God the Creator
Biblical Images of the Divine
Published on 31. March 2026
Book
Hardback
200 pages
978-0-664-26204-4 (ISBN)
Description
In God the Creator: Biblical Images of the Divine, Steven Tuell explores the rich tapestry of biblical creation accounts to uncover how Scripture speaks of God, the world, and humanity's place within it.
The Bible doesn't offer just one image or account of God as creator-it offers many that are held together in a rich and faithful tension. So, then what does it mean to call God "Creator"? Drawing from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, Tuell guides readers through the diverse and sometimes surprising ways the Bible portrays creation and the Creator.
While giving careful attention to Genesis 1-3, Tuell also broadens the conversation to include texts from Exodus, Judges, Psalms, Habakkuk, Revelation, and more. He identifies four major biblical images of God as creator:
God as warrior bringing order from chaos
God as king shaping creation through divine decree
God as potter crafting the world by hand
God as gardener in Eden/Zion-a sacred place calling us to care for creation
Tuell also places these biblical portraits in conversation with the ancient cultures that surrounded Israel, revealing both resonances and striking distinctions. The result is a theologically rich, pastorally grounded resource that embraces the Bible's plurality of creation narratives not as contradiction but as a faithful witness to the mystery of divine creativity.
An appendix on preaching equips clergy and teachers to bring these insights on the varied images and themes of creation into their communities. This is an essential resource for anyone seeking new answers to our deepest questions about who we are, who God is, and what the meaning of life is.
The Bible doesn't offer just one image or account of God as creator-it offers many that are held together in a rich and faithful tension. So, then what does it mean to call God "Creator"? Drawing from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, Tuell guides readers through the diverse and sometimes surprising ways the Bible portrays creation and the Creator.
While giving careful attention to Genesis 1-3, Tuell also broadens the conversation to include texts from Exodus, Judges, Psalms, Habakkuk, Revelation, and more. He identifies four major biblical images of God as creator:
God as warrior bringing order from chaos
God as king shaping creation through divine decree
God as potter crafting the world by hand
God as gardener in Eden/Zion-a sacred place calling us to care for creation
Tuell also places these biblical portraits in conversation with the ancient cultures that surrounded Israel, revealing both resonances and striking distinctions. The result is a theologically rich, pastorally grounded resource that embraces the Bible's plurality of creation narratives not as contradiction but as a faithful witness to the mystery of divine creativity.
An appendix on preaching equips clergy and teachers to bring these insights on the varied images and themes of creation into their communities. This is an essential resource for anyone seeking new answers to our deepest questions about who we are, who God is, and what the meaning of life is.
Reviews / Votes
"Christians continue to wrestle with what it means to say that everything that exists depends on God as Creator. In this book, Steven S. Tuell enthusiastically harvests years of teaching in both the academy and the church to invite us into a more faithful understanding of the Bible's speaking about creation in its original context and homiletical application. With great command of the literature, he introduces pastors and laity alike to conversations stretching from ancient Near Eastern texts to contemporary science." - Edwin Chr. van Driel, Directors' Bicentennial Professor of Theology, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary"Stephen Tuell provides an innovative and comprehensive analysis of both Old and New Testament texts that involve God's creative activity. Deriving from his work as both teacher and scholar, he not only offers careful interpretations of biblical and other literature but also examines their theological and ethical implications. His treatment of the Edenic motif and its implications for contemporary understandings of land is particularly relevant. A rich, wide-ranging, and welcome resource for students, laity, and pastors." -David L. Petersen, Franklin N. Parker Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
"Christians easily forget that we are created in the image of the Divine and not the other way around. Through diligently close readings of Scripture, analysis of ancient texts, and exploration of how the Bible has been interpreted throughout the ages, Tuell examines creation texts of Christian Scripture to help readers explore answers to the critical question: Who is God? Tuell's work helps Christians contemplate who God is rather than who we might wish God to be. In exploring Tuell's attentive work with the text, we might better understand our place in the Divine's glorious creation." - Kara Eidson, Pastor at McLouth United Methodist Church and Oskaloosa United Methodist Church and author of The Advent Tree: Meeting Jesus in God's Big Story
"If you care about what the Bible actually says about creation, you need this book! It is a comprehensive and concise exploration of all the key biblical texts, examined in light of other ancient texts like the Enuma Elish. Best of all, God the Creator connects Scripture to theology, patiently showing us where we have so often misinterpreted the Bible and pointing us to a more authentic and inspiring vision of creation made new. Steven Tuell has given us exactly what's needed: an expert summary written for nonexperts. Thorough, accessible, and packed with new insight, God the Creator is a gift for informed preachers and for biblically literate Christians." -Ron Cole-Turner, H. Parker Sharp Professor Emeritus of Theology and Ethics, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary "Christians continue to wrestle with what it means to say that everything that exists depends on God as Creator. In this book, Steven S. Tuell enthusiastically harvests years of teaching in both the academy and the church to invite us into a more faithful understanding of the Bible's speaking about creation in its original context and homiletical application. With great command of the literature, he introduces pastors and laity alike to conversations stretching from ancient Near Eastern texts to contemporary science." - Edwin Chr. van Driel, Directors' Bicentennial Professor of Theology, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
"Stephen Tuell provides an innovative and comprehensive analysis of both Old and New Testament texts that involve God's creative activity. Deriving from his work as both teacher and scholar, he not only offers careful interpretations of biblical and other literature but also examines their theological and ethical implications. His treatment of the Edenic motif and its implications for contemporary understandings of land is particularly relevant. A rich, wide-ranging, and welcome resource for students, laity, and pastors." -David L. Petersen, Franklin N. Parker Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
"Christians easily forget that we are created in the image of the Divine and not the other way around. Through diligently close readings of Scripture, analysis of ancient texts, and exploration of how the Bible has been interpreted throughout the ages, Tuell examines creation texts of Christian Scripture to help readers explore answers to the critical question: Who is God? Tuell's work helps Christians contemplate who God is rather than who we might wish God to be. In exploring Tuell's attentive work with the text, we might better understand our place in the Divine's glorious creation." - Kara Eidson, Pastor at McLouth United Methodist Church and Oskaloosa United Methodist Church and author of The Advent Tree: Meeting Jesus in God's Big Story
"If you care about what the Bible actually says about creation, you need this book! It is a comprehensive and concise exploration of all the key biblical texts, examined in light of other ancient texts like the Enuma Elish. Best of all, God the Creator connects Scripture to theology, patiently showing us where we have so often misinterpreted the Bible and pointing us to a more authentic and inspiring vision of creation made new. Steven Tuell has given us exactly what's needed: an expert summary written for nonexperts. Thorough, accessible, and packed with new insight, God the Creator is a gift for informed preachers and for biblically literate Christians." -Ron Cole-Turner, H. Parker Sharp Professor Emeritus of Theology and Ethics, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary "Christians continue to wrestle with what it means to say that everything that exists depends on God as Creator. In this book, Steven S. Tuell enthusiastically harvests years of teaching in both the academy and the church to invite us into a more faithful understanding of the Bible's speaking about creation in its original context and homiletical application. With great command of the literature, he introduces pastors and laity alike to conversations stretching from ancient Near Eastern texts to contemporary science."
- Edwin Chr. van Driel, Directors' Bicentennial Professor of Theology, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
"Stephen Tuell provides an innovative and comprehensive analysis of both Old and New Testament texts that involve God's creative activity. Deriving from his work as both teacher and scholar, he not only offers careful interpretations of biblical and other literature but also examines their theological and ethical implications. His treatment of the Edenic motif and its implications for contemporary understandings of land is particularly relevant. A rich, wide-ranging, and welcome resource for students, laity, and pastors."
-David L. Petersen, Franklin N. Parker Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
"Christians easily forget that we are created in the image of the Divine and not the other way around. Through diligently close readings of Scripture, analysis of ancient texts, and exploration of how the Bible has been interpreted throughout the ages, Tuell examines creation texts of Christian Scripture to help readers explore answers to the critical question: Who is God? Tuell's work helps Christians contemplate who God is rather than who we might wish God to be. In exploring Tuell's attentive work with the text, we might better understand our place in the Divine's glorious creation."
- Kara Eidson, Pastor at McLouth United Methodist Church and Oskaloosa United Methodist Church and author of The Advent Tree: Meeting Jesus in God's Big Story
"If you care about what the Bible actually says about creation, you need this book! It is a comprehensive and concise exploration of all the key biblical texts, examined in light of other ancient texts like the Enuma Elish. Best of all, God the Creator connects Scripture to theology, patiently showing us where we have so often misinterpreted the Bible and pointing us to a more authentic and inspiring vision of creation made new. Steven Tuell has given us exactly what's needed: an expert summary written for nonexperts. Thorough, accessible, and packed with new insight, God the Creator is a gift for informed preachers and for biblically literate Christians."
-Ron Cole-Turner, H. Parker Sharp Professor Emeritus of Theology and Ethics, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Louisville
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
555 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-664-26204-4 (9780664262044)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Steven S. Tuell is the James A. Kelso Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Old Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Tuell has written numerous books and articles on the Hebrew Bible, including commentaries on 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezekiel, Nahum-Malachi, and, with his coauthors Stephen L. Cook and John T. Strong, The Prophets: Introducing Israel's Prophetic Writings (2022). An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, he has pastored churches in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Virginia. He and his wife, Wendy, have three adult sons.