Genesis: The Story We Haven't Heard

by Paul Carlton Borgman

Time after time choosing selfishness over selflessness, human beings invariably destroy themselves and wreck their societies. Only God can help, says Genesis. Yet God refuses to coerce. Instead he works with individual men and women who turn around--who stop trying to make a name for themselves and start trying to be a blessing to others. The transformation is slow and arduous. God waits. Captured in one of the world's best and best-known stories, this dynamic between God and recreated individuals leads from the universal chaos of Babel to blessing for all our world's peoples. Unfortunately, most of us overlook the dramatic story of God's work in early time because we read Scripture in disjointed pieces--and we think we've heard it all before! We miss the suspenseful, sweeping narrative of interconnected events. We miss the nuances of emotion and relationship between the characters. Now in The Story We Haven't Heard Paul Borgman fits the pieces back together--revealing God's story as if it had never been read before.

Genres: Biblical Studies, Faith, Old Testament, Christian, Theology

252 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some rich insights in this book, but for some reason it dragged on for me. There was a good pay-off at the end of the book, where Borgman answered (at least to my mind) a nagging question that I had been wondering about for ages--how does the story of Joseph tie up the story of Genesis?

Borgman had good prose, uncluttered and unacademic. He stressed big picture stuff instead of getting lost in the weeds. Yet, for some reason, I had to force myself to keep reading. "Seriously! It's me, not you." IDK 3 1/2 stars (but I'll round up).

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borgman tells the story of Genesis, focusing on the majority of the book that only a minority of writers choose to examine closely: The story of Abraham and his descendants.
Overall, he portrays God as One Who works together with humanity, according to His plan. He flexes and bends as we veer and stray. While it may be classified as "Open Theology," I believe it is a worthwhile read. Personally, I am at home and comfortable with the idea of God's ultimate control, but this book wrestles with the tough questions of humanity's fall and journey to recovery.

[Taylor Diehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an English professor, Borgman brings a new perspective to Genesis, reading it as a cohesive and complex piece of ancient literature. I found this new perspective refreshing, and my respect for Genesis continued to grow as I read this book. It wasn't always as engaging as I hoped it would be, and sometimes it felt dry, but at other times I found myself excited about my new discovery of greater truths in Genesis. Definitely worth reading.

[Katie Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresh & living

This was my first introduction to reading the Bible as literature and understanding God as a person, not an impersonal force. The first half, about Abraham, significantly changed my understanding of Genesis and introduced me to new ways of engaging the text.