OCTOBER 28, 1996 VOL. 148 NO. 20

THOUGHTS ON THE GENESIS CONVERSATIONS

"More than any other biblical book, it addresses in a very urgent and complicated way root problems of our existence as individuals, as families and as a nation." --Robert Alter, Genesis translator

"Genesis, by putting totally contradictory notions of God side by side, shows that God is much bigger than any one human system. No denomination has a monopoly on truth." --Karen Armstrong, Author

"Read simply, Genesis is an ugly little soap opera about a dysfunctional family. That is what causes us to have such a strong identification with it in the first place. --Burton Visotzky, Conservative rabbi

"Some were trying to say God acts like a petulant little boy making a sand castle and wiping it out. Incredible! That's notin the Bible." --Alexander Di Lella Priest, professor

"In the Koran, it is Ishmael, not Isaac, who is offered up as a sacrifice. [He] says very clearly to Abraham, 'Father, do it, because we're doing it for God.' --Azizah Y. al-Hibri Islamic-law expert religion

"That's what's great about [the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar]. Folks can resonate to the basic funkiness of a human relationship like this." --Eugene Rivers III Activist pastor

"Many preachers are intimidated about discussing these things. There's nothng to be risked. God is God. We don't need ignorance out there protecting God. " --Samuel D. Proctor, Baptist preacher

I found myself wanting to say, 'Wait a minute! This is a story in which the major player is God, and not just the human participants.' --Roberta Hestenes, Evangelical pastor

"Genesis requires a verdict. That's why it's so compelling. I don't think people can read these chapters and be indifferent to them." --Kenneth Mathews, Southern Baptist

"I had not read Cain and Abel since Sunday school. What surprised me is that it doesn't quite make dramatic or moral sense until it's leaned on [through] conversations like this. --John Barth, Novelist