God the Creator: Biblical Images of the Divine

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.

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.