Creation

Themes

Stewardship over the Earth: One of the main themes in the play is that humans have stewardship over the Earth. Cain and Abel have different ideas about the exploitation of resources; Noah's sons fight over who owns the land after the Flood. Naomi warns of impending environmental disaster if people don't change their ways.

Gender roles: Gender roles, the feminine divine and the absence of women in the Bible are frequent themes. God defines him/herself as both Mother and Father; Adam and Eve have different attitudes about working the land; the song Beget, Begat, Begot asks "how come the women got forgot?"

Vanity and pride: God bestows light on Lucifer, but it goes to Lucifer's head. Vanity and pride are themes that run through the early scenes in the play, when Lucifer declares himself equal to God.

Honesty: Honesty vs deceit are present when Cain kills Abel and lies about his death, then subsequently bribes the Officer to believe that the Ass is guilty.

Death and immortality: Eve and Adam eat the forbidden fruit, and learn that they are not immortal. Is ignorance bliss? Questions of death vs immortality are raised.

Finite resources: The theme of sharing the Earth's finite resources is raised when the Flood comes and Noah and his family have to enter the Ark. There are children from their town pleading to be taken onto the Ark. Noah must refuse, or the Ark will sink. The Earth has finite resources, just as Noah had finite room on the Ark. 

Child-bearing and infertility: Sarah longs to have a child, but she is infertile. She thinks perhaps it is for the best, because the Earth is overpopulated. Fertility, infertility, the desire for children, overpopulation and the debate about assisted reproduction are themes that run throughout the end of the play.