The beginning of wisdom : reading Genesis / [print]
Leon R. Kass.
- New York : Free Press, 2003.
- xv, 700 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Part One: Dangerous beginnings: the uninstructed ways Genesis 1-11 -- Awesome beginnings: man, heaven, and the created order -- The follies of freedom and reason: the story of the Garden of Eden (I) -- The vexed question of man and woman: the story of the Garden of Eden (II) -- Fratricide and founding: the twisted roots of civilization -- Death, beautiful women, and the heroic temptation: the return of chaos and the flood -- Elementary justice: man, animals, and the coming of law and covenant -- Paternity and piety: Noah and his sons -- Babel: the failures of civilization. -- Part Two: Educating the fathers Genesis 12-50 -- Abraham (Genesis 12-25) -- Educating the fathers: Father Abraham -- Educating Father Abraham: the meaning of marriage -- Educating Father Abraham: the meaning of patriarchy -- Isaac (Genesis 25-28) -- Inheriting the way: from father to son -- The education of Isaac: from son to patriarch -- Jacob (Genesis 28-35) The adventures of Jacob: the taming of the shrewd -- Brotherhood and piety: facing Esau, seeing God -- Politics and piety: Jacob becomes Israel -- The generations of Jacob: Joseph, Judah, and their brothers (Genesis 36-50) -- The generations of Jacob: the question of leadership -- Joseph the Egyptian -- Joseph and his brothers: estrangement and recognition -- Israel in Egypt: the way not taken -- Losing Joseph, saving Israel: Jacob preserves the way.
Looks at the wisdom of nature and of man as seen through an interpreation of the book of Genesis.