The Pentateuch

Abstract

The Pentateuch Christopher T. Begg and Tremper J. Longman III 2059. [Genesis 1–3, etc.] Peter B. Ely, Adam and Eve in Scripture, Theology and Literature: Sin, Compassion, and Forgiveness (Lanham/Boulder/New York/London: Lexington Books, 2018). Pp. xiii + 335. $110. ISBN 978-1-4985-7389-4. E.’s work is an extended consideration of the narrative of Adam and Eve, first found in the Hebrew Bible, but given new life in Paul in the NT. Paul’s treatment of Adam and Eve, especially his designation of Christ as the second Adam, has had an enormous influence on Christianity. E. follows this rich narrative as it develops through history, providing the basis for the doctrine of original sin in Christianity, giving rise in modern times to theological speculation, and entering thematically into mysticism and literature. The power of the Adamic narrative can only be realized if, E. argues, one treats it as a true, but non-historical myth. The “truth” of the myth lies in its ability to stimulate thinking and to reveal the depths of human experience. Augustine understood this, as did Julian of Norwich, and even the Belgian author of mystery stories, Georges Simenon, who had a deep sense of the universality of human weakness and the possibilities of redeeming what was lost. Simenon’s detective Maigret sees himself as a “mender of destinies.” The doctrine of original sin, the notion that human beings have a common vulnerability, can open the way to compassion and forgiveness. As Shakespeare illustrates in Measure for Measure, the awareness of weakness in ourselves should move us to compassion for others. The recognition of a kind of “democracy of sin” can keep us from considering ourselves better than others, unlike them in their weakness, and entitled to stand in judgment of them. Thus, compassion opens the door to forgiveness. The progress from sin to compassion to forgiveness forms the heart of E.’s book [adapted from published abstract]. After an introduction (“Adam and Eve, Original Sin, Compassion, and Forgiveness”), E.’s work continues with three main parts, each comprising three or more chapters. Part I (Symbol, Myth, and Biblical Narrative) contains three chapters designated, respectively, Paul Ricoeur: A Wider Context for the Adamic Myth; The Adamic Myth in the Hebrew Testament; and The Adamic Myth in the New Testament. Part II (The Symbol Gives Rise to Thought: From Biblical Narrative to Autobiography, Theory, and Doctrine) features: Augustine: Original Sin and Compassion; Adam and Eve and Original Sin: Classical Formulations and Modern Developments; Compassion as Prelude to Forgiveness; and René Girard: Original Sin as Covetousness. Finally, Part III (The Word Becomes Flesh: From Theory and Doctrine to Literature) comprises: Perceval: Compassion Awakened through Conversion; Julian of Norwich: From Blindness to the Vision of Love; Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: Compassion in the State; and Detective and Priest: Georges Simenon’s Compassionate Commissioner Maigret. Rounding off the volume are a conclusion, bibliography, index, and information about the author.—C.T.B. 2060. [Genesis 6–9] Tremper Longman Iii and John H. Walton, The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 2018). Pp. 189. $18. ISBN 978-0-8308-5200-0. While Genesis 6–9 describes a worldwide flood, contemporary science indicates that such a flood never occurred. L. argues that the whole of Genesis 1–11 is theological history that describes events through the use of figurative language for theological purposes. L. and W. suggest that the flood story is based on an ancient, devastating regional flood, which, through the use of hyperbole, becomes a theological reflection on sin, divine judgment, and grace as well as order, disorder, and re-order.—T.L. [End Page 720] 2061. [Numbers 25] Brandon R. Grafius, Reading Phinehas, Watching Slashers: Horror Theory and Numbers 25 (Lanham/Boulder/New York/London: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2018). Pp. xvii + 209. $100. ISBN 978-1-978701-20-5. This monograph will explore the intersection of a range of themes (e.g., rhetorical and historical violence) through a variety of critical methodologies. Beginning with a traditional historical-critical study and moving into more...