Hebrew Studies 33 (1992) 165 Reviews in Higger's arrangement, that the most appropriate units for analysis are the relatively stable sub-tractates, such as Derekh 'Eres Zecira.) This fluidity is not as radical as in the Hekhalot texts, for which this characteristic is an important issue. Nonetheless, the study of the relationships between Derekh 'Ere$ Zura, Massekhet Kallah, Pereq Qinyan Torah, and similar tracts can contribute to the current debate about whether such fluidity is exceptional; characteristic of Rabbinic literature as a whole; or, perhaps, characteristic of a certain, later period in the evolution of the corpora. Derekh 'Ere$ Zura also alerts us to the significance of Rabbinic manners, etiquette, and customs. These subjects have sometimes been thought to be of little more than antiquarian interest, but by studying daily life as envisioned by the ancient authors, we can become aware of subtle, barely perceptible ways in which ancient Rabbinic thinking differed from our own. The study of Derekh 'Ere$ Zura and similar texts can thus contribute to an histoire des mentalites for Judaism in Late Antiquity. Sperber's commentary contains intriguing material for such a contribution, including a discussion on the recency of eating utensils, the hierarchy of seating arrangements at meals in antiquity, and the dangers of ancient ladders. This may be one way that the classicists and medievalists who Sperber hopes will read this book can benefit from its erudition. Michael D. Swartz University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA 22904 FROM FATHER TO SON: KINSHIP, CONFLICT, AND CON· TINUITY IN GENESIS. By Devora Steinmetz. Literary Currents in Biblical Interpretation. Pp. 214. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1991. Paper, $15.95. This book is a revised version of the author's doctoral dissertation at Columbia University (1984), which compared the kinship themes in Genesis with those in the Old Irish epic, Tain 80 Cuaiinge. The Old Irish material is not included here, but the comparative study of kinship themes is the central orientation of the book. The introductory chapter explores some theories of conflict and kinship, and the following four chapters Hebrew Studies 33 (1992) 166 Reviews apply the resulting theoretical understanding of kinship themes to various narratives in the book of Genesis, particularly Genesis 12-50. The author states her goal clearly: "In order to understand the patriarchal narrative and its place as the introduction to the history of the nation, this study will focus on conflict and attempts at resolution of conflict within the patriarchal family" (p. 11). Hence the subtitle emphasizing kinship, conflict, and continuity. Steinmetz develops her theoretical program in a discussion of Freud's understanding of the Oedipal complex and some subsequent scholarly debate. She states, "The reference point for most inquiry into the nature and origin of family conflict, and so a sensible point at which to begin our survey, is Freud's description of the Oedipus complex" (p. 12). Unfortunately, the problematics of Freudian theory are nowhere considered , nor is the interplay between psychoanalysis and literary criticism in recent theory (with the exception of theories of Rene Girard). The book seems innocent of methodological issues, an innocence which is claimed as a virtue: "I am attempting to offer neither a theory nor a poetics of biblical narrative .... [P]rimarily this book is a work of interpretation" (p. 34). This rather facile distinction between "theory" and "interpretation" exemplifies much of the fuzzy thought in this book. Steinmetz surveys some Oedipal interpretations from Freud to Girard (though she seems unaware of Lacan's works) and concurs with Girard that violence is inevitable in father-son relations, unless somehow the violence is displaced through sacrificial victims or their surrogates. In a Girardian manner she states that "the mythic use of sacrifice by the father is just one step away from the mythic slaughter of the son" (p. 29). She concludes that murderous violence or its displacement through sacrifice are the chief alternatives in the relationship between father and son. With these theoretical conclusions in mind, Steinmetz analyzes various stories and themes in Genesis to discern their father-son conflicts and resolutions. Her key story is the Binding of Isaac in Genesis 22, which she takes as a meditation on "the danger inherent in the father...