In this collection, editor van Kooten (New Testament and early Christian studies, U. of Groningen) and contributors closely examine texts ranging from the Hebrew Bible to modern theories of physics to find how humans have explained creation. They start in the creation stories in Genesis, the Book of Jeremiah, texts from the near east and early Judaism and the Dead Sea Scrolls, moving to materials from ancient Greece and Rome, and from there to the Gospel of St. John, and statements from St. Peter and St. Paul. They close with commentary from medieval texts as well as those from modern interpreters of the order and creation of all nature. The editor provides a very helpful index of ancient texts. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)