Genesis As Dialogue: A Literary, Historical, and Theological Commentary

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Oxford University Press, Aug 16, 2001 - Religion - 614 pages
Recent years have seen a remarkable surge in interest in the book of Genesis - the first book of the Hebrew Bible, and a foundational text of Western culture. In this new commentary, Thomas Brodie offers a complete and accessible overview of Genesis from literary, theological, and historical standpoints. Brodie's work is organized around three main ideas. The first is that the primary subject of Genesis is human existence; the second is that Genesis' basic organizational unity is binary, or diptych. Brodie argues that the entire book is composed of diptychs - accounts which, like some paintings, consist of two parts or panels. Finally, Brodie contends that many of Genesis' sources still exist, and can be identified and verified.
 

Contents

The Text and Its Immediate Context GenesisKings
3
The Quest for the Theory behind the Diptychs
26
Genesis as Part of a Larger Unity the Primary History
35
Historical Background
50
Verifiable Sources
67
Oral or Written?
75
Genesiss Content and Meaning
87
Genesis and History
98
The Story of Jacob
291
Jacob Deceives and Is Deceived
303
31Chap 30
314
The Long Journey Homeward Chaps 3133
320
13520
334
Jacob Declines and Esau Prospers 3521371
343
The Story of Joseph
349
The Initiatory Trials Chaps 3940
364

Toward Greater Clarity and Development
105
Genesis as a Reflection of the Complexity of Life
112
Between Creation and Providence
118
From More Disharmony to Restoration
157
More Sinful More Compassionate
167
The Worlds Mixture of Curse and Blessing
185
Comment
191
Comment
202
Warand Vision of a Covenant Chaps 1415
219
Personal Conflict and Vision of a Deeper Covenant
230
GenerosityBased Justice 1811929
242
Facing Death Chaps 2223
265
12518
277
His Rise and the Brothers Conversion
370
The Generosity That Brings Conversion
380
VisionLed Recovery of Relationship and Land
389
Life and Blessing 4712Chap 48
398
Jacobs Death and Burial Chaps 4950
406
Toward Clarifying the Criteria
421
Genesiss Use of the Prophets
433
Genesiss Use of Homers Odyssey
447
The Theory of Four Hypothetical Documents
495
Language Writing and Literature
503
Genesis and the Gospels
519
Copyright

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