A new book by two UAB communication studies professors examines
one of the Bible’s most controversial stories, in Genesis
22:1-14, when Abraham, in obedience to the voice of God, places
his son, Isaac, on an altar for sacrifice. |UAB professors Larry
Powell and William Self explore the rhetoric of sacrifice in
their new book Holy Murder.| “The story of the sacrifice of
Isaac has, for 3,000 years, impacted the three great religions –
Christianity, Judaism and Islam – and each religion has
interpreted the story differently,” says UAB Professor Larry
Powell, Ph.D. “Even among adherents of a common faith, the
interpretations have differed so widely that the story has been
used to justify acts such as infanticide, mass murders and even
suicide bombings.” The book Holy Murder: Abraham, Isaac, and the
Rhetoric of Sacrifice, by Powell and Associate Professor William
Self, Ph.D., is written for scholars and students. The book,
published by United Press of America Inc., explores the rhetoric
of sacrifice and how the sa