In his Confessions, St Augustine recounts the effect on him of hearing Bishop Ambrose explain various Old Testament passages figuratively: "These passages had been death to me when I took them literally, but once I had heard them explained in their spiritual meaning I began to blame myself for my despair, at least insofar as it had led me to suppose that it was quite impossible to counter people who hated and derided the law and the prophets." What was true of thoughtful people in St. Augustine's day is even more true today. For many in these 'enlightened' times, Bible stories present a stumbling-block to considering any of the great Western faiths as providing a way of spiritual growth: some narratives seem to condone immoral actions while others seem worthy of mockery or strain good sense. But there is an 'inside' to these narratives far more digestible than their outside, and this inside is explored in Adam and Eve. From the episodes in the Garden of Eden to the Exodus from Egypt and the battle for entry into the Promised Land, one story after another receives a penetrating treatment revealing a current of esoteric meaning. The interpretations given are traditional in the truest sense of the word, and the author's hope is that this book will have the kind of effect on the contemporary reader that Bishop Ambrose's explanations had on St Augustine so many years ago.

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