Date
4-7-2026
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)
Chair
Chet Roden
Keywords
Garden of Eden, Canonical Theology, Pentateuch, Torah, Biblical Theology, Sacred Space, Temple Theology, Egypt as Anti-Garden, Wilderness Theology, Promised Land, Divine Presence, Biblical Geography, Theological Geography, Redemption Narrative, Tabernacle, Edenic Motifs, Creation Theology, Old Testament Theology, Canonical Interpretation, Narrative Theology
Disciplines
Christianity | Practical Theology
Recommended Citation
Perry, Gary Ryan, "Sacred Geography and the Restoration of Divine Presence: The Garden of Eden, Egypt, the Wilderness, and the Promised Land in the Theology of the Torah" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8078.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8078
Abstract
This dissertation argues that the Torah presents redemption through a progressive spatial framework in which sacred geography reveals the restoration of God’s dwelling among His people. The narrative movement from the Garden of Eden to Egypt, the Wilderness, and finally the Promised Land forms a theological arc that structures the Torah’s presentation of covenant, priesthood, and divine presence. The Garden of Eden establishes humanity’s original royal priestly vocation within sacred space. Egypt functions as an anti-garden, where abundance and provision exist apart from a covenant relationship with God. The Wilderness represents a redemptive restart, in which Israel is formed through covenant, and the tabernacle becomes the mobile dwelling of God’s presence among His people. The Promised Land anticipates restored rest and divine dwelling, pointing forward to eschatological fulfillment.
Using a canonical approach informed by lexical analysis, narrative structure, and Ancient Near East background, this study demonstrates that the Torah’s spatial movement is not merely geographical but also theological. The restoration of sacred space reveals God’s redemptive purpose to dwell among His people and to restore the priestly vocation of humanity. This framework contributes to biblical theology by demonstrating how the Torah establishes a pattern of sacred geography that ultimately culminates in the New Jerusalem, where God once again dwells fully with humanity.
