Abraham & Isaac

Armed with a good night’s sleep after Wednesday’s kayaking excursion, students on the New England High School Summer Program jumped right back into discussing the Book of Genesis at today’s first class. They covered chapters 11-25, which focus primarily on the life of Abraham. Sections grappled with the question of Abraham’s integrity, as he is seen to lie often to keep his wife safe from various rulers, and discussed his covenant with God. One section spoke extensively about what it means when God says, “Be fruitful and multiply,” and questions quickly arose concerning Abraham’s multiple wives.

These conversations continued over a lunch of fried chicken and mashed potatoes in the Gould Commons, after which students returned to St. Gianna Molla Hall for the afternoon class. There they discussed selections from Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling, which reflect on the different ways Abraham could have reacted in response to God’s command that he sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Kierkegaard offers four different takes on the event, as well as a eulogy for Abraham, where he praises Abraham’s faith in God throughout the trials in his life. Discussions questioned the impact such an event would have on one’s faith, leading students to reconsider the Biblical account of the same story they had examined on Tuesday.

And with the end of classes, the recreation period is now under way! Come back to the Summer Blog tomorrow morning for photos from the section dodgeball tournament and more!