Demanding Our Attention

Ethical lessons drawn from a challenging ancient narrative

What can we possibly learn about our relationships to others from reading a story about an ancient father who raised a knife to slaughter his beloved only son?

Contemporary Christian ethicists, faced with such dilemmas, are often tempted to treat the Hebrew Bible in a limited, distanced, and even dismissive way. Yet Emily Arndt here argues that those ancient scriptures can be a vital resource for Christian ethical studies. She focuses on a close analysis of the akedah – the story of Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac – to demonstrate the power of even the most troubling and uncomfortable Old Testament narratives to teach valuable lessons and develop in us the disposition and skills we need to relate authentically and ethically to others.