Hidden Truths from Eden: Esoteric Readings of Genesis 13 (Society of Biblical Literature Semeia Studies)

**Examine a rich history of spiritual interpretations from antiquity to the present** Since the sixteenth century CE, the field of biblical studies has focused on the literal meaning of texts. This collection seeks to rectify this oversight by integrating the study of esoteric readings into academic discourse. Case studies focusing on the first three chapters of Genesis cover different periods and methods from early Christian discourse through zoharic, kabbalistic and alchemical literature to modern and post-postmodern approaches. **Features:** * Discussions, comparisons, and analyses of esoteric appropriations of Genesis 1-3 * Essays on creation myths, gender, fate and free will, the concepts of knowledge, wisdom, and gnosis * Responses to papers that provide a range of view points This Unique Volume Features Case Studies And Examples Of Diverse Esoteric Interpretive Approaches And Methodologies Focusing On Genesis 1-3 And Covering Different Periods From Early Christian Discourse Through Zoharic, Kabbalistic And Alchemical Literature To Modern And Post-postmodern Approaches-- Part 1: Early Christian Explorations. Adam, Eve, And The Serpent In The Acts Of Andrew / Anna Rebecca Solevåg -- Imperial Propaganda In Paradise? : Christ As Eagle In The Apocryphon Of John / Tuomas Rasimus -- A Fitting Portrait Of God : Origen's Interpretations Of The Garments Of Skins (gen 3:21) / Peter W. Martens -- Part 2: Zoharic, Kabbalistic, And Alchemical Speculations. Bifurcating The Androgyne And Engendering Sin : A Zoharic Reading Of Gen 1-3 / Elliot R. Wolfson -- The Genesis Of Christian Kabbalah : Early Modern Speculations On The Work Of Creation / Peter J. Forshaw -- The Mystery Of Mysterium Magnum : Paracelsus's Alchemical Interpretation Of Creation In Philosophia Ad Atheniensis And Its Early Modern Commentators / Georgiana Hedesan -- Part 3: From Modern To Post-postmodern (re-)visions. Beyond Postmodernism? : Esoteric Interpretations Of Gen 1-3 By E. Swedenborg, R. Steiner, And S.d. Fohr / Susanne Scholz -- Restoring A Broken Creation During Times Of Apocalypse : An Essay On The Analogical Symbolism Of Fall And Integrity In The Metaphysics Of Béla Hamvas (1897-1968) / László-attila Hubbes -- The Bible And Africana Esoterism : Toward An Architectonic For Interdisciplinary Study / Hugh R. Page Jr. -- Responses. Strategies Of Esoteric Exegesis / Elaine Pagels -- Esotericism And Biblical Interpretation / Samuel D. Fohr. Edited By Caroline Vander Stichele And Susanne Scholz. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Caroline Vander Stichele and Susanne Scholz: Introduction Part 1: Early Christian Explorations Anna Rebecca Solevåg: Adam, Eve, and the Serpent in the Acts of Andrew Tuomas Rasimus: Imperial Propaganda in Paradise? Christ as Eagle in the Apocryphon of John Peter W. Martens: A Fitting Portrait of God: Origen’s Interpretations of the “Garments of Skins” (Gen 3:21) Part 2: Zoharic, Kabbalistic, and Alchemical Speculations Elliot R. Wolfson: Bifurcating the Androgyne and Engendering Sin: A Zoharic Reading of Gen 1–3 Peter J. Forshaw: The Genesis of Christian Kabbalah: Early Modern Speculations on the Work of Creation Georgiana Hedesan: The Mystery of Mysterium Magnum: Paracelsus’s Alchemical Interpretation of Creation in Philosophia ad Atheniensis and Its Early Modern Commentators Part 3: From Modern to Post-Postmodern (Re)Visions Susanne Scholz: Beyond Postmodernism? Esoteric Interpretations of Gen 1–3 by E. Swedenborg, R. Steiner, and S.D. Fohr László-Attila Hubbes: Restoring a Broken Creation during Times of Apocalypse: An Essay on the Analogical Symbolism of Fall and Integrity in the Metaphysics of Béla Hamvas (1897–1968) Hugh R. Page Jr.: The Bible and Africana Esoterism: Toward an Architectonic for Interdisciplinary Study Responses Elaine Pagels: Strategies of Esoteric Exegesis Samuel D. Fohr: Esotericism and Biblical Interpretation Part 1: Early Christian explorations. Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the acts of Andrew / Anna Rebecca Solevig Imperial propaganda in paradise? Christ as eagle in the Apocryphon of John Tuomas Rasimus A fitting portrait of God: Origen's interpretations of the "Garments of Skin" (Gen 3:21) / Peter W. Martens Part 2: Zoharic, Kabbalistic, and alchemical speculations. Bifurcating the androgyne and engendering sin: a Zoharic reading of Gen 1/3 / Elliot R. Wolfson The Genesis of Christian Kabbalah: early modern speculations on the work of creation / Peter J. Forshaw The mystery of Mysterium Magnum: Paracelsus's alchemical interpretation of creation in Philosophia ad Atheniensis and Its early modern commentators / Georgiana (Jo) Hedesan Part 3: From modern to post-postmodern (re- )visions Beyond postmodernism? esoteric interpretations of Gen 1/3 / by E. Swedenborg, R. Steiner, and S.D. Fohr, Susanne Scholz Restoring a broken creation during times of Apocalypse: an essay on the analogical symbolism of fall and integrity in the metaphysics of Bila Hamvas (1897/1968) / Lszl-Attila Hubbes The Bible and Africana esoterism: toward an architectonic for interdisciplinary study / Hugh R. Page Jr. Part 4: Responses. Strategies of esoteric exegesis / Elaine Pagels Esotericism and biblical interpretation / Samuel D. Fohr. Examine a rich history of spiritual interpretations from antiquity to the present Since the sixteenth century CE, the field of biblical studies has focused on the literal meaning of texts. This collection seeks to rectify this oversight by integrating the study of esoteric readings into academic discourse. Case studies focusing on the first three chapters of Genesis cover different periods and methods from early Christian discourse through zoharic, kabbalistic and alchemical literature to modern and post-postmodern approaches. Discussions, comparisons, and analyses of esoteric appropriations of Genesis 13 Essays on creation myths, gender, fate and free will, the concepts of knowledge, wisdom, and gnosis Responses to papers that provide a range of view points Caroline Vander Stichele is universitair docent at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Her publications include the co-edited Creation and From Genesis to Genetics and Back (Sheffield Phoenix). Susanne Scholz is Professor of Old Testament at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas. She is the author and editor of numerous works, including most recently Sacred Rape in the Hebrew Bible (Fortress). Examine a rich history of spiritual interpretations from antiquity to the present Since the sixteenth century CE, the field of biblical studies has focused on the literal meaning of texts. This collection seeks to rectify this oversight by integrating the study of esoteric readings into academic discourse. Case studies focusing on the first three chapters of Genesis cover different periods and methods from early Christian discourse through zoharic, kabbalistic and alchemical literature to modern and post-postmodern approaches. Features: Discussions, comparisons, and analyses of esoteric appropriations of Genesis 1–3 Essays on creation myths, gender, fate and free will, the concepts of knowledge, wisdom, and gnosis Repsonses to papers that provide a range of view points "This unique volume features case studies and examples of diverse esoteric interpretive approaches and methodologies focusing on Genesis 1-3 and covering different periods from early Christian discourse through Zoharic, Kabbalistic and alchemical literature to modern and post-postmodern approaches"--Résumé de l'éditeur