How the World Began: Man in the First Chapters of the Bible

by Helmut Thielicke

Translated from the original German, Helmut Thielicke's sermons contained in this book were originally so popular when delivered from the pulpit that extra services were scheduled on Saturday to handle the overflow crowds. Dr. Thielicke takes the first chapters of the Bible and makes their imagery and mystery a threshold rather than a stumbling block to understanding for modern man. Their truth about God's relationship to man in these "old Bible stories" comes alive through the author's skillful treatment.

Genres: Old Testament, Theology

308 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1961

About the author

Helmut Thielicke (1908–1986) was a German Protestant theologian, pastor, author, and influential Christian thinker whose work explored the relationship between faith, ethics, culture, and modern life.

Born in Wuppertal, Germany, Thielicke studied philosophy and theology at the University of Erlangen, earning doctorates in both disciplines. His academic career developed during the increasingly hostile climate of Nazi Germany. A member of the Confessing Church, he faced repeated interrogation by the Gestapo and was eventually dismissed from his professorship in Heidelberg in 1940. Despite restrictions on his teaching, preaching, travel, and publishing, he continued to speak and write widely, becoming known for addressing Christian faith in language that engaged directly with the realities of ordinary life.

During the Second World War, Thielicke preached extensively and maintained contact with members of the German resistance, while also developing his vision for rebuilding Germany's intellectual and spiritual life after the war. His ideas contributed to the founding of the Evangelical Academy at Bad Boll in 1945.

After the war, Thielicke returned to academic life, first at the University of Tübingen and later at the University of Hamburg, where he helped establish a new theological faculty. He served as rector of the University of Hamburg from 1960 to 1978 and was also pastor of Hamburg's celebrated St. Michaelis church.

Thielicke became widely known beyond Germany through his books, sermons, lectures, and international travels. He lectured throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, meeting figures including Billy Graham and President Jimmy Carter.

His writing is noted for its combination of theological depth, philosophical reflection, and pastoral warmth. Rather than treating Christianity as an abstract system of ideas, Thielicke sought to explore what faith means in the midst of doubt, suffering, moral responsibility, culture, and everyday human experience.

He died in Hamburg in 1986, aged 77. His books remain valued by readers interested in Christian theology, ethics, philosophy, and the challenges of living out faith in the modern world.

Reviews

[Adam Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of lay lectures Thielecke did on creation in the Bible. While generally good for helping a person explore thoughts on the subject, Thielecke abandons the doctrine of the Six Day creation which his Lutheran Church has historically stood for. This does not benefit his reflections on science nor theology. The best parts of the book are when he is describing God's love and concern for the creation.

[John Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helmut Thielicke reads like a German CS Lewis. He does an extraordinary job of making the biblical text relevant to a modern audience, without completely abandoning the historicity of the story. He has the mind of a scholar and the heart of a pastor. I’ll be reading more of his work soon.

[Ken Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact is, I simply like Helmut Thielicke’s books. This is a collection of sermons he preached on the first eleven chapters of Genesis. Foundational stuff, to be sure. But what made the material so rich for me was how it felt like Thielicke was able to put Genesis 1-11 in the now, and to so masterfully include me as a reader (listener) in his sermons by the examples he’d use — and not usually in flattering ways. But I also enjoyed how he would insert questions or perceived objections into his sermons that I could identify with, and then he’d deal with those objections like a man solving an ancient riddle. I can’t say that I always agreed with every line or every thought he wrote, but what does that matter when so much of what he shared felt so compelling and so encouraging.

[Erik Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these sermons on the first chapters of Genesis!!