204. Marilynne Robinson | Something Vast and Inexplicable Happened

Genesis has long been a flashpoint in conversations about science and faith. Is it history? Poetry? Theology? Some combination of all three? For decades, BioLogos has returned to this ancient text as we wrestle with questions about creation, humanity, and God’s action in the world. In this episode, Jim Stump sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson to talk about her recent book Reading Genesis. Robinson approaches Genesis not as a scientific puzzle to solve or a battleground to defend, but as a work of profound literary and theological depth. 

Together, they explore the genre of Genesis, the meaning of the creation narratives, the flood story, divine restraint, human freedom, and what it means to be human in light of both Scripture and science. Robinson also shares insights from her broader work, including her reflections on consciousness, the inner life, and the limits—and wonders—of modern scientific thought.

Rather than flattening Genesis into either literalism or metaphor, this conversation invites us to read it with patience, imagination, and intellectual humility.

Theme song and credits music by Breakmaster Cylinder. Other music in this episode by Kyle Booth, courtesy of Shutterstock, Inc.