Overview

Throughout history, in the service of politics and power, the biblical concept of chosen people has been used to justify prejudice, persecution, invasion, and genocide. In God's Favorites, prominent biblical scholar Michael Coogan critiques the idea of chosenness in Judaism and Christianity. Coogan argues that it is not God who chooses individuals and groups but rather that groups describe themselves as divinely chosen to rationalize their view of themselves as superior to others. He then shows how the claim of divine choice has been used from biblical times to the present, often with pernicious consequences, to enhance a group's self-importance and to legitimate its territorial expansion. In place of the idea of chosenness, Coogan calls for a renewed focus on the Bible's universal themes and the idea that God is not partial to any one group of people.

Full Product Details

9781520097909

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Michael Coogan is Lecturer on Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at Harvard Divinity School and Director of Publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum. He has written and edited many articles and books and has appeared on such programs as Nova's The Bible's Buried Secrets. Coogan has also taught at Stonehill College, Boston College, Wellesley College, Fordham University, and the University of Waterloo (Ontario), and has participated in and directed archaeological excavations in Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, and Egypt. Jeff Zinn is an experienced narrator, actor, and director with more than thirty years of experience. Best known for his work as the artistic director of the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, he has produced or directed more than 150 of their productions. He currently resides in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available