Richard Nysse's Source Analysis Of The Flood Story

If a group from my congregation asked me to teach a four week course, I would choose Genesis on the grounds that it holds more stories that have relevance to the context of my congregation. The approximate demographics of my congregation are as follows: over ninety percent are Caucasian; over fifty percent are 45 years of age or older; women are the dominate group within most of the small group activities; and the mining, healthcare, and retail industries are the largest employers respectively. Lay-offs affect most families in this congregation due to regular fluctuations in the mining industry, some due to direct employment and others by delicate economic ties to the mining industry. Just like most of the country, the families of my congregation …show more content…
I anticipate that many of the congregants will be astonished to see the many repetitions and discrepancies on the “facts” of the flood story they have recited in their minds and/or to their children. I would invite them to consider these passages as a story compiled from two separate sources and give them an opportunity to separate the sources either individually or as a group. Afterward, I would give them a copy of Richard Nysse’s source analysis of the flood story to bring clarity to the compilation of sources. From there, I would entertain thoughts on what type of God is seen in each source, if they have seen God’s characteristics in other stories, and what God’s characteristics mean to them. I would also focus discussion on the meaning of the covenant as God assures humanity will not come to complete destruction by God’s hand again, and yet warns humans to desist taking human life by their own …show more content…
Diversity in Interpretation.” Her interpretation of the interpersonal relations between Sarah and Hagar being a mirror for human tendency are a notion that I feel is important for my congregation’s context. Society’s stratification of importance based on gender, race, economic status, educational levels, and the like greatly afflict this white, rural context. The conflicts found within this ancient world of women are more universally known than most would care to admit. The fact that God intervenes on Hagar and Ishmael’s behalf after hearing the babe’s cries only reinforces the fact that God, in order to ensure the covenant is maintained, has to save humanity from its tendency to cast others aside. A lesson such as this can teach humanity a great deal about itself and how to overcome these