Stephen J. Binz - Abraham. Father of All Believers

2011 by Stephen J. Binz

Published by Brazos Press

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.brazospress.com

Ebook edition created 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-1442-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Some content from Overview of Ancient-Future Bible Study originally appeared in Stephen J. Binz, Conversing with God in Scripture: A Contemporary Approach to Lectio Divina (Ijamsville, MD: The Word Among Us Press, 2008).

The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.

Praise for Abraham

I can think of few things that the contemporary church needs to recover as much as the ancient practice of lectio divina. Abraham is a welcome contribution in this direction. Abraham is central to the biblical narrative and it is good to see Binz drawing our attention not only to the Abrahamic narratives, but also to Abraham in other parts of the Old and New Testaments. The focus of this book is rightly on the biblical text itself, and the commentary and questions push us back to the text to listen for Gods address. My hope is that this well written and accessible tool will assist readers in the practice of lectio divina.

Craig Bartholomew , coauthor, The Drama of Scripture

Lectio divina is the perfect practice for studying the life, struggles, and hopes of Abraham and his dynamic significance for the faith and outreach of each one of us! Binz has done a splendid job of introducing his readers to this practice and immersing them in it. I eagerly suggest this volumeand the entire seriesas the basis for your next personal or group study.

Marva J. Dawn , Regent College

Lectio divina, despite its centuries-long use, is still little known outside of monastic and academic settings. Ancient-Future Bible Study has in mind to correct that historical defect in Christian piety. The quality of Abraham , the first volume in the series, bodes well for the whole project.

Patrick Henry Reardon , author, Creation and the Patriarchal Histories

A method of Bible study that has a long and celebrated history in the church is given renewed momentum with this book. Using the story of Abraham, as well as the New Testament writers reinterpretation of elements of that story, Binz both introduces lay readers to this important biblical character and leads them through the five movements of lectio divina. The book will be a wonderful aid for the development of ones spiritual life.

Dianne Bergant , CSA , Catholic Theological Union

I heartily recommend Abraham , as it allows us to engage the story of the great patriarch through the extraordinaryand simplemeans of lectio divina. It allows us to put down the commentaries and word studies and let the beautiful poignancy of the text seep into our souls, all with the aid of the Holy Spirit.

Tony Jones , Solomons Porch, Minneapolis; author,
The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier

Praise for Ancient-Future Bible Study

At their recent Synod the worlds Catholic bishops recommended lectio divina to all Christs disciples, for prayerfully reading and making Gods Word ones spiritual nourishment follows well-trod paths in the Christian tradition. Binz guides us on these paths in his Ancient-Future Bible Study series. I am pleased to recommend this project with enthusiasm.

Terrence Prendergast , SJ, Archbishop of Ottawa

Ancient-Future Bible Study brings a centuries-old approach to Scripture and prayer into the twenty-first century, providing sound commentary, thoughtful insights, and meaningful suggestions for personal reflection and meditation. Binz invites us to open our minds and hearts to the transforming power of Gods Word. Under his guidance, the wisdom of the Bible comes vividly to life.

Carl McColman , author, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism

This series is a wonderful gift for the church in late modernity. In an era of twittered attention, we have inculcated all sorts of bad reading habits that we then bring to Scripture. The Ancient-Future Bible Study prescribes a counter-formative regimen: the personal and communal practice of lectio divina or sacred reading. For some this will be a strange, new practice; but it will quickly feel as natural as breathing.

James K. A. Smith , Calvin College; author, Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation

Binz has a knack for popularizing the Bible. His latest series, Ancient-Future Bible Study, demonstrates once more his ability to give people sound guidance as they read the Bible. I am happy to warmly recommend this modern application of the ancient method of lectio divina centered on fascinating characters from the Old and New Testaments.

Fr. Ronald D. Witherup , author, The Bible Companion

Binz has undertaken the important project of leading non-professional but committed readers of the Bible into a spiritually enlivening encounter with the biblical text through engagement with some of the fascinating characters who people its pages. Anyone yearning to pray the biblical text will find this series a useful companion.

Sandra M. Schneiders , Jesuit School of Theology

Contents

Acknowledgments

For the past several years my work has focused on making connections between ancient practices and contemporary experiences. My speaking, writing, and counseling under the umbrella of Bridge-Building Opportunities has emphasized the link between past and present, East and West, time-honored tradition and progressive renewal in the fields of biblical theology, Christian spirituality, and personal growth.

When I discovered the mission of Brazos Press, I felt that I had found a new home. By its own definition, Brazos Press is staked on the discernment that while various existing Christian categories (liberal and conservative, mainline and evangelical, even Catholic and Protestant) prove increasingly unserviceable, there is at the same time occurring a robust renewal of classical, orthodox Christianity across many of the old lines or borders. This is a publisher that is eager to cross boundaries, build bridges, and extend the vital roots of the ancient Christian tradition into the twenty-first century.

I am grateful to Jim Kinney, associate publisher and editorial director of Baker Academic and Brazos Press, for supporting my work. Lisa Ann Cockrel, editor for this series, has masterfully guided these books through the editorial process and improved this work with her many ideas. I also appreciate the skillful work of Lisa Beth Anderson, Rodney Clapp, Steve Ayers, BJ Heyboer, Jeremy Wells, Caitlin Mackenzie, and the whole Brazos team for their efforts to refine and promote this project.

The term Ancient-Future seems to perfectly express the bridge between ancient wisdom and future possibilities that I want to create in this series. The term is applied in a number of other spheres to emphasize a blending of tradition and innovation. In the arts, ancient-future music and dance is created through fusing centuries-old traditions with contemporary genres and technology. By learning from the worlds great traditions and ancient practices, artists create cross-cultural expressions that are richly profound yet also widely appealing.