Reading Genesis

A brilliant and dramatic close reading of the first book of the Bible focussing on the complex relationship with humankind

‘A work of exceptional wisdom and imagination’ DR ROWAN WILLIAMS, DAILY TELEGRAPH

‘Rich and provoking… Robinson has masterfully traced a sense of wonder back to its ancient, remarkable source’ JULIAN COMAN, OBSERVER

‘Reading Genesis is alive with questions of kindness, community and how to express what we so often struggle to put into words’ NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE

For generations, the Book of Genesis, included in its entirety here, has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents by various hands, expressing di­fferent factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centered on the question of its basic coherence, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centered on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true.

Marilynne Robinson’s approach is di­fferent. Hers is one of an appreciation of Genesis for its greatness as literature, for its rich articulation and exploration of themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture. She illuminates the importance of the stories of, among others, Adam and Eve; Noah and his ark; the rivalry of Cain and Abel; and the father and son drama of Abraham and Isaac, to consider the profound meanings and promise of God’s enduring covenant with humankind. Her magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God’s abiding faith in Creation.