THE JOURNEY TO EGYPT
1. Why does Abram / Abraham react the way he does before going to Egypt? There is no textual evidence to support the fact that the Egyptians will kill him (and as it turns out, Pharaoh is morally outraged at the outcome of the situation). What does this say about one's encounter with the other?
2. What if we look at the story from Sarah's perspective. Why does she remain silent and complicit? (She certainly speaks later on, so we cannot blame this on some kind of misogynistic editing.) What does she gain here?
ABRAHAM, SARAH AND HAGAR
3. This is the first love triangle in Genesis. What very human problems arise from this triangle? How do you analyze the story along lines such as gender, class, ethnicity? What does the story reveal about suffering (from Hagar's point of view)?
ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
4. This story is almost unreadable - a father who willingly will murder his own son in cold blood because a voice tells him to do so. Why does God test Abraham here (and with such a horrific test)? Abraham has already proven his fidelity to God - he has left his homeland after hearing a 'divine voice,' moved his wife and possessions to another place. Why does God need more proof? What might this story be stating about Abraham's relationship with the divine? Go to specific points within the text to support your analysis.
No comments:
Post a Comment