Abraham (eBook, EPUB)

Introduces the life and significance of Abraham in a way that will enlighten both complete beginners and people who thought they knew all they needed to know about him.

Abraham follows the biblical account of Abraham and his family in Genesis, while drawing out key points of reflection and action during Lent Written by a brilliant new biblical scholar with a gift for communicating the very latest scholarship in ways that make sense to the non-expert.

Abraham is a Lent book that takes the story of Abraham in Genesis as the basis for a series of six Lenten studies.

There is a single chapter for each of the six weeks focusing on an extract from Genesis. Each chapter is followed by a set of questions arising from it, which could be used by groups or individuals, as well as suggested further reading.

Each chapter begins and ends with discussion addressed to the reader and his or her own experience of moving through Lent. This discussion is related to the chosen passage from the Abraham narratives for that week, and will not assume any previous or background knowledge of biblical scholarship.

In each chapter the reader is offered an interpretation of the chosen passage that is fresh and designed to resonate with their own personal experience. The book gently challenges some traditional ideas about Abraham and his presentation in the Bible.

Your Lent journey 2
Setting out 3
'I want to be a priest!' 7
Why Abraham? 10
On the journey 16
Questions for reflection 18
2 The promise: Genesis 15 19
The 'week two' syndrome 19
Abraham the champion of faith 21
On the road 23
The historical background 24
'Do not be afraid, Abram...'27
'Which Bank?' 28
The promise 32
Questions for reflection 35
3 The visitors: Genesis 18.1-15 36
Offering hospitality 39
Meanwhile, back in Mamre... 43
The gift 46
What do you do when God 'shows up'? 49

The extraordinary comes out of the ordinary 51
Questions for reflection 54
4 The 'other': Genesis 21.1-21 55
Being 'other' 58
How does the 'other' function in Genesis 21? 61
The sacrifice of Ishmael 63
The 'other' in our context 67
Being family 69
Questions for reflection 71
5 The choice: Genesis 22.1-19 72
Facing the choice 74
Abraham's 'awe-ful' choice 76
Our journeys and our choices 80
Becoming Abraham 84
Questions for reflection 87
6 The legacy: Genesis 26 88
'Because Abraham obeyed my voice' 92
And they all lived happily ever after... 97
'And all the nations of the earth shall gain blessing
for themselves through your offspring' 98
Journey's end? 103
Questions for reflection 106
Further recommended reading 107