into the minds of the authors. We may have confidence that the final result of the editorial process by which the Bible came to be written is precisely what God wanted it to be.

Genesis is the beginning of the Bible but it has got the beginning of everything else in it. Here is the beginning of the universe; the beginning of history; the beginning of the human race; the beginning of marriage and family life; the beginning of government and civilisation; the beginning of the arts; the beginning of music; the beginning of sin and the beginning of death. The book of Genesis begins with the living God and it ends with a dead man, and the last words in this book are “in a coffin”. That, in a sense, sums up the message of the book. History began with the living God but it very soon became about a dead man, and the tragic story of Genesis tells us about that. You will never answer the biggest questions in life unless you can go back to the beginning. It provides the clue to such questions as: “Where did the world come from? Why am I here? What is life all about? Is there any purpose at all?” You have to go back to the beginning to find the answers. Therefore, the book of Genesis is a thrilling book; it gives you the answers to such questions.

Reading Genesis presents a panoramic view of the most vital ways that Genesis is approached in modern scholarship. Essays by ten eminent scholars cover the perspectives of literature, gender, memory, sources, theology, and the reception of Genesis in Judaism and Christianity. Each contribution addresses the history and rationale of the method, insightfully explores particular texts of Genesis, and deepens the interpretive gain of the method in question. These ways of reading Genesis, which include its classic past readings, map out a pluralistic model for understanding Genesis in - and for - the modern age.