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Title: Political Philosophy and the God of Abraham by Thomas L. Pangle ISBN: 0-8018-7328-2 Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A Difficult Read but Thought Provoking
Comment: First of all, this book is about philosophy and theology, not about politics. By the term "Political Philosophy" the author means "Political" in terms of how men organize their belief systems. Specifically, the author cites a number of theologians, both modern (Karl Barth, Soren Kirkegard, Milton) and ancient (Socrates, Plato, St. Augustine, Maimonedes).
Second, what this book is about: the author examines the text of Genesis from the beginning through the life of Abraham. I can imagine a follow-up book that examines the rest of the Pentateuch through the life of Moses. A primary concern of the author is the relationship between God and Man, especially regarding the nature of man as a sinful being, and his need to perform sacrifice to God. A secondary major theme is the nature of dialogue between individual men (Adam, Cain, Noah & his sons, and most importantly Abraham) and God.
This book is thoroughly researched and annotated. The actual text is 184 pages, and the remaining about 1/3 of the book is citations and short excerpts and explanations of the various philosophers that Pangle has referred to in the body of the text. A serious student could use the citations as a reading list.
My primary disagreement with Pangle's book, is that I believe,the two main contributions Abraham's experience with God gave to mankind's philosophy and theology were 1)there is But THE One God, and 2)the end of Human Sacrifice as a propriation of that God. Pangle ultimately is more concerned with the concept of Justice.
I read all of this book once, and several sections twice. In some discussions the author's main point gets lost in the heavy citation and quotations. Also, the author's own (theological) bias with regard to the need and requirement of sacrifice as expressed in Genesis seems to color the discussion. However, I am not a theologian or philosopher, nor do I have the extensive sources at hand that Pangle does, and my Hebrew and Latin skills date from high school coursework in the late 60's.
Still, this book is worth reading as it will encourage the reader to examine his own understandings and force him to at least think about he/she would defend them. The exposure to the writings of Milton, St. Augustine, Socrates, etc are certainly worth the price of time and effort to read this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: Challenging, Rewarding Book
Comment: An extremely learned, thoughtful study of the book of Genesis up to and including the binding of Isaac. Boasts an impressive command of commentaries ancient, medieval, and modern on the text. Highly recommended.
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Title: The Beginning of Wisdom: Reading Genesis by Leon R. Kass ISBN: 0743242998 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 27 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: The Modern Prince: What Leaders Need to Know Now by Carnes Lord ISBN: 0300100078 Publisher: Yale University Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: The Music of the Republic: Essays on Socrates' Conversations and Plato's Writings by Eva T. H. Brann, Peter Kalkavage, Eric Salem, Eva Brann ISBN: 1589880080 Publisher: Paul Dry Books Pub. Date: May, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Dissent and Philosophy in the Middle Ages: Dante and His Precursors (Applications of Political Theory) by Ernest L. Fortin ISBN: 073910327X Publisher: Lexington Books Pub. Date: August, 2002 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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Title: Vergil's Empire: Political Thought in the Aeneid by Eve Adler ISBN: 0742521672 Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield (Non NBN) Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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