A fascinating study of a neglected form of biblical imagery, showing how the portrayal of dragons creates a language through which suffering can be explored.
There be dragons all over the Bible. From the great sea monsters of Genesis to the great dragon of Revelation, dragons appear as the Bible opens and closes, and they pop their grisly heads up at various junctures in between. How did they get there and what on earth (or indeed in heaven) are they doing there? From Chapter One. This is a book for those who find standard discussions of faith and suffering frustrating. Andy Angel opens up the rich biblical tradition of living with God in the midst of suffering. He takes the reader on a journey of exploration through biblical texts that are often overlooked because of their strangeness - texts about dragons. He shows how these peculiar passages generate a language of prayer through suffering in which people share their anger, weariness, disillusionment, and even joy in suffering with God. Angel explores how such 'weird' Scriptures open up a whole new way of praying and reveal a God who approves of honest spirituality, a spirituality that the Bible holds open but too many of its interpreters do not.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Foreword
Preface
Abbreviations of Ancient Texts
1 By way of background
2 From chaos to creation and back again
3 Out of the depths
4 Wrestling with an absent Almighty
5 Talking back to tradition
6 Playing with dragons
Appendix
Bibliography
Index of Ancient Sources
Index of Modern Authors
