The Genesis of Perfection: Adam and Eve in Jewish and Christian Imagination

by Gary A. Anderson

A careful examination of the earliest biblical interpretations of Genesis considers such topics as human destiny, the Creation, sexuality, sin, and forgiveness, from the perspectives of both Judaism and Christianity.

Genres: Theology, Religion, History, Christianity, Church, Biblical Studies, Old Testament

257 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Emma Whear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.
My initial reaction to each chapter was heavy skepticism towards the different interpretations of Adam and Eve regarding sex, Eden, clothes of skin, grass of the fields, etc...

However, Edwards challenged us in recitation to realize just that the coherence of the different positions was just as reasonable as what we deem "the correct reading." In reality, the text of Genesis is so, so sparse.

I really enjoyed the addition of iconography and images into the analysis of Jewish and Christian tradition.

If I have any complaint, it's that the chapters are so full of different interpretations that weave together with the author's own opinions. Becomes a bit of a muddle.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good - very interesting example of reception-critical scriptural exegesis from one of the masters. Highly approachable (written for a lay audience) and does a good job of avoiding today's debates about "historicity" or evolution / creation in favor, instead, of reading what it was that the ancient's actually cared about in these texts. I'd read this, and then also read "Beginnings" by Peter Bouteneff for a more Eastern focus on the same texts. Anderson, given his context, is a bit focused on the Western Christian tradition alongside Rabbinic sources.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like two-and-a-half.

This book is kind of a sampler to see if you like it. It's not really an argument for a particular reading of Genesis or the Bible, but a trailmix of various ways Jews and Christians have interpreted Genesis. This includes weird Jewish rabbis, weirder Church fathers, some idiosyncratic Renaissance painters, and Milton. Along the way, you can glean some very good observations about genesis (Genesis is a sanctuary, the significance of clothes, the foreshadowing of Israel's command and exile. It also gives you an idea that it would be kind of cool to know more about the Jewish commentators, since they seem to know how to put their finger on odd details in the text that we miss. The church fathers seem to have less to offer, since while the Jewish stories are entertaining and are ultimately about the text, the church fathers are definitely reading their own things into the text. The painters are definitely very, very sophisticated and careful: no wonder it took them so long to make their works of art. We all know by now that Milton is wonderful.

So in short this book made me realize how uneducated I am about the depths and riches and sophistication of the pre-modern world and how tedious the process of becoming educated would be.

[Samuel Draper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant scholarship here. Anderson's prose is shocking in its clarity and breadth. His research across the centuries and into differing traditions and their multifaceted tributaries is superb. The way he strings it all together at both the chapter level and the level of the book itself is one I hope to emulate in my own research/writing. As for the content of the book, Anderson lays out a number of the many different interpretative traditions of Genesis, both in Jewish and Christian history. In summary, it's a brilliant overview of the many ways that the first three chapters of Genesis have been understood, reflected on, and incorporated into the wide theological systems of different traditions within both faiths. And all of this in the most accessible and engaging style incorporating iconography and art history. Truly impressive. This is a book that I'll keep handy for years to come.

Highest recommendation to anyone interested in the history of interpretation of Genesis 1-3.

[Fred Christopherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the other reviewers used the phrase "reception-critical scriptural exegesis" and it seems to fit well. That is, this book describes Adam and Eve based on how their story has been understood. The author pays specific attention to the first few hundred years of Christianity, and the same period in Judaism. The approach is that the creation story can't really be understood by looking only at the first three chapters of Gensis.

[Alathea · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 actually. It was a very good book.

[Anita Deacon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have been 5 stars, but then chapter 8 happened. What the heck. Anyway, great book.

[Andrei Rad · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Patrick Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Helps you see what the early Jews and Christians thought about the beginning and what happened to our primal parents. Broadens your thinking on the fall.

[Brian LePort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book exploring the reception history of Genesis.