It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience?
Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham.
This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.
| Acknowledgments |
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ix | |
| Abbreviations |
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xiii | |
| Introduction: Does Abraham's Silence Matter? |
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1 | (16) |
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Part 1 Models of Vigorous Prayer in the Bible |
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1 Voices from the Ragged Edge |
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17 | (24) |
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41 | (26) |
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Part 2 Making Sense of the Book of Job |
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3 The Question of Appropriate Speech |
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67 | (32) |
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4 Does God Come to Bury Job or to Praise Him? |
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99 | (32) |
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Part 3 Unbinding the Aqedah from the Strait jacket of Tradition |
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5 Is It Permissible to Criticize Abraham or God? |
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131 | (34) |
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6 Reading Rhetorical Signals in the Aqedah and Job |
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165 | (26) |
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7 Did Abraham Pass the Test? |
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191 | (36) |
| Conclusion: The Gritty Spirituality of Lament |
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227 | (14) |
| Scripture Index |
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241 | (8) |
| Subject Index |
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249 | |
J. Richard Middleton (PhD, Free University of Amsterdam) is professor of biblical worldview and exegesis at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, New York. He is the author of The Liberating Image and the award-winning A New Heaven and a New Earth. He coauthored the bestsellers Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be and The Transforming Vision. Middleton's books have been published in Korean, French, Indonesian, Spanish, and Portuguese. He has served as president of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies and as president of the Canadian-American Theological Association.
