PositiveLibrary JournalSome of Stavrakopoulou’s assumptions are—although perfectly respectable—not unassailable, namely that there was nothing particularly distinctive about Israel’s pre-exilic religion and that ancient Israel’s neighbors had a naively literal view of the depictions of their own deities. Regardless, Stavrakopoulou has drawn a masterful line from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to that of Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas ... Stavrakopoulou demonstrates scholarly acumen and popular flair.
Leon R. Kass
MixedLibrary JournalThe author states that in this time of national strife, Exodus is a blueprint for national unity that is accessible for everyone, including atheists. Perhaps so, but his interpretive decisions might give biblical scholars pause. Rather than parsing out sources, Kass reads Exodus as a single, tightly composed work with no attempt to locate the original audience. Are we to imagine Exodus to be very early or much later? If later, would not Exodus be an idealized history, giving no indication of what actually forged an enslaved people into that unique nation that continues to flourish after so many others have fallen forgotten? ... Primarily for readers seeking a conclusion to the author’s previous work.
Ward Farnsworth
PositiveLibrary JournalWith a practical aim, he focuses on the techniques Stoics used to order oneself according to virtue, such as analyzing value judgments, intentional perspective, and detachment. Extensive quotations both enhance the presentation of Stoicism and counter the typical criticism that Stoics were unfeeling ... Scholars are bound to object that Farnsworth has not placed Stoicism on the intellectual footing it deserves. What\'s certain is that he has rightly transformed the idea of being stoical, from one being coldly logical to warmly philosophical.
