The Grammar of God

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Aviya Kushner grew up in a Hebrew speaking family, reading the Bible in the original Hebrew and debating its meaning over the dinner table She knew much of it by heart and was therefore surprised when, while getting her MFA at the University of Iowa, she took the novelist Marilynne Robinson s class on the Old Testament and discovered she barely recognized the text she thought she knew so well From differences in the Ten Commandments to a less ambiguous reading of the creation story to a new emphasis on the topic of slavery, the English translation often felt like another book entirely from the one she had grown up with.Kushner began discussing the experience with Robinson, who became a mentor, and her interest in the differences between the ancient language and the modern one gradually became an obsession She began what became a ten year project of reading different versions of the Hebrew Bible in English and traveling the world in the footsteps of the great biblical translators, trying to understand what compelled them to take on a lifetime project that was often considered heretical and in some cases resulted in their deaths.In this eye opening chronicle, Kushner tells the story of her vibrant relationship to the Bible, and along the way illustrates how the differences in translation affect our understanding of our culture s most important written work A fascinating look at language and the beliefs we hold most dear, The Grammar of God is also a moving tale about leaving home and returning to it, both literally and through reading. Best Read The Grammar of God author Aviya Kushner For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr The book wasn t exactly like I expected, but I enjoyed it While there certainly was discussion about Hebrew grammar and differences between the Hebrew and current versions, the book was muchthan this.This was also a memoir of the author s life and family It was her musings on what faith means to her and those in her life There was discussion about how translation often meant death for the translator throughout history.The chapters each broach a different theme in the Hebrew Bible She t The book wasn t exactly like I expected, but I enjoyed it While there certainly was discussion about Hebrew grammar and differences between the Hebrew and current versions, the book was muchthan this.This was also a memoir of the author s life and family It was her musings on what faith means to her and those in her life There was discussion about how translation often meant death for...The English Old Testament is a source of inspiration for millions of people But what if the English translation deviates from the original Hebrew meaning throughout the text That s the premise of Aviya Kushner s new book The Grammar of God a Journey Into the Words and Worlds of the Bible.Kushner grew up in a Jewish household and was raised reading the Bible in its original Hebrew language When she started reading the English translation of the Old Testament many times I was saddened at wh The English Old Testament is a source of inspiration for millions of people But what if the English translation deviates from the original Hebrew meaning throughout the text That s the premise of Aviya Kushner s new book The Grammar of God a Journey Into the Words and Worlds of the Bible.Kushner grew up in a Jewish household and was raised reading the Bible in its original Hebrew la...Sometimes a good book changes the way you see the world for a few days, and sometimes a really good book changes the way you see the world for a long time This book knit some important things together, and in so doing, slipped me an important puzzle piece of understanding which I will carry with me.One reviewer wrote that this book does not frame quarrels to win them It points out different roads to travel in understanding writings that were originally written in Hebrew and later changed somew Sometimes a good book changes the way you see the world for a few days, and sometimes a really good book changes the way you see the world for a long time This book knit some important things together, and in so doing, slipped me an important puzzle piece of understanding which I will carry with me.One reviewer wrote that this book does not frame quarrels to win them It points out different roads to travel in understanding writings that were originally written in...I really liked the combination of a book highlighting differences between the original Hebrew bible and it s many translations which the author researched for years, woven with her own memories of her childhood, family, studies and the city and faith she was brought up in On the other hand, if I had to rate just the audio book that I listened to, I would have maybe given it 1 star Do yourself a favour, do not listen to the audio version Pick up the book and read it Two main reasons for this I really liked the combination of a book highlighting differences...This relatively short book is a peculiar mix of personal memoir, insights into what is lost or modified in the Hebrew Bible s translation to English, and the history of Hebrew Bible s translations to Engl...I loved this book Could hardly put it down, in fact.Raised in an Orthodox household, speaking Hebrew at home and school, Kushner first encounters the Bible in English in graduate school, and is repeatedly surprised by the translations and how they impact understanding of the text She deals mostly in nuance, not in deal breakers, but her discussions greatly enriched this English speaker s appreciation I found her treatments of creation in Genesis, the ten commandments, and Isaiah 40 especial I loved this book Could hardly put it down, in fact.Raised in an Orthodox household, speaking Hebrew at home and school, Kushner first encounters the Bible in English in graduate school, and is repeatedly surprised by the translations and how they impact understanding of the text S...This one was a disappointment, mostly because I was expecting something completely different The book is billed as a journey into words and worlds of the Bible, and starts off strong discussing the issues with translations, but ends up really being nearly completely a memoir The author writes aesthetically pleasingly, but content is seriously lacking Kushner mentions time and again the intensity of her research and the revelations she s had over the past 10 years while compiling this book. This one was a disappointment, mostly because I was expecting something completely different The book is billed as a journey into words and worlds of the Bible, and starts o...For many readers the thought of reading a book on biblical grammar and the importance of language in shaping how we view scripture would not be an appealing thought Such readers would miss a truly lovely and thoughtful book, though, in that the author manages to make such subjects warm and inviting, gives a deeply personal discussion of matters many people find dull and wearisome, and manages to have some important insights in terms of how we wrestle with scripture The book gains most of its w For many readers the thought of reading a book on biblical grammar and the importance of language in shaping how we view scripture would not be an appealing thought Such readers would miss a truly lovely and thoughtful book, though, in that the author manages to make such subjects warm and inviting, gives a deeply personal discussion of matters many people find dull and wearisome, and manages to have some important insights in terms of how we wrestle with scripture The book gains most of its warmth from being the exploration of the Bible in English from the point of view of a Jew who speaks Hebrew as a native language and who brings a certain poetic sensitivity to the task of biblical understanding, which allows her to grasp differences in how the Bible is read in different languages, and how the different languages shape the worldview and perspective of those who read it The book is rich in biblical text as well as a...I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley I thank them for their generousity In exchange, I was simply asked to write an honest review, and post it The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission s 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising Another disclosure I am a retired ordained minister in the United Church of Christ I hold 3 Masters degrees, have stud I received this book free from the publisher...By the author s own admission, Aviya Kushner s The Grammar of God was written as a personal rather than an academic work And the result, while it is unquestionably learned, gains a lot of power from the author s emotional relationship to the study of the Hebrew Bible and her experiences with it in English translations The Grammar of God is a thoughtful and engaging exploration of what is lost or transformed when Tanakh is translated from Hebrew into other languages, including English It provi By the author s own admission, Aviya Kushner s The Grammar of God was written as a personal rather than an academic work And the result, while it is unquestionably learned, gains a lot of power from the author s emotional relationship t...

The Grammar of God
  • English
  • 14 October 2018
  • Hardcover
  • 272 pages
  • 0385520824
  • Aviya Kushner
  • The Grammar of God