This podcast episode explores Marilynne Robinson's deep reading of Genesis, a text she finds both challenging and moving. Robinson argues that Genesis contains a "strange inscrutable forgiveness" and a refusal to apply easy retributive moral logic. The podcast also examines the role of beauty in the creation narrative and human experience, emphasizing the importance of beauty as a mode of understanding and connection to God. It delves into the flood stories in Genesis and the Epic of Gilgamesh, highlighting the philosophical questions they pose and the nature of God's relationship with humanity. The episode further explores themes of forgiveness, hospitality, inclusion, and justice, emphasizing the complexity and ambiguity of these concepts in the context of human society. It also discusses the relationship between Genesis and the state of Israel and the complexities of God's role in the Exodus story.
