In one of history's discouraging ironies, just as the academic study of the Pentateuch revealed the multilayered composition of Genesis and separated it from scientific and dogmatic accounts of creation, Genesis became and remains a lightning rod of controversy in America's century-long battle over Christian identity and commitments.

No words ever recorded have had as much influence upon human affairs as those of the first three chapters of Genesis. Nor caused as much mischief, argues William Jennings.

In his fascinating and informative account, Jennings shows how and why fundamentalists and modernists, Catholics and Protestants, feminists and the old guard all have been drawn to Genesis and wrestled with its meaning, legacy, and relevance today. Focusing on four key controversies the critical account of the creation stories, the challenges from and to feminists, the critique of Genesis by environmentalists, and the claims of creationists Jennings reveals not only the many facets of this archimedean text but also the unique light it continues to throw on American religious life.