Tilbage til Abraham

Resumé

How can we understand the figure of Abraham in Genesis 22? Should he necessarily be understood as the ultimate example for the believer, Jewish, Christian (or Muslim)? And is Kierkegaard’s radicalization of the exposition of Gen 22 in the New Testament Letter of James the only way of taking this text seriously? This article is an exegetical effort to understand the Aqedah as an indispensable narrative by and for a traumatized person (or people) who feels that his (or its) life is no more than “a test case” in the hands of God. Hereby, new aspects are added to the understanding of the narrative, which is seen as an expression of deep despair. Can a (historical-)critical reading of Gen 22 in the light of theories of trauma create space for a modern reconciliation with
Kierkegaard’s ”Knight of Faith”? And do we not then need, after all, with Troels Nørager to ”take leave of Abraham”?