Proposition 2: Ancient Cosmology Is Function Oriented
Walton talks about the difference between a material ontology and a functional ontology for the cosmos and its creation. He show that non-biblical sources of creation sources never talk about the material that makes up the cosmos, but the functions (all assigned to gods). To understand Genesis one, he contends that we have think in terms of a functional ontology.
“… people in the ancient world believed that something existed not by virtue of its material properties, but by virtue of its having a function in an ordered system.”
Excerpt From: John H. Walton. “The Lost World of Genesis One.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-lost-world-of-genesis-one/id870735215?mt=11