The Book of Genesis : A Biography / Ronald Hendel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hendel, Ronald, author.

Series:

Lives of great religious books.

Lives of Great Religious Books ; 12

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Genesis--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (287 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, [2012]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

During its 2,500-year life, the book of Genesis has been the keystone to almost every important claim about reality, humanity, and God in Judaism and Christianity. And it continues to play a central role in debates about science, politics, and human rights. With clarity and skill, acclaimed biblical scholar Ronald Hendel provides a panoramic history of this iconic book, exploring its impact on Western religion, philosophy, science, politics, literature, and more. Hendel traces how Genesis has shaped views of reality, and how changing views of reality have shaped interpretations of Genesis. Literal and figurative readings have long competed with each other. Hendel tells how Luther's criticisms of traditional figurative accounts of Genesis undermined the Catholic Church; how Galileo made the radical argument that the cosmology of Genesis wasn't scientific evidence; and how Spinoza made the equally radical argument that the scientific method should be applied to Genesis itself. Indeed, Hendel shows how many high points of Western thought and art have taken the form of encounters with Genesis--from Paul and Augustine to Darwin, Emily Dickinson, and Kafka. From debates about slavery, gender, and sexuality to the struggles over creationism and evolution, Genesis has shaped our world and continues to do so today. This wide-ranging account tells the remarkable story of the life of Genesis like no other book.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction. The Life of Genesis

Chapter 1. The Genesis of Genesis

Chapter 2. The Rise of the Figural Sense

Chapter 3. Apocalyptic Secrets

Chapter 4. Platonic Worlds

Chapter 5. Between the Figure and the Real

Chapter 6. Genesis and Science: From the Beginning to Fundamentalism

Chapter 7. Modern Times

Afterword. Stories of Our Alley

Timeline

Notes

Index of Citations

General Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781782685609

178268560X

9781283646222

1283646226

9781400844593

1400844592

OCLC:

813844017