What is the problem with the giant narrative during the antediluvian period, before the flood? For one thing, contemporary theologians have been able to circumvent the story by explaining that it was descendants of Seth mating with human women, giving birth to men of renown. They don't want to have to tackle the Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels, for one thing. Why, you may ask, do they not want to go there?

The Pietist movement is still alive and well. It's particularly evident in our Evangelical and Pentecostal denominations. Why is this important to us today? They have created religions that put their emphasis on performance. For example, they equate being saved with speaking in tongues; better yet, you must believe in the rapture.