Comments | abstractthought: Adam and Eve: A Literary Approach

autisticbliss in abstractthought

Adam and Eve: A Literary Approach

Mar 05, 2010 12:30

So here in abstractthought, there have been plenty of discussions about the cosmos, conceptions of God, reason, paradoxes, etc. While many [of you] might regard the Adam and Eve narrative as a story that is totally incompatible with logic and reason, I beg to differ! That is not to say the story operates on logical principles; much of it deals ( Read more... )

Comments 4

morgue_n March 10 2010, 23:42:50 UTC

The video was masterfully done.

It is written in the Talmud (which is basically the cliffnotes of the Torah) that God took eve from adam's rib. not from the head to be superior or from the feet to be walked upon, but from the side to be equal, from under the arm to be protected, and from next to the heart to be loved."

it's one of my favorite passages.

(The comment has been removed)

autisticbliss March 16 2010, 04:45:24 UTC

I agree!

tabular_rasa March 11 2010, 12:57:04 UTC

Very good video! Clear, detailed, and well-researched.

Personally, one of the key reasons I avoid the organized religions in their modern manifestations is precisely because of the recent dominance of literal interpretation. To me, it seems obvious that the Bible, Talmud, or Quran-- or any other religious text, Buddhist sutras, etc-- are not literal history but myths, a symbolic interpretation of history or even fictional stories meant to explain the "big questions" and the mores of modern society (or at least the society in which they were written). I actually quite enjoy reading religious texts as allegory or metaphor and to search for meaning that will resonate with me personally-- but may not align with the dominant interpretation. And since I'm by no means a scholar of religious texts or ancient Near Eastern languages, I particularly appreciated the insights prompted by your translations ( ... )

autisticbliss March 16 2010, 05:05:30 UTC

I like your view of "society" coming about as a result of eating the fruit, not as a consequence that God himself imposes, but something that occurs within the minds of Adam and Eve. After all, the first thing that happens after becoming aware of tob and ra is that they are embarrassed by one another (God had nothing to do with it!)!

I too am not a monotheist, but I like to view the character of God in the story as the Unknown or even the personification of a pantheistic divine portrayed in a drama (or myth, I should say). At least, this is how it has more meaning for me.