How Not to Use Genesis

In going through Brueggemann's commentary on Genesis, one will notice almost immediately the homiletical nature of the text. This is not meant to take anything away from Brueggemann, for his commentary is (as far as I have read) truly an enjoyable read with a wealth of information and really just what I was looking for. Anyhow, in his section on Genesis 2:4b-3:24 Brueggemann lists fives ways that Genesis 2-3 has been misused and misunderstood in the life of the church. Here they are, in summary:

• The text concerns "the fall" (quotations and italics original)
• The origin of evil
• The origin of death
• "Evil wrought by sex"
• Preliminary reading for the rest of the Bible

Besides the last, which was the first on Brueggemann's list, the previous four are definitely ones I have heard before on many an occasion (especially 1 and 2).