Review of The Epic of Eden Essay

The grand of promised land A Christian Entry into the aging volition. Sandra L. Richter, Intervarsity press, 2008. ISBN 978+8308-2577-6 Albert Einstein at once said Peace basinnot be unbroken by force it sess however be achieved by reason. This is an extremely tendinous adduce, and I leave seek to move its strength, as applied to our lives as Christians, upon the cautious review of Sandra L. Richters The large of Eden A Christian Entry into the senescent Testament. Richter designed this text as scarcely a tool by which we top executive further our understanding of the older Testament narrative.With one minor glitch in her formation, Richter handled the task as that of an expert in the field would with patience, attention to central enlarge, and collar dialogue designed to pull the proof proofreader in and leave them starving for to a greater extent(prenominal). Richter prefaced The epos of Eden with a mind-boggling entry that leave no doubt in my mind tha t this was going to be an t for each one read, and I dont assert this casu all in ally. The second definition of the expression enlighten, fit to Merriam- Webster, is to give spiritual insight to, and Richter mantled a promise of nlightenment at bottom the sign pages of this text.As a perfect theoretical account of this concealed assurance, Richter states that the end result of a church not screwing their gray-haired Testament history is that The church does not know who she is, because she does not know who she was(17). These oral communication resonate with the threat of a Christian identity crisis, while at the said(prenominal) beat, the promise of an assured, powerful, Christian identity. One of the more profound ideas in Richters heroic of Eden is her use of an effective fiction is chapter one. we requisite to get past the cracking barrier that hasm of history, language, and culture that separates us from our heroes in the faith (21).This comparison seems to collect all of the hesitancies, the reservations, and the relative fear in understanding the r atomic number 18 Testament, and places them in a sportsmanlike little package aptly coroneted the great barrier. Richter wasted no term in eliciting the appropriate internal reaction there is a barrier to my fellowship of the grey Testament, and I am for the most part the reason that barrier exists. It became immediately frank to me that, should I want to remove this barrier and get more of who I am, nd where I came from, and d be I say, where Im going, then I will require further reading.That promise of enlightenment, at this point, has acquire an extremely dominant theme. Richter takes a superb approach to answering the scruple of How? How will we, as Christians recognizing the need for sexagenarian Testament fellowship, gravel to understand the features of the white-haired Testament most relevant to who we be, where we dumbfound come from, and where we are going? Rich ter makes quotation to the dysfunctional closet syndrome (18), a par open she uses to relate he idea that we consume a disorganized, collective array of variable thought and knowledge processes relevant to our venerable Testament experience.In ready to addition a full, working comprehension of our history, we essential organize our closets, and become familiar with the pieces that are stuffed inside. Richter begins her teaching that we tend to see things by the lens of our throw experiences, our have societies, our own cultures. This strengthens the great barrier in that we are not able to rate the events of the aged Testament, due in part to the differences mingled with hat we know, and about that which we read. Richter points out that to genuinely understand their story, we need to step binding and allow their voices to be heard in the timbre in which they first spoke.We need to do our best to see their macrocosm through and through their eyes (22). Richter allow s the reader to send this facet of the great barrier as more than a mere disability to understanding. Richter begins her breakdown of the sexagenarian Testament by stating the overall theme of the text- redemption. I would be hard pressed to find a more appropriate motivating element in persuading one to truly nderstand the Old Testament. This is the ultimate goal in the sustenance ofa Christian to be redeemed by the Father for the wayward purport lived as a human, who could never hope to sustain without it.Richter explains that the word redemption was actually select from the laws and mores of Israels patriarchal, tribal culture (40). She goes on to reference several popular stories from the Old Testament, in order to allow the reader to fully grasp the concept of redemption as it was applied in Old Testament text. The following are ii examples Ruth and Boaz just in his ntegrity, Boaz chooses to tangle the responsibility of a patriarch and become Ruths gdel her kinsm an-redeemer (42). mount and Abraham Lot and his household are invaded by a oalition of Kings from Mesapotamia (43), and Abraham, being Lots uncle, swoops in to save him (accompanied by hundreds of his family members). So Abraham frame ups own household on the line, his own life on the line, in order to bringing his brothers son from a strong enemy against whom he had no defense. This is another expression of redemption in Israels world (43). The author uses these to nhance our understanding, on a more personal level, of the word redemption, and later, the impact it would have on the life of a faithful Christian when dealt by the hand of God.Richter begins to organize our closets by explaining the historical time and situation real people, real places, real faith (47). In order to understand our Old Testament story, we moldiness first know something about the time and space our heroes occupied (47). She does this by identifying the v key players (47) Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, and their approximate time within the context of ur history. Richter, I believe, uses these figures as the fashion model of her explanation because each holds extreme evaluate in the overall story of redemption. at that place are many stories involving other players in the Old Testament, but these five are the ones that have experiences directly relevant to our redemption. This was a masterfully crafted technique, and one I appreciate for its value in my own Old Testament comprehension. Next, Richter attempts to tackle the real space that these heroes occupied. Before delving into the matter, Richter acknowledges the idea that . eography is a trauma-inducing topic for some folks (55). Remember in the first paragraph when I stirred on the idea that there was a minor glitch in her system?Her attempt at wading through the waters of the geographical flood that stands ever- fall in in my mind failed miserably. geographics that we learn about in modern-day American education is one thing, and easy enough. Geography pertaining to the script was an inviolately different addict before reading Richters Epic of Eden, and it depictions of the space referenced in the text. But after her initial easy-to- nderstand reference of the apposite places, the text became Jumbled, and I found myself ever going back to check the maps, and then losing my train of thought.I continued on this annoying cycle throughout the entire explanation of space. I was ultimately left feeling confused and asking more questions, which resulted in the loss of information that I feel I should have been able to retain. Richter did an excellent job of keeping me socialise enough to forge ahead in my thirst for Old Testament knowledge by explaining in great detail the covenants that were held by the key layers of the Old Testament.To be quite honest, before reading Epic of Eden, I was only fully aware of the covenants between Adam and God, and between Noah and God, and I wa s only vaguely aware of the covenant between Abraham and God. I was delighted that Richter tackled these stories as someone with a strong dear for spreading the gospel. Because of the time and depth that she put into portraying each covenant, I am left with a broader understanding of each of the covenants, and of how they relate to my story, my redemption.Overall, Epic of Eden delivered on its (albeit hidden) promise of enlightenment. I have come a long way in the time it has taken me to read this book, and this can be attributed to the organized, complete set of facts that Richter pulled from the bible for use in aiding my comprehension, my enlightenment. I can now pick up the Old Testament, open to any page, and with my newfound knowledge, I can understand the story and know that it is also my story. An allusion to Einsteins quote I have found understanding, and so it is that I now experience peace.