The Curse of Cain: The Violent Legacy of Monotheism
Books / Paperback
ISBN: 0226742008 / Publisher: University of Chicago Press, January 1998
An English professor explores the problems posed by God's exclusion of Cain in the biblical story, arguing that the very concept of monotheism has led to a violent nationalism and an "us-versus-them" mentality and offering an alternative ethics. UP.
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The Curse of Cain confronts the inherent ambiguities of biblical stories on many levels and, in the end, offers an alternative, inspiring reading of the Bible that is attentive to visions of plenitude rather than scarcity, and to an ethics based on generosity rather than violence. "[A] provocative and timely examination of the interrelationship of monotheism and violence. . . . This is a refreshing alternative to criticism-biblical and otherwise-that so often confuses interpretation with closure; it is an invitation to an ethic of possibility, plenitude, and generosity, a welcome antidote to violence, as important for its insights into memory, identity, and place as for its criticism of monotheism's violent legacy."--Booklist"Brilliant and provocative, this is a work demanding close attention from critics, theologians, and all those interested in the imaginative roots of common life."--Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth"A stunningly important book."--Walter Brueggemann, Theology Today"Artfully rendered, endlessly provocative."--Lawrence Weschler, New Yorker
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