Abraham: The Story of a Life

by Joseph Blenkinsopp

In this discursive commentary Joseph Blenkinsopp explores the story of Abraham -- iconic ancestor of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- as told in Genesis 11-25. Presented in continuous discussion rather than in verse-by-verse form, Blenkinsopp’s commentary focuses on the literary and theological artistry of the narrative as a whole.

Blenkinsopp discussses a range of issues raised in the Abraham saga, including confirmation of God’s promises, Isaac’s sacrifice and the death of Jesus, and Abraham’s other beloved son, Ishmael. Each chapter has a section called “Filling in the Gaps,” which probes some of the vast amount of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic commentary that the basic Genesis text has generated through the ages.

In an epilogue Blenkinsopp looks at Abraham in early Christianity and expresses his own views, as a Christian, on Abraham. Readers of Blenkinsopp’s The Story of a Life will surely come away with a deeper, richer understanding of this seminal ancient figure.

Genres: Biography

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 29, 2015

Reviews

[Dave Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A necessary resource for anyone interested in the study of Abraham and the the narrative sections in Genesis where we find his story. The book walks through the story chapter to chapter, making it easy to follow along with a Bible open beside you. The author is upfront about his personal interest and academic focus, looking at the story from a theological perspective using historical and form criticism as his primary method of discourse. This allows him to hone in on the story structure, parsing through the different sources and helping us, as readers, to navigate the different threads.

One of the biggest revelations for me personally was his call to read the Abraham story backwards into the central narrative of Jacob, as he says, recognizing the story as a connected piece between a developing myth (origins story) and history (although not in the modern sense of history). By approaching the narrative this way, in its construction during the Babylonian exile and post exile world, all of the imagery, patterns, types, language, focus (on themes of land and geneaological development) comes alive in a whole new way. It allows us to parse through the confusing geographical journey, the odd placement of stories like Sodom and Gomorrah, and difficult texts like the sacrifice of Isaac, with both a helpful historical and theological lens set side by side.

This is the kind of book that you read and then immediately want to discuss with others. The author brings an amazing breadth of understanding and research to the table, but at the same time does this as a Christian. The final chapter, acknowledging the importance, relevance and worth of reading the Abraham story in line with its interfaith development (Jewish, Muslim, and Christian), is a wonderful added and reflective piece on how he sees the story of Abraham informing the Christian faith in a particular way. And given how much fresh awareness he brings to the story, this book should be a stepping stone into informing and reforming the Christian faith from a specific Abrahamic lens.

Can't recommend this book enough. It helped me immensely in my understanding of the Sodom and Gomorrah and sacrifice of Isaac story, but also in bringing the world of the text to the forefront. Being able to navigate the geographic setting so much better, getting a visual sense of the lay of the land, then helped me to follow those lines, see how the text was constructed across these lines, and then narrow in on what the text was trying to do in its creation. It helped me notice some things for the very first time, and work through some confusion that had long left me stumped (especially near the end of the Abraham story). Seeing its connection and interconnected patterns to the story of the great Deluge (flood story) helped to give the narrative a greater sense of purpose and aim. Being able to notice things like Sarah's inclusion alongside Abraham as the mother of the covenant promise broke open the subsequent story of Israel in its largely "feminine" language in a whole new light. Knowing how the story develops characters like Ishmael and Isaac in very purposed and particular ways gave a new way of seeing the story development.

And one final note. I picked up this book in the interest of reading through some theological material that can help is understanding the problem of racism in our modern age. I chose this one because of Abraham's association with the idea of a covenant for "all peoples" and "all the nations" of the world. I think this might be where the book is even most helpful, navigating the development of this idea over and against an understanding of a people and a land. Very fascinating insight on that level.

[Mu-tien Chiou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blenkinsopp's form criticism explains the late emergence of Abraham narrative (post-Babylonian exile) as the Jewish community's right response to a disoriented and chaotic life where monarchic and priestly order were no longer （cf. Gen 15:8-16). This is one of the aspects about his suggestion that the Abraham story should be read "backwards."

[M. Reali-Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will come away with a deeper and richer understanding of the Abraham stories. I can’t wait to spend hours discussing this new knowledge and comparing ideas with others who have a passion for deep study of scriptures.