Episode Summary
Does the Book of Genesis contradict science? Do Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 tell competing stories? And if the universe is billions of years old, does that mean the Bible got creation wrong?
In this episode of Ask a Priest, Fr. Tim explains that one of the biggest mistakes we can make when reading Scripture is ignoring literary genre and authorial intent. The Bible is a collection of books containing different forms of writing, including poetry, law, letters, historical narrative, wisdom literature, and more.
Genesis 1–3 presents creation and humanity’s beginnings through a richly theological narrative with poetic and symbolic features. It is not written as a modern scientific textbook. But that does not mean Catholics dismiss Genesis as fiction or as something disconnected from reality. Genesis communicates real truths about God’s creation, humanity’s beginnings, the fall, original sin, and our need for redemption.
Biblical truth is not limited to the kind of explanation offered by modern science. Scripture communicates, through different literary forms, what God intends to reveal about creation, humanity, sin, salvation, and our relationship with Him.
Among the foundational truths Fr. Tim highlights are that God created the universe, creation is good, human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, humanity is created male and female, and sin is real. Genesis also reveals the reality of the fall: humanity’s first disobedience wounded our relationship with God and introduced sin and death into human history.
Episode Transcript
[00:00:00 –> 00:00:02] Why incense? Why incense at mass?
[00:00:02 –> 00:00:05] Why incense in the Catholic Church? What’s it all about?
[00:00:05 –> 00:00:08] (gentle music)
[00:00:09 –> 00:00:10] I remember when I was in college,
[00:00:10 –> 00:00:13] one of my friends asked the priest,
[00:00:13 –> 00:00:14] “Why do we do incense?
[00:00:14 –> 00:00:16] It smells horrible. It’s annoying.
[00:00:16 –> 00:00:18] I cough every time I smell incense.”
[00:00:18 –> 00:00:20] And the priest responded,
[00:00:20 –> 00:00:23] “It’s either incense in heaven or sulfur in hell.
[00:00:23 –> 00:00:24] Get used to it.”
[00:00:24 –> 00:00:27] Probably not the best way of evangelizing,
[00:00:27 –> 00:00:30] but the Book of Revelation talking about the angels
[00:00:30 –> 00:00:34] incensing the Father, incensing the Son, the Holy Spirit,
[00:00:34 –> 00:00:35] that within heaven,
[00:00:35 –> 00:00:39] there’s a glorification of the Lord with incense.
[00:00:39 –> 00:00:41] Incense was in the Old Testament.
[00:00:41 –> 00:00:42] It was in the New Testament.
[00:00:42 –> 00:00:43] It’s part of our tradition.
[00:00:43 –> 00:00:44] But for us as Catholics,
[00:00:44 –> 00:00:48] we are so earthy and so tangible and so physical.
[00:00:48 –> 00:00:50] We love this stuff.
[00:00:50 –> 00:00:52] For incense, we have the thurible,
[00:00:52 –> 00:00:56] metal from the Earth, handcrafted by human beings.
[00:00:56 –> 00:00:59] We have the charcoal from wood.
[00:00:59 –> 00:01:03] We have the incense, which is resin from trees.
[00:01:03 –> 00:01:04] It’s all glorifying the Father,
[00:01:04 –> 00:01:06] the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[00:01:06 –> 00:01:08] Well, Francis talked about incense at mass,
[00:01:08 –> 00:01:11] how awesome it is because we get ready for the hallelujah.
[00:01:11 –> 00:01:13] The Book of the Gospels is incensed.
[00:01:13 –> 00:01:16] It’s basically saying, get ready to hear from the king.
[00:01:16 –> 00:01:18] The king is about to speak.
[00:01:18 –> 00:01:20] Then we have incense at the offertory
[00:01:20 –> 00:01:22] where the altar is incensed.
[00:01:22 –> 00:01:25] And that’s also saying, the king is coming.
[00:01:25 –> 00:01:26] Prepare for the king.
[00:01:26 –> 00:01:30] Incense reminds us that our Catholic faith is not dead.
[00:01:30 –> 00:01:34] It’s not unimpressive. It’s not boring.
[00:01:34 –> 00:01:37] It’s alive. It’s billowing out of love.
[00:01:37 –> 00:01:42] It is flowing back and forth, up to heaven, down to Earth.
[00:01:42 –> 00:01:45] It is flowing all over the place. It is alive.
[00:01:45 –> 00:01:46] What I love about the incense
[00:01:46 –> 00:01:49] is that incense comes from trees
[00:01:49 –> 00:01:54] or plants that create resin, also known as tears.
[00:01:54 –> 00:01:56] The incense pebbles themselves,
[00:01:56 –> 00:02:00] very unimpressive, very closed off, very hard.
[00:02:00 –> 00:02:05] But when placed onto hot, burning, steady coals,
[00:02:05 –> 00:02:07] the incense literally becomes alive.
[00:02:07 –> 00:02:10] Literally becomes what it’s supposed to do.
[00:02:10 –> 00:02:12] This is literally what the sacred heart of Jesus does
[00:02:12 –> 00:02:15] when we let him ignite our hearts with love.
[00:02:15 –> 00:02:17] All the saints realize this.
[00:02:17 –> 00:02:20] All of the saints were living thuribles,
[00:02:20 –> 00:02:23] where they were able to be alive
[00:02:23 –> 00:02:25] in the fire of the Holy Spirit.
[00:02:25 –> 00:02:27] God is so good. Our faith is so good.
[00:02:27 –> 00:02:29] Catholic liturgy is so good
[00:02:29 –> 00:02:32] because again, it’s taking us out of ourselves.
[00:02:32 –> 00:02:36] It’s taking us out of our unimpressive hearts.
[00:02:36 –> 00:02:38] And then we get to be ignited by the living
[00:02:38 –> 00:02:40] and the true God,
[00:02:40 –> 00:02:43] the living and the true sacred heart of Jesus.
[00:02:43 –> 00:02:46] So next time that you see incense at mass,
[00:02:46 –> 00:02:49] that’s literally what your heart will look like
[00:02:49 –> 00:02:52] when you unite it with the sacred heart of Jesus.
[00:02:52 –> 00:02:54] Love you, praying for you.
[00:02:54 –> 00:02:55] This is Spirit Juice. Peace.
[00:02:55 –> 00:02:56] You know those questions
[00:02:56 –> 00:02:58] that are tricky questions
[00:02:58 –> 00:03:02] about the faith that really stir the pot.
[00:03:02 –> 00:03:03] I want those.
[00:03:03 –> 00:03:07] Send it to [email protected]
[00:03:07 –> 00:03:09] and you might be featured on the next episode.
[00:03:09 –> 00:03:12] Spirit Juice, God Answers. Peace.
Fr. Tim explains how Catholics understand Genesis, why literary genre matters when reading Scripture, and why recognizing that Genesis is not a modern science textbook does not mean dismissing the real truths it reveals about God, creation, humanity, and the fall.
Key Takeaways
- The Bible contains many different literary forms. It should not be read as though every book communicates in exactly the same way.
- The word biblia means “books” or “the books.” Thinking of Scripture as a library is a useful analogy.
- Genesis 1–3 presents creation and humanity’s beginnings through a richly theological narrative with poetic and symbolic features.
- Genesis is not a modern scientific textbook, but it communicates foundational truths with real historical referents.
- Biblical truth is not limited to the type of explanation offered by modern science.
- Catholics seek the literal sense of Scripture, meaning what the inspired human author intended to communicate, rather than assuming every passage must be interpreted through strict literalism.
- Genesis teaches that God created the universe and that creation is fundamentally good.
- Human beings possess a unique dignity because they are created in the image and likeness of God.
- Genesis presents humanity as created male and female.
- Genesis teaches the reality of the fall and original sin: humanity’s first disobedience wounded our relationship with God and brought sin and death into human history.
- Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 should be read together as complementary theological accounts, not as competing scientific reports.
- Good biblical interpretation considers literary form, context, authorial intention, the unity of Scripture, and the Church’s living Tradition.
What This Means for Prayer and Daily Life
How we read Scripture matters. If we assume every passage was written in exactly the same way and for exactly the same purpose, the Bible can become confusing very quickly.
Poetry communicates differently from law. A letter is different from a psalm. And the richly theological account of creation in Genesis should not be approached as though its author were attempting to write a modern scientific paper.
But recognizing literary genre does not mean that Scripture becomes merely symbolic or subjective. Catholics believe that God truly reveals Himself through Scripture.
Genesis communicates real truth about the origin and meaning of creation, the dignity and vocation of humanity, the relationship between man and woman, the fall, sin, and our need for redemption.
That is why Fr. Tim’s question is so important: “What did the author intend to communicate?”
Catholic biblical interpretation seeks what the Church calls the literal sense of Scripture: the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and intended by the inspired human author.
That is different from literalism, which assumes that every sentence must communicate in the same straightforward or scientific way regardless of genre.
Consider Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. These chapters present creation from different literary and theological perspectives. Genesis 1 emphasizes the ordered goodness of creation and humanity’s creation in God’s image. Genesis 2 looks more closely at the human person, the relationship between man and woman, and humanity’s vocation before God.
They should be read together, not as two competing scientific descriptions of the same event.
Genesis also tells us something essential about what went wrong. Human beings were created good and in friendship with God, but humanity’s first disobedience ruptured that communion. The account of the fall reveals the reality of original sin and helps explain why human beings need redemption.
So the Catholic approach does not force us to choose between taking Genesis seriously and taking scientific discovery seriously.
They address reality according to different methods and questions.
Science can investigate the physical processes and development of the universe. But science cannot by itself answer every metaphysical or theological question, such as why anything exists at all, what creation ultimately means, or what humanity’s final purpose is.
Genesis reveals more fundamental questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? Who created it? Is creation good? What is a human being? Why do we experience sin and brokenness? And what is humanity’s relationship with God?
These are related questions, but they are not identical kinds of inquiry. And Scripture ultimately draws us beyond abstract information.
As Fr. Tim says at the end of the episode, when he reads the Gospels, he encounters the person of Jesus.
That is also the goal of reading Genesis and the rest of Scripture well: not simply to resolve an argument, but to understand more deeply who God is, who we are, and the story of salvation into which He calls us.
FAQ Section
There is no contradiction between Genesis rightly interpreted and sound scientific conclusions.
Genesis was not written as a modern scientific textbook. It communicates foundational truths about God, creation, humanity, the fall, original sin, and redemption through literary forms appropriate to the sacred author’s purpose.
Scientific investigation and biblical revelation can address related aspects of the same reality without functioning as the same kind of explanation.
Catholics believe Genesis truly communicates what God intends to reveal through it.
That does not require treating every sentence as though it were a modern scientific description.
The Church interprets Scripture according to its literary forms, historical context, authorial intention, the unity of the whole Bible, and the Church’s living Tradition.
Genesis reveals real truths about God as Creator, the goodness of creation, human dignity, man and woman, the fall, original sin, and humanity’s need for salvation.
Catholics should not simply dismiss Genesis as fictional mythology.
The early chapters use rich theological, symbolic, poetic, and narrative features, but they communicate real truths about the beginnings of creation and humanity.
Recognizing symbolic or poetic language does not mean denying the reality to which that language points.
Catholic teaching does not require the six days of Genesis 1 to be understood as six ordinary twenty-four-hour periods.
The important task is to understand what the sacred author intends to communicate through the structure and literary form of the creation account.
The passage teaches, among other things, that God is the Creator, that creation possesses order and goodness, and that humanity has a unique place within creation.
Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 present creation from different literary and theological perspectives.
Genesis 1 emphasizes the ordered goodness of creation and humanity’s creation in God’s image and likeness.
Genesis 2 focuses more closely on the human person, the relationship between man and woman, humanity’s vocation, and life in relationship with God.
They should be read together as complementary accounts rather than as competing modern scientific reports.
Genesis teaches that humanity was created good and in friendship with God but that our first parents disobeyed Him.
That first sin wounded humanity’s relationship with God and introduced sin and death into human history.
Catholic teaching calls this fallen condition inherited by humanity original sin.
The account therefore helps explain not only humanity’s beginnings but why humanity needs redemption.
Genesis contains more than one literary feature.
Its opening chapters present creation and humanity’s beginnings through a richly theological narrative containing poetic, symbolic, and narrative elements.
Calling Genesis a creation narrative is useful, provided we do not assume that description exhausts everything the text is doing.
No.
Scientific discoveries do not disprove Scripture when Scripture is rightly interpreted.
A supposed contradiction can arise when someone expects the Bible to answer a scientific question in a form it was never intended to provide, or when either scientific claims or biblical texts are misunderstood.
Catholic interpretation takes both the truth of Scripture and the legitimate findings of reason and scientific investigation seriously.
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