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A review by raehink
Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
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.