Bibliograph

The great shift, encountering God in biblical times, James L. Kugel

Type

Label

The great shift, encountering God in biblical times, James L. Kugel

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages [413]-441) and index

Illustrations

maps

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

The great shift

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

992689016

Responsibility statement

James L. Kugel

Sub title

encountering God in biblical times

Summary

God appears to Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and others; He buttonholes Moses and Isaiah and Jeremiah and tells them what to say. Then Israelites stop seeing God or hearing His voice. Instead, later Israelites are 'in search of God,' reaching out to a distant, omniscient deity in prayers, as people have done ever since. What brought about this change? Using answers from the Bible and other ancient texts, archaeology and anthropology and recent advances in neuroscience, Kugel leads readers to the most basic matter of all: the nature of humanity's encounter with God from earliest times to our own day

Table Of Contents

Part I: "A thousand ages in Thy sight ...". Seeing biblically ; Joseph and his brothers ; The last wills of Jacob's sons -- Part II: Divine encounters. Adam and Eve and the undifferentiated outside ; The fog of divine beings ; Eternity in ancient temples ; Imagining prophecy ; The Book of Psalms and speaking to God -- Part III. Transformations. To monotheism ... and beyond ; A sacred agreement at Sinai ; The emergence of the biblical soul ; Remembering God ; The end of prophecy? -- Part IV. In search of God. The elusive individual ; Humans in search ; Outside the Temple ; Personal religion ; Some conclusions

Target audience

adult

Classification