It is the thesis of this essay that the story of the flood, Noah, and the Ark is allegorical, and one's interpretation of the story depends very much on a person's belief in the nature of God.
I. Introduction. Placing the Noah story within the book of Genesis in the Bible.
Variations in belief in God that would influence the interpretation of the flood.
Beliefs that the story is allegorical in nature
Beliefs in the cycles of nature, life and death
How American philosophy influences interpretation of Bible stories
Is God capricious, destructive, and angry?
Transcendental beliefs about God in nature.
Conclusion: The interpretation of the story of the flood, Noah, and the pairs of animals depends upon the nature of the belief in God in order to understand the meaning of the story.
Genesis 6-9 relates the story of Noah and the flood, an appealing tale because of the pairing of all the animals and the simplicity of the idea of life continuing if there is one set from each species ( Genesis 6).. This story is appealing to people of all ages, perhaps because of the animals or maybe the feeling of being protected from danger. Metaphorically it seems like a cleansing of the ills of the earth. Why would have God destroyed his own creations? It is the thesis of this essay that the story of the flood, Noah, and the Ark is allegorical, and one's interpretation of the story depends very much on a person's belief in the nature of God.
If one is of a conservative viewpoint and the Bible is believed to be the literal truth of historical events, then one would wonder about the destruction of a major flood, wiping out everything that God has so lovingly created. Whole civilizations and lands may have been ruined. But if the account of Noah in Genesis is believed to be a metaphor, there are different ways of interpreting the story.
It seems that life goes in cycles. Certain life forms come and go. ...