As part of the FIRST UNITED Advent and Christmas Calendar, Rev. Lauren Sanders, Spiritual Care Manager, has prepared a five-part Bible study series. The short Bible studies are to meant offer ways to engage in group or individually.

Dominion or Protect: Genesis 1:26 and 2:15

What does it mean to be made in the image of God, and entrusted with the care of creation? And how has this sacred trust been distorted?

Genesis 1:26-28 (NRSV):

Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

²⁷ So God created humans in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

Genesis 2:15 (NRSV):

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.”

Explore the Hebrew terms:

• “Dominion and subdue” (radah and kabash) – often misunderstood as domination, but can imply responsible leadership and active members of the ecosystem.
• “Till and keep” (abad and shamar) – suggesting service and protection.

Conversation with the Text

Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:15 offer two foundational visions of humanity’s relationship with creation. In one, we are given “dominion” over the earth and “subdue” it; in the other, we are placed in the garden “to till it and keep it.” These verses have shaped centuries of theological thought—but they have also been misused.

The words “dominion” (Hebrew: radah) and “subdue” (Hebrew: kabash) have often been interpreted through the lens of control and exploitation. This interpretation fueled colonial ideologies, including the Doctrine of Discovery—a theological and legal framework that justified the seizure of Indigenous lands and the subjugation of Indigenous peoples. Rooted in 15th-century papal bulls, the Doctrine of Discovery declared that lands not inhabited by Christians were open to conquest. It baptized violence with divine sanction.

But Genesis does not begin with conquest. It begins with creation and our responsibility and accountability to it. It begins with God forming humanity in the divine image—not to dominate, but to reflect God’s character. And what is that character? In Genesis 2:15, we see it clearly: God places the human in the garden “to till and keep it.” The Hebrew words abad (to serve) and shamar (to protect) suggest a posture of humility, care, and responsibility.

To be made in God’s image is to be entrusted with creation—not as owners, but as kin. Not as conquerors, but as caretakers. Not as colonizers, but as responsible change-makers and knowledge keepers who are accountable to all of creation and to the Creator.

The repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery by churches—including the United Church of Canada—is a theological act of liberation. It is a turning away from distorted readings of Scripture and a turning toward justice, healing, and truth. It is a recognition that the land is sacred, that Indigenous peoples are beloved, and that the gospel calls us to repair what has been broken.

When we remove a colonizing lens from Genesis, we reclaim a vision of creation where all beings are interconnected, where land is not a commodity but a relative, and where dominion is reimagined as responsible ecosystem change-makers.

Deeper Reflection Questions

• How do you interpret “dominion” and “subdue” in Genesis 1:26-28?
• In what ways has the Doctrine of Discovery distorted Christian theology and practice?
• How can we embody the role of “ecosystem change-makers” in our daily lives?
• How do we hold ourselves accountable to creation and the Creator? What spiritual disciplines or communal actions support this accountability?

Closing Prayer: Kinship with Creation

Creator of All,
You formed us in Your image—
not to conquer, but to care;
not to dominate, but to dwell in harmony.

We give thanks for the sacred gift of creation:
for the waters that nourish,
the land that sustains,
and the creatures that share this home with us.

Forgive us, O God,
for the ways we have misunderstood Your call to “dominion,”
for the harm done in Your name,
and for the times we have treated Your creation as a possession,
rather than a relative.

Help us to reclaim Your vision—
to till and keep the earth with humility,
to serve and protect with love,
to walk gently as ecosystem change-makers,
accountable to all our relations and to You.

May we listen deeply to the wisdom of Indigenous peoples,
honor the sacredness of land,
and commit ourselves to justice, healing, and truth.

Let this study not end here,
but take root in our hearts,
bearing fruit in our lives,
as we live into Your image—
as caretakers, not colonizers;
as kin, not conquerors.

Amen.