I account for the references to Adam by assuming that the OT is not an overall coherent and consistent story and comes from various sources, but I know that such an argument doesn’t get very far with you. These other references may possibly be about an early human being, or the name may be symbolic of something.

Many people see their religious texts as sacred and ‘the word of God’ — Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. This is what they are told by their priests, so that they can maintain their position and power, and the people choose to believe them. As I have mentioned before (Bart Ehrman), sometimes these people change the texts, in order to retain the theology they want to promote. You have a higher opinion of such people than I do.

With regard to the two creation accounts, I believe you said that they are complementary and therefore not contradictory, and that therefore there is nothing to suggest a lack of coherence in the first three chapters. That is what I meant, which is not the usual scholarly interpretation.

Regarding the Prodigal Son parable, it’s hard to say any more about the elder brother, and exactly what it means, since that it is all the parable says. I could only speculate vaguely, which is not what we want. I would not connect the two brothers at the start of the parable with human beings.

I regret I don’t have time to listen to the interview, but in general I accept NDEs as evidence of consciousness independent of the body, and therefore what Christians call the soul. They say nothing, as far as I’m aware, about the question of pre-existence.