Abraham on Trial questions the foundations of faith that have made a virtue out of the willingness to sacrifice a child. Through his desire to obey God at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing his son, Abraham became the definitive model of faith for the major world religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In this bold look at the legacy of this biblical and qur'anic story, Carol Delaney explores how the sacrifice rather than the protection of children became the focus of faith, to the point where the abuse and betrayal of children has today become widespread and sometimes institutionalized. Her strikingly original analysis also offers a new perspective on what unites and divides the peoples of the sibling religions derived from Abraham and, implicitly, a way to overcome the increasing violence among them.

Delaney critically examines evidence from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim interpretations, from archaeology and Freudian theory, as well as a recent trial in which a father sacrificed his child in obedience to God's voice, and shows how the meaning of Abraham's story is bound up with a specific notion of fatherhood. The preeminence of the father (which is part of the meaning of the name Abraham) comes from the still operative theory of procreation in which men transmit life by means of their "seed," an image that encapsulates the generative, creative power that symbolically allies men with God. The communities of faith argue interminably about who is the true seed of Abraham, who can claim the patrimony, but until now, no one has asked what is this seed.

Kinship and origin myths, the cultural construction of fatherhood and motherhood, suspicions of actual child sacrifices in ancient times, and a revisiting of Freud's Oedipus complex all contribute to Delaney's remarkably rich discussion. She shows how the story of Abraham legitimates a hierarchical structure of authority, a specific form of family, definitions of gender, and the value of obedience that have become the bedrock of society. The question she leaves us with is whether we should perpetuate this story and the lessons it teaches.

* Barren and despairing Sarah becomes pregnant--learning that nothing is impossible.
* Jacob the trickster is, in turn, tricked into marrying the wrong wife--learning that what goes around comes around.
* Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, only to rise to wield power of life and death over them--learning that patience and integrity will win out in the end.

Through multifaceted characters, original stories and vivid natural imagery, Caduto brings this ancient world to life. He immerses you in a richly-textured experience of another time and place. Within these pages you will come to see these familiar tales through new eyes.

In this book, the contemporary American artist Janet Shafner, interprets events in the dramatic lives of our biblical foremothers and forefathers in a series of powerful oil paintings. She writes: "Everything that touches us deeply today has a parallel occurrence in the Bible - family jealousy, sexual obsession, enduring love and sacrifice, murder, rape, incest, man’s inhumanity to his fellow, even ethnic cleansing - it is all there".

For all readers seeking to explore the deeper levels of meaning in these ancient texts through the unique medium of painting and the textual explication of Midrash, this book is a fascinating journey. We discover the real reason that Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt, the story of the unnamed sister/brides of Cain and Abel, a fatal error of judgement that led to centuries of evil for the Jewish people, the convert whose daring made possible the royal family of Israel and the future Messiah. These and many other fascinating mysteries are revealed in a series of vivid, multi-paneled, shaped canvases.

The 36 paintings illustrated in this book will be exhibited at The Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, Connecticut from January 7 to June 8, 2003.