The Binding of Isaac: A Religious Model of Disobedience (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.63 (590 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0567656934 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 240 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2018-01-10 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Fine book J. C. Evans, Jr. This is a very fine and, especially to a non-specialist, surprising book. Boehm argues that the Biblical text recounting the story of the binding of Isaac contains an original story, in which Abraham refuses to sacrifice his son, with later emendations which turn the story into one of obedience.This is fascinating and of crucial importance to anyone who has wrestled with the story of Abraham a
. Omri Boehm is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research, USA
Boehm concludes the book by contending that the monotheistic model of faith presented by Abraham was actually a model of disobedience.. Yet, the angel of Yhwh that appears to Abraham is a later addition to the text; thus, in the original narrative Abraham actually disobeys the divine command to slay his son, and sacrifices a ram instead.The first part of the book shows how the "original" version of the narrative did not contain the angelic figure. Obedience to God take precedence over morality as humanly conceived. In the third part of the book, Boehm re-opens the philosophical debate between Kant and Kierkegaard. According to these writers the esoteric layer of the story in fact declares that disobedience to God's command was Abraham's true affirmation of faith. But for the intervention of the angel, Abraham would have killed his son. The second part of the book re-examines various religious interpretations of the text to show that exegetes such as Maimonides and his followers did point out Abraham's disobedience. Traditional interpretations in both Judaism and Christianity argue that the Akedah presents not only an ethical question but also an ethical reply
Boehm offers a fresh and sometimes disturbing reading This is a rich and thought-provoking book that definitely deserves to be read. It can be argued that its message lies right in time: we are today more prone to accept a reading of disobedience than ever before, and it fits well into much contemporary research in the fields of the prophets (of resisting prophetic metaphors) and of Lamentations (of picking up the counter-voices of the lamenters)." Svensk Exegetisk Årsbok (Swedish Exegetical Year