Reading Genesis Well

What does it mean to be a good reader of Genesis 1-11? What does it mean to take these ancient stories seriously and how does that relate to taking them literally? Can we even take any of this material seriously? Reading Genesis Well answers these questions and more, promoting a responsible conversation about how science and biblical faith relate by developing a rigorous approach to interpreting the Bible, especially those texts that come into play in science and faith discussions. This unique approach connects the ancient writings of Genesis 1-11 with modern science in an honest and informed way. Old Testament scholar C. John Collins appropriates literary and linguistic insights from C. S. Lewis and builds on them using ideas from modern linguistics, such as lexical semantics, discourse analysis, and sociolinguistics. This study helps readers to evaluate to what extent it is proper to say that the Bible writers held a "primitive" picture of the world, and what function their portrayal of the world and its contents had in shaping the community.

Today's evangelical community faces a multitude of questions about the creation of the cosmos and the beginning of human history, and we look to the Bible for answers. But what do we do with the stories that the book of Genesis presents to us? Reading Genesis 1-2: An Evangelical Conversation brings together the voices of five prominent evangelical scholars who take on the difficult interpretive questions that arise from reading the Bible's first two chapters. Richard Averbeck, Todd Beall, John Collins, Tremper Longman, and John Walton offer their perspectives in a point-counterpoint style. Reviewing and responding to each other's work, they write to honor their fellow thinkers even while they note their differences. United by their dedication to the truth while diverse in their approaches to the text, these scholars present their arguments and address their disagreements with courtesy and sophistication. Drawing on a wealth of theological, linguistic, and historical expertise, this collection is characterized by a close attention to the biblical text and a mutual respect that are often sorely lacking in discussions of origins taking place throughout the evangelical world. Book jacket.

Deuteronomy 32:47 says the Pentateuch should not be 'an empty matter.' This new anthology from Beth Kissileff fills Genesis with meaning, gathering intellectuals and thinkers who use their professional knowledge to illuminate the Biblical text. These writers use insights from psychology, law, political science, literature, and other scholarly fields, to create an original constellation of modern Biblical readings, and receptions of Genesis: A scientist of appetite on Eve's eating behavior; law professors on contracts in Genesis, and on collective punishment; an anthropologist on the nature of human strife in the Cain and Abel story; political scientists on the nature of Biblical games, Abraham's resistance, and collective action. The highly distinguished contributors include Alan Dershowitz and Ruth Westheimer, the novelists Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and Dara Horn, critics Ilan Stavans and Sander Gilman, historian Russell Jacoby, poets Alicia Suskin Ostriker and Jacqueline Osherow, and food writer Joan Nathan.

For centuries, the Garden of Eden story has been a cornerstone for the Christian doctrine of the Fall and original sin. In recent years, many scholars have disputed this understanding of Genesis 3 because it has no words for sin, transgression, disobedience, or punishment. Instead, it is about how the human condition came about. Yet the picture is not so simple. The Genesis of Good and Evil examines how the idea of the Fall developed in Jewish tradition on the eve of Christianity. In the end, the Garden of Eden is a rich study of humans in relation to God that leaves open many questions. One such question is, Does Genesis 3, 4, and 6, taken together, support the Christian doctrine of original sin? Smiths well-informed, close reading of these chapters concludes that it does. In this book, he addresses the many mysterious matters of the Garden story and invites readers to explore questions of their own.

Much controversy surrounds the opening chapters of Genesis. They are front-loaded with all manner of vital topics--such as God's work of creating the world and mankind; what it means to be human; why our present experience is so different from what we find in Genesis 2; how we come to know God and to be sure of his love. Collins employs a literary-theological method informed by contemporary discourse analysis in order to read passages as coherent wholes. He shows how later biblical and inter-testamental writers have used Genesis 1-4 and reflects on how these chapters shape a Christian worldview today.

Reading Genesis presents a panoramic view of the most vital ways that Genesis is approached in modern scholarship. Essays by ten eminent scholars cover the perspectives of literature, gender, memory, sources, theology, and the reception of Genesis in Judaism and Christianity. Each contribution addresses the history and rationale of the method, insightfully explores particular texts of Genesis, and deepens the interpretive gain of the method in question. These ways of reading Genesis, which include its classic past readings, map out a pluralistic model for understanding Genesis in - and for - the modern age.

Hailed as "the most radical repackaging of the Bible since Gutenberg", these Pocket Canons give an up-close look at each book of the Bible.

How were holidays chosen and taught in biblical Israel, and what did they have to do with the creation narrative? Michael LeFebvre considers the calendars of the Pentateuch, arguing that dates were added to Old Testament narratives not as journalistic details but to teach sacred rhythms of labor and worship. LeFebvre then applies this insight to the creation week, finding that the days of creation also serve a liturgical purpose.

Genesis, a book of wondrous stories, is also a profound exploration of the human condition. From Cain and Abel to Joseph and his brothers, the narrative focuses on the corrosive effects of envy and resentment. Ultimately, it shows a path toward reconciliation. Julie Galambush applies current historical, archaeological, and literary scholarship to create a nuanced and highly accessible commentary, explaining the history behind the writing of Genesis, the customs and laws that "went without saying" for ancient readers, and even the puns that enrich the original Hebrew but are lost in translation. She also addresses the challenges facing contemporary Jews and Christians who accept Genesis as sacred Scripture but reject practices the Genesis authors readily accepted, such as slavery and the "gifting" of women as concubines. Reading Genesis invites any reader, religious or otherwise, to listen in and to join in on this ancient conversation on what it means to be human.

The nature of the Genesis narrative has sparked much debate among Christians. This book introduces three predominant interpretive genres and their implications for biblical understanding. Each contributor identifies their position on the genre or genres of Genesis, chapters 1-11, addresses why their interpretation is respectful of and appropriate to the text, and contributes examples of its application to a variety of passages. The positions include: Theological History(Genesis can be taken seriously as both history and theology) – defended by James K. Hoffmeier. Proto-History (the early Genesis narratives consist of a variety of literary genres; which, nonetheless, do not obscure the book's theological teaching) – defended by Gordon J. Wenham. Ancient Historiography (an understanding of Genesis that seeks to reconcile the limitations of its human authors with the nature of it being the Word of God) defended by Kenton L. Sparks. General editor and Old Testament scholar Charles Halton explains the importance of genre and provides historical insight in the introduction and helpful summaries of each position in the conclusion. In the reader-friendly Counterpoints format, this book helps readers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and draw informed conclusions in this much-debated topic.