Interpreting Abraham

The story of Abraham and Isaac is a story of near universal importance. Sitting near the core of three of the world’s great religious traditions, this nineteen verse story opens a world of interpretive possibilities, raising questions of family, loyalty, faith, and choices that are common to all. This collection of essays takes up the question of how our interpretation of this pivotal text has changed over time, and how, even in unlikely intellectual places, the story influences our thought. It begins by exploring various readings of Abraham and the Akedah story throughout the traditional lenses of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. From there, it moves into modern and postmodern readings, including how such varied thinkers as Kant and Kierkegaard, Kafka and Derrida have enaged the text. The book demonstrates the diversity of interpretations, and the dramatic impact of the story on the western intellectual tradition.