FRANCESCA STAVRAKOPOULOU is a professor of Hebrew Bible and ancient religion at the University of Exeter. A graduate of Oxford University, her focus is in the history of ancient Israel and Judah--she has also worked in television on the BBC and Channel 4, presenting shows on the historicity of the Bible and the Hebrew Bible, the role of women in biblical times and the development of the biblical text. She lives in Exeter, England.
"A detailed and scrupulously researched book . . . [Stavrakopoulou]
proceeds, in 21 chapters packed with knowledge and insight, to
'anatomize' the divinity from head to toe, starting with the
'standing stones' that marked the footsteps of deities in the Late
Bronze and Early Iron Age and ending with images of God that
enabled people to imagine that they were somehow communing with him
'face to face.'"—Karen Armstrong, The New York Times
“Brilliant . . . Fascinating . . . Boldly simple in concept, God:
An Anatomy is stunning in its execution. It is a tour de force, a
triumph, and I write this as one who disagrees with Stavrakopoulou
both on broad theoretical grounds and one who finds himself engaged
with her in one narrow textual spat after another . . . Great
fun to read . . . A stunning book.”—Jack Miles, Catholic Herald
“This book is a great rebel shout. . . [A] rollicking journey
through every aspect of Yahweh’s body, from top to bottom (yes,
that too) and from inside out . . . Ms. Stavrakopoulou has almost
too much fun.”—The Economist
“In both Judaism and Christianity God is conceived as non-physical.
In God: An Anatomy Francesca Stavrakopoulou shows that this was not
yet so in the Bible, where God appears in a much more corporeal
form. This provocative work will surprise and may shock, but it
brings to light aspects of the biblical account of God that modern
readers seldom appreciate.”—John Barton, author of A History of the
Bible
"Good Lord, Stavrakopoulou touches that sweet spot that is
scholarly, funny, visceral and heavenly. A revelation."—Adam
Rutherford, author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever
Lived
"One of the most remarkable historians and communicators working
today."—Dan Snow, author of On This Day in History
"In Stavrakopoulou's stunning dissection of historical religious
texts, the real back-story and context of the God of Judaism and
Christianity is revealed . . . Where pious theologians have
abstracted him into emptiness, Stavrakopolou gives him back his
substance, and he’s so much more interesting in this bodily form!
Both scholarly and accessible, and full of fascinating stories - I
guarantee you’ll never think of this God the same way again."—Alice
Roberts, author of Ancestors
"God: An Anatomy is a tour de force . . . Extraordinarily rich and
nuanced . . . Stavrakopoulou has taken to heart the biblical
injunction to seek the face of God, and what emerges is a deity
more terrifyingly alive, more damaged, more compelling, more
complex than we have encountered before. More human, you might
say.”—New Humanist
“This is an extraordinary book. It’ll rewire your thinking, and
it’s so readable you won’t notice till it’s too late.”—Tim
Whitmarsh, author of Battling the Gods
“Well-researched . . . A refreshing look at ancient Scripture and
the people behind it, reminding readers that the concept of ‘God’
in the 21st century is a world away from that of the earliest
people of Israel. A challenging, engaging work of scholarship that
sheds new light on ancient Hebrew conceptions of the divine.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Refreshing . . . The sheer amount of primary evidence examined is
staggering . . . Excellent . . . Stavrakopoulou’s argumentation is
intellectually penetrating, analytically robust, and sophisticated
. . . Respectful and intrigued . . . Stavrakopoulou’s book, and her
public-facing scholarship, demonstrate what makes an outstanding
biblical scholar.”—Church Times
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