Abraham: Trials of Family and Faith

by Terence E. Fretheim

Overview

From God's surprising call to Abraham to leave home and family to God's enigmatic commands that he evict one son and sacrifice another, Genesis 12-25 is one of the most dramatic stories of the Old Testament. In an inviting style that showcases his literary discernment, theological sophistication, and passion for the biblical text, Terence E. Fretheim guides readers through the intricacies of the plot.

Abraham, called "the father of a multitude" (Gen 17:5), lives up to his name as the patriarch of three major religious traditions. Fretheim examines Abraham's family and assesses the significant roles it plays across Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In addition, Fretheim contributes to the increasingly important interreligious dialogue surrounding Abraham by examining the continuing conversation among Muslims, Christians, and Jews about the place of Hagar and Ishmael in Abraham's family.

Relating biblical narrative to theological concerns, Fretheim wrestles with such controversial concepts as God's selection of an elect people, the gift of land and other promises, the role of women and outsiders, the character of God, and the suffering of innocents. Throughout the text, Fretheim frames the narrative as rooted in the trials of family and faith that define Abraham as the father of three religions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506491950
Publisher:	1517 Media
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Pages:	262
Sales rank:	594,521
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Terence E. Fretheim was an Old Testament scholar and the Elva B. Lovell Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. He published numerous books, including About the Bible: Short Answers to Big Questions (Augsburg, 1999) and The Bible as Word of God: In a Postmodern Era (Fortress, 1998).

What People are Saying About This

John Day

This interesting study by noted Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim, based on wide reading and deep reflection, is accessible to general readers, students, clergy, and scholars alike. It may be thoroughly recommended for its literary sensitivity and the theological insight it provides into the Abraham narratives in Genesis 12-25; the roles of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Ishmael are all helpfully illuminated. Nowadays, Abraham is often appealed to as a figure held in common between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is therefore good that Fretheim's final chapter helpfully analyses the differing representations of Abraham in biblical and postbiblical Jewish literature, the New Testament, and the Koran.

Walter Brueggemann

Fretheim stays at the cutting edge of interpretation with his distinctive and compelling combination of critical acumen and theological sensitivity. Fretheim has for a long time pondered the Genesis texts and he brings his great learning to this book. But he also moves into the new questions concerning Abraham as 'father of faith' who summons Jews, Christians, and Muslims to think again and to read together as far as we can. Fretheim shows the way in which the interpretive traditions of Jews and Christians have lingered over Abraham. We have come a long way from both innocent pre-critical thought and from arid criticism. Fretheim is a reliable, first-rate guide for new paths of discernment. I cannot imagine a study that better serves the series of Studies on Personalities of the Old Testament.

Editorial Reviews

Fretheim (Old Testament, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN) attempts to justify yet another biography of Abraham, legendary father of three faiths, but is not quite convincing. His book has its benefits: it is short, it covers issues of child abuse, and it recognizes that the authors of the book of Genesis in the Old Testament did not intend the text to document a history of origins; instead, it was to explore the meaning of myths and legends about the beginnings of the Hebrew tribe. More could have been made of the fact that these stories were written in postexilic Israel (circa 500 B.C.E.), when the idea of the promise of a great Hebrew tribe was severely tested and nearly destroyed. The Abrahamic story was yet another story of survival in the face of certain destruction: if Abraham had sacrificed Isaac, no tribe would exist that could be traced back to him. Fretheim recognizes that ancient Near Eastern legends of child sacrifice might have influenced the Hebrew writers who compiled these stories. His book may be useful to students, but for the general reading public, Bruce Feiler's Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faithsis recommended. Fretheim's book will better suit seminary libraries.
—James A. Overbeck

Library Journal

immensely enriching and readable... based on years of reflection and research that is well worth contemplating

Shofar