Norman J. Cohen
A brilliant blending of modern midrash and
the life
stages of Erik Erikson’s developmental
psychology.
How can the pain, pleasures, and drama of
the great characters in genesis
provide insights for our own
life journeys?
Many of us feel alone in the struggles and
triumphs we face during different stages of our lives. Norman
Cohen shows how the pathways of our lives are quite similar to
those of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekkah,
Jacob, Rachel and Leah, and Joseph. Voices from Genesis brings
to life the leading figures of Genesis to speak directly to us,
telling of their spiritual and emotional journeys, struggles,
frustrations, and confusions—from birth to maturity to
death—as if they were in conversation with us right now.
Combining midrash (finding contemporary
meaning from ancient biblical texts) with the developmental
psychology insights of Erik Erikson, a twentieth-century
psychoanalytic legend, Cohen explores the great characters of
Genesis, letting the wisdom of the ancient text resonate with
our own modern lives.
Praise for Norman Cohen’s Work
“Cohen’s commentaries cut to
the quick—his Torah is alive and we are the protagonists.
. . . The midrash he teaches us is therapeutic; it results in
our growth.”
—Rabbi
Burton L. Visotzky, Appleman
Chair of Midrash and Interreligious Studies, The Jewish
Theological Seminary of America
“Not just an important book, a gift
to everyone who has sensed that Genesis was holy but
couldn’t explain why.”
—Lawrence
Kushner, author of The Way Into Jewish Mystical Tradition and other books
“Presents places where biblical
paradigms meet modern complexities. His conclusions will
provoke and challenge the modern reader.”
—Dr.
Deirdre Good, ThD, Professor
of New Testament, The General Theological Seminary
“Norman Cohen shares with his
readers what, for many years, he has been giving his students:
rare erudition, sensitivity, and insight.”
—Elie
Wiesel
