Creativity and Work

There are two important conflicts between, on the one hand, Genesis 1, and, on the other, Genesis 2-3.  One conflict is plain: two accounts of the creation of the human species, while the other is revealed by analysis: two accounts of how humans acquire divine know-how, i. e. in the one case, the ability is part of 'in his image', in the other, it is via the eating of forbidden fruit.  Both passages are well-represented in the cultures that have been influenced by the Theological tradition that is based on them.  But, while the first is usually specified only to defend the tradition against the Evolutionist alternative, the second has been concretely powerfully determinant, in three main ways: 1. the establishment of sexual mores; 2. the definition of relations between men and women; and 3. the validation of inequality and exploitation in Economic relations, which Marx believes is a generalization of #2.  Now, regardless of whether or not the few attempts, e. g. Kabbalism, to reconcile Genesis 1 and Genesis 2-3 are sound, or are merely apologetics for some social status quo that is derived from the latter, a doctrine that bypasses G 2-3 can be derived directly from G 1.  For example, from the concept of a deity as a creator, and that of humans as created in its image, humans are fundamentally creative beings.  Accordingly, Work can be conceived as a type of Creativity, on a par with that of procreativity and that of artistic genius, with respect to which mechanical drudgery is a degenerate, not paradigmatic, form.  Thus, in a culture based on a Theology of what can be called Creativism--not to be confused with Creationism--Work is fundamentally to be enjoyed, not escaped from or eliminated, as is its statuses in some versions of Capitalism and Marxism, respectively.