Scan barcode
hiltonfarmer's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
sjc1992's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
An insightful and beautiful analysis of one of the Bible's most challenging books. Robinson's main thesis is despite the common "vengeful God" narrative, Genesis is about a truely grace-filled God. He keeps his covenant with the chosen family and humanity despite how little we deserve his mercy. Robinson's Calvinism is treaded throughout her argument. I have personally always struggled with Calivism but Robinson's emphasize God's grace throughout her work showcases the most compelling and beautiful aspects of Calvinism.
ady_soundslike80's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
matthewkeating's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not religious but I have an interest in theology. This book is a great primer for someone like myself who isn't intimately familiar with Genesis. I also suspect this would be rewarding for readers who are more familiar than I am but looking for some kind of explication. The digital advance copy that I read did not include the actual biblical text alongside Robinson's commentary, which made following the 'plotline' (for lack of a better word) sometimes confusing, because she doesn't seem to always move linearly(?). FSG's website claims the book will include the full King James version of Genesis, so I imagine readers of physical copies will have an easier time with this than I did. The biggest takeaways for me were Robinson's insistence on the point that through Genesis, vengeance, when expected, is not taken, and her note that these stories are unusually focused on the lives and follies of individual humans (the text's inclusion of so many domestic squabbles, and so many terrible decisions on the part of its ostensible heroes, is, as Robinson says, remarkable). A really enjoyable read.
raehink's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Reading Genesis is a short but mighty commentary on the stories in the Biblical book, by the well-known and beloved Pulitzer-Prize-winning author, Marilynne Robinson.
Robinson begins by comparing the multiple Babylonian gods, who were capricious and duplicitous in their dealings with mankind, with the Hebrew God, who shows mercy and grace and forgiveness and kindness and compassion in regards to his Creation. She acknowledges that Biblical writers most likely borrowed from these earlier Babylonian sources and stories, but she is able to articulate and maintain her own beliefs while allowing for this appropriation.
Robinson's perceptive conclusions are that the Hebrew deity is mysteriously able to maintain a covenant and family relationship with its Creation, whether or not the characters in Genesis are seen as completely honorable or not. This Hebrew God is somehow capable of allowing mankind to act with free will outside of the "law" and yet still honor agreements and give blessings that extend into the future. Perhaps the most impactful ideas for me were her thoughts regarding history and how this God uses any human decisions, good or bad, to bring about the continuation of his covenant in ways that then become what we call history.
The audience for these quite erudite musings will be those who already have some familiarity with the Bible and/or theology. I consider myself fairly familiar with Biblical theology, but I still struggled at times to fully understand Robinson's ideas.
I have not read Robinson's non-fiction before, although I do own a collection of her essays. I will now be moving that book up to the forefront of my reading. I highly recommend Reading Genesis to those who are interested in religion and Biblical studies, or to those who simply enjoy reading Marilynne Robinson.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, for early access to a digital copy in return for an honest review.
Robinson begins by comparing the multiple Babylonian gods, who were capricious and duplicitous in their dealings with mankind, with the Hebrew God, who shows mercy and grace and forgiveness and kindness and compassion in regards to his Creation. She acknowledges that Biblical writers most likely borrowed from these earlier Babylonian sources and stories, but she is able to articulate and maintain her own beliefs while allowing for this appropriation.
Robinson's perceptive conclusions are that the Hebrew deity is mysteriously able to maintain a covenant and family relationship with its Creation, whether or not the characters in Genesis are seen as completely honorable or not. This Hebrew God is somehow capable of allowing mankind to act with free will outside of the "law" and yet still honor agreements and give blessings that extend into the future. Perhaps the most impactful ideas for me were her thoughts regarding history and how this God uses any human decisions, good or bad, to bring about the continuation of his covenant in ways that then become what we call history.
The audience for these quite erudite musings will be those who already have some familiarity with the Bible and/or theology. I consider myself fairly familiar with Biblical theology, but I still struggled at times to fully understand Robinson's ideas.
I have not read Robinson's non-fiction before, although I do own a collection of her essays. I will now be moving that book up to the forefront of my reading. I highly recommend Reading Genesis to those who are interested in religion and Biblical studies, or to those who simply enjoy reading Marilynne Robinson.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, for early access to a digital copy in return for an honest review.
alexanderp's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
This will be one of the most important works on Christianity in years to come. It is already the most compelling book I've read on the topic in the last 15 years if not longer. Robinson's attention, deep reading of scripture, and the scope of the perspective of the Divine are invaluable to the believer and skeptic alike.
More...