Sacred Enigmas

by Geller,Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780415127714
• ISBN10: 0415127718
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-12-09
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Sacred Enigmasassesses the religious and intellectual significance of the Hebrew Bible both as a document of its time and as an important step in the development of thought. It presents the major aspects of biblical religion through detailed literary analyses of key texts, presented in English translation to make them accessible to the general reader as well as scholars. Each of the central traditions of biblical religion is examined -- covenantal cultic. wisdom and prophetic -- as well as a number of important themes, like the roles of mystery and sexuality. At the same time, the cultural and social background is explained and described, placing the ideas uncovered in a specific temporal and cultural setting.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vi	(1)
Preface	vii
1 INTRODUCTION	1	(8)
2 THE STRUGGLE AT THE JABBOK: THE USES OF ENIGMA IN BIBLICAL RELIGION	9	(21)
3 FIERY WISDOM: THE DEUTERONOMIC TRADITION	30	(32)
4 BLOOD CULT: AN INTERPRETATION OF THE PRIESTLY WORK OF THE PENTATEUCH	62	(25)
5 WHERE IS WISDOM?	87	(21)
6 THE RIDDLE OF PROPHECY	108	(34)
7 THE RAPE OF DINAH: SEXUALITY AND TRANSCENDENCE	142	(15)
8 THE GARDEN OF SELF	157	(11)
9 LITERATURE, HISTORY, AND RELIGION	168	(27)
EPILOGUE	195	(3)
NOTES	198	(22)
Index	220