Christian interpretations of the creation
There are many interpretations of the biblical accounts of creation among Christians today.
Many believe that God brought the universe into being from nothing. This is sometimes referred to as ex nihilo. Some believe that it was created from matter that already existed. This is sometimes referred to as ex materia.
Some Christians take the biblical accounts of creation literally, believing that they describe exactly how the universe and human beings were created.
Other Christians regard these accounts as more like parableA story told by Jesus through which he teaches and illustrates moral lessons and principles.or symbolic accounts that tell, in story form, the profound truth that God brought the universe and all that is in it into being, and sustains his creation. These Christians might look to science to help them understand how God did this.
Question
Explain why there may be differences in belief about creation within Christianity.
There may be differences in belief about creation in Christianity as a result of the different ways that the Bible can be interpreted. Literal Christians believe that the world was created by God in six days before he rested on the seventh, as stated in Genesis. Literalists take the Bible to be true exactly as it is written, and so they would have no room for scientific theories in their beliefs. Non-literalist Christians, also known as liberal Christians, have a more mythical interpretation of the Bible. They believe that the stories should be understood in a more symbolic way. This means they do not always believe exactly what is written in the Bible. A liberal Christian may believe in a mixture of what is stated in Genesis and the scientific theories. For example, they may believe that God caused the Big Bang or evolution. This allows them to keep their belief that God created the world, but also to allow the scientific theories which carry more evidence to play a part.
