Abraham's Silence: The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God - Paperback

by J. Richard Middleton (Author)

It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience?

Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham.

This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.

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"This is interpretation at its most daring and at its best"

Widely respected scholar J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and explains that God desires more than silent obedience in difficult times.

"This is interpretation at its most daring and at its best. Middleton sees the urgency of speaking up to God, a 'speaking up' in which God delights (see Job 42:7)! Middleton's conclusion matters among us now in a time of authoritarian silencing all around us."
--Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary (emeritus)

"This book is an extraordinary commentary on the meaning of the Aqedah (Genesis 22). I consider this to be a masterpiece of once-in-a-generation quality. Abraham's Silence respectfully reverses millennia of traditions (Jewish and Christian) that praise Abraham's unquestioning obedience to the instruction to sacrifice Isaac while taking them seriously and honoring them. As a Jew, I deeply appreciate the theological humility with which the whole book is written. The result is a fair-minded, 360-degree scan of all the available wisdom on a theological conundrum that has baffled the wise for centuries. This book deserves to reach the widest possible audience of Bible readers."
--Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, president, J. J. Greenberg Institute for the Advancement of Jewish Life, Hadar Institute

"In this groundbreaking work, Middleton dares to question Abraham's unquestioning obedience in Genesis 22. His approach is robustly biblical-theological, but his outside-the-box thinking offers an intriguing new solution to two interpretive puzzles: the binding of Isaac and the testing of Job. The pastoral implications of this book make it a must-read for pastors and biblical scholars alike."
--Carmen Joy Imes, Biola University

"I have been learning from Middleton for over twenty-five years. From him I learned that, in the Bible itself, God invites our questions and doubts. He showed me--through the Psalms and Job--that lament is faithful. This marvelous book exhibits the singular combination that is Richard Middleton: a deep and broad attunement to the Scriptures and a keen philosophical sensibility, both wed to a profoundly pastoral concern. A gift for both church and academy."
--James K. A. Smith, Calvin University

Author Biography

J. Richard Middleton (PhD, Free University of Amsterdam) is professor of biblical worldview and exegesis at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, New York. He is the author of The Liberating Image and the award-winning A New Heaven and a New Earth. He coauthored the bestsellers Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be and The Transforming Vision. Middleton's books have been published in Korean, French, Indonesian, Spanish, and Portuguese. He has served as president of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies and as president of the Canadian-American Theological Association.