Primeval Saints: Studies in the Patriarchs of Genesis

by James B. Jordan

Publisher:

Canon Press

, 2001

Overview

In this volume, James Jordan reveals the fascinating weave of lives that bind together the heroes and villains of Genesis. Progressively, these lives image and reverse one another in an ascending narrative of action, a narrative all too commonly broken apart and missed. These heroes of the city of God—Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and others—come to flesh and blood in ways that undo our normal assumptions. In stark contrast to the selfish heroism of pagan literature, the heroism of Genesis triumphs by breaking all the standard rules. Jordan inverts so many of the traditional negative judgments against these patriarchs’ alleged weaknesses and “sins” of deception, struggle, and tyranny that they stand forth as heroes rather than as scoundrels.

And yet this book is not just about the heroes of Genesis. Throughout, Jordan draws a picture of how Christian culture should be imagined and lived in our own day, from creativity and work to tyranny and freedom. You will never be able to read Genesis in the same way again!

Contents

Top Highlights

“Simply acquiring dominion is not a worthy goal in itself. Dominion can be used for selfish ends. The reason God gives power to Christians is so that they can help others, so they can restore and glorify His world.” (Page 120)

“What happened at the Tower of Babel was not first and foremost a division of languages, but rather a division of religious belief, as we shall see more fully below.” (Page 55)

“The Christian is never to be motivated by a sense of his own honor, but rather by the honor of Christ” (Page 10)

“Adam’s task was nothing less than the transfiguration of the world, repeatedly, from glory to glory” (Page 17)

“What Rebekah wanted was to shock and restore Isaac. That was her purpose, and God blessed it.” (Page 97)

Product Details

• Title: Primeval Saints: Studies in the Patriarchs of Genesis
• Author: James B. Jordan
• Publisher: Canon Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 160

About James B. Jordan

James B. Jordan (born 31 December 1949) is a Protestant theologian and author. He is director of Biblical Horizons ministries, a think tank in Niceville, Florida that publishes books, essays and other media dealing with Bible commentary, Biblical Theology, and liturgy.