Genesis

by Bill Moyers

Book Overview

People need stories to make sense of the world--to hold their lives together, and to fasten on to those values that last. The greatest stories are found in the Bible, enduring through the centuries.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385483457
• ISBN13: 9780385483452
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 361 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 7.7" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

A true conversation

Bill is an extraordinary visionary. What a thought to bring together scholars from multiple religions to talk about Genesis. This is a must read. The conversation is insightful and enlightening. No wonder Fundamentalists dislike Bill. He is fully inclusive and working to build bridges across the chasm of beliefs. Understanding will only be built through learning conversations, not by intolerance.

I was mesmerized with the audiotape

I cannot add more to the previous posts except to repeat for emphasis how very interesting it is that Jews, Christians and Muslims share this story. There is so much to contemplate and so much common ground.

Great resource for other perspectives

This book is a great resource for more thought. Each of the ten chapters focuses on a prominent Genesis story and features a short essay by authors from one of the 3 "descendent" religions. Some of the more interesting essays included: Reverend Leighton's "The Legacy of Cain", "Arguing with God" by Rosann Catalano on the Sacrifice of Isaac, and Francisco Garcia-Treto, a Cuban-American minister, unique perspectives on the exile. Additionally there are short paragraphs by such authors as Augustine, Solzhenitsyn, and Ellie Wiesel. Finally short quotes provide gems for further meditation. I found this book useful for myself as an individual, but would be great for Bible discussion groups. Though familiar, these Genesis stories never fail to surprise.

Response to complaint about book being to liberal

I don't agree...I found this book exciting. Most books today considering the question of Genesis are generally written by conservative believers and marketed to the faithful. We've been fed the conservative point of view fairly consistantly since the founding of this country. In my experience, I find that the conservative rarely reach out to conduct this kind of inquiry, instead focusing on "spreading the word" they personally endorse with very little time for others' interpretations of the bible's message. They rarely reccomend such books as this to their peers, for fear of the questions which may arise from the text. (this is, as I've said, based upon my own experiences, and doesn't apply to conservatives as a whole, I should hope.) I read and consider both camps, but have always seen the field as unbalanced in the conservative direction, especially here in the south. Welcome this book, read this book, and consider this book. It's a rare thing thoughtfully constructed.

Myths Come Alive

Joseph Campbell, reknowned professor of world mythology, has said that the three great religions--Judaism, Islam, and Christianity--are at loggerheads with one another while forgetting their common roots. The Book of Genesis is that common ground. And in this dialogue hosted by television journalist Bill Moyers representatives from these three traditions join each other in illuminating their audience as to the nature of God, of man, ethics, worship, and religion. Rabbis, ministers, Muslims, writers, artists, scholars, and educators discuss the stories of Genesis and to provide us with a myriad of perspectives and interpretations.With such a cornucopia of viewpoints it is easy to side with one and reject the others. Yet in the end, the question to ask is not 'Who is right?,' rather 'What can we learn from the other?' Truth, as the participants urge us, has many faces.Although the printed (book) edition offers some parts unavailable in the audio format, the cassette version is the better choice since it certainly captures the full flavor of this unmoderated and lively discussion.Package includes ten cassettes, and a leaflet containing photos and biographies of the participants.[...]