The Bible & Political Philosophy
Explore the political teaching of the Book of Genesis.
For Jews and Christians, Genesis is the first book of God’s revelation to humanity of their place in the world and their place relative to God, as beings made in God’s image. And so, for the faithful, the study of Genesis is crucial to living an examined life. If read closely, with an open mind, and a willingness to learn from the text, however, Genesis can help both the faithful and non-believers examine what it means to be human, how best to live our lives, and what pitfalls we face given the flaws in our nature. This is especially true if we start by noting that the presentation in Genesis of creation, the fall, the flood, the tower of Babel, and the account of Abraham and his descendants suggests certain puzzles.
Why, for example, does God create light on the first day, but light-giving things (the sun, moon, and stars) on the fourth? Why are there two accounts of the creation of human beings, one where men and women are created at once, and a second in which woman is fashioned from man’s rib? What does it mean to say that we are created in the image of God? Why does God forbid human beings to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and why do we do it anyway?
Over six sessions, we will read the whole of Genesis slowly and carefully. By the end, students will have encountered one of the deepest meditations ever written on human nature, creation, and the moral structure of the world—and will be equipped to return to it for the rest of their lives.
Prof. Utter discusses reading Genesis as a great book
This course is offered by Humanities at Hertog. It takes place weekly on Mondays, via Zoom, from 6 PM to 8 PM ET.
This seminar is open to Hertog alumni of all class years and programs. Up to 15 fellows will be selected. Admissions are made on a rolling basis. Apply by May 12 using the link in the Hertog Newsletter.
Questions? Can’t find the link? Email nate@hertogfoundation.org.
Faculty
Christopher Utter
Christopher Utter is a professorial lecturer in the Department of Government in the School of Public Affairs at American University. He has taught courses in the history of political philosophy, classical political philosophy, American political thought, American politics, and public affairs. His research focuses mainly on classical political philosophy with a particular interest in the problem of theory and practice in Plato and Aristotle.
Christopher Utter
Christopher Utter is a professorial lecturer in the Department of Government in the School of Public Affairs at American University. He has taught courses in the history of political philosophy, classical political philosophy, American political thought, American politics, and public affairs. His research focuses mainly on classical political philosophy with a particular interest in the problem of theory and practice in Plato and Aristotle.
Preview the Syllabus by Week/Session
June 2, 2025 | Session I
- Readings:
- Genesis, Chapters 1-3
- Topics:
- Creation of the world
- The two creations of human beings
- The Fall and expulsion from the Garden of Eden
- Discussion Questions:
- 1:1: Why is light the first thing God creates? How can there be light separate from darkness without the sun, moon, or stars?
- 1:26-27, 2:7-25: What differences are there between the two accounts of God’s creation of human beings? What accounts for these differences?
- 1:27: What does it mean to say that God created human beings in His image?
- 3:6: Why does Eve eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
- 3:7: Why do Adam and Eve only see that they are naked after eating the fruit? What’s the connection between nakedness, shame, and knowledge of good and evil?
- God says Adam and Eve will surely die if they eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; what is the connection between death and knowledge of good and evil?
June 9, 2025 | Session II
- Readings:
- Genesis, Chapters 4-11
- Topics:
- Cain and Abel
- Noah and the Flood
- Noah and his sons
- The Tower of Babel
- Discussion Questions:
- 4.3: Why does God prefer Abel’s sacrifice of animals to Cain’s sacrifice of plants?
- 4.8: Why is Cain, who is the first farmer and founder of cities, also the first murderer?
- 6.5-8: God says that he will wipe out human beings because of their evil, but he will also wipe out all other land animals; why is this necessary? And why does he nevertheless save Noah and two of each animal?
- 9.2-7: Following the Flood, God allows human beings to eat meat, and we are reminded that humans were vegetarian up to this point (including Adam and Eve); why only now are humans allowed to eat meat? Why were they vegetarian before?
- 11.4-9: Why would having one language mean that people could accomplish anything? Why would God want to prevent humans from uniting together by giving them multiple languages?
June 16, 2025 | Session III
- Readings:
- Genesis, Chapters 12-24
- Topics:
- Abram and Sarai
- God’s covenant
- Lot and his daughters
- The binding of Isaac
- Discussion Questions:
- 17:5 and 17:15: Why is it necessary for Abram and Sarai to change their names to Abraham and Sarah following God’s covenant with Abraham?
- 17:11: Why is circumcision, specifically, the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham?
- 18:18 and 18:26: God has an internal conversation with Himself about deceiving Abraham at 18:18, and then at 18:26 Abraham asks God if he will do justice and spare Sodom if it contains more than ten innocent men. Does this chapter suggest that there is a standard of justice that is higher than God’s will, against which His actions can be judged, or is justice simply synonymous with God’s will?
- Compare 9:18-29 with 19:30-38: Why does Noah curse his son Ham for merely seeing him naked while drunk, whereas Lot’s daughters are not cursed for contriving to become impregnated by their father while he is drunk?
- 22: Why does God test Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac? And why does Abraham not question this command in the same way that he questions whether it would be just for God to destroy the innocent along with the guilty in Sodom?
June 23, 2025 | Session IV
- Readings:
- Genesis, Chapters 25-35
- Topics:
- Esau and Jacob’s strife
- Jacob’s deceptions of Esau, Isaac, and Laban
- Jacob’s ladder (or “ramp”)
- God granting the name Israel to Jacob
- Discussion Questions:
- 25:27: We are told that Isaac loves Esau “for the game that he brought him,” and that Rebekah loves Jacob, but we are not told why; why does Rebekah favor Jacob over Esau?
- 27:28-33: Why is Isaac’s blessing of Jacob instead of Esau still binding despite the fact that Jacob deceived his father?
- 27:18-27: What is the significance of the fact that Isaac trusts all his senses but his hearing (having lost his sight)?
- 28:12: Jacob has a dream of a ladder or ramp whose top reaches the heavens with messengers from God ascending and descending. Why is this image in particular paired with God’s promise to Jacob?
- 32:28: Just as Abraham and Sarah changed their names following God’s covenant with Abraham, so Jacob is given the new name Israel after wrestling with God. What does wrestling with God have to do with Jacob’s character, and why would this new name be fitting?
June 30, 2025 | Session V
- Readings:
- Genesis, Chapters 36-50
- Topics:
- Joseph’s double dream
- Joseph’s sale down to Egypt and supervision of Potiphar’s house
- Potiphar’s wife’s framing of Joseph leading to his imprisonment
- Joseph’s supervision of the prison house
- Joseph’s interpretation of the cupbearer and chief baker’s dreams
- Joseph’s interpretation of the Pharaoh’s dreams and elevation to viceroy
- Joseph’s reunion with his family
- Discussion Questions:
- 37:10-11, 35:18, 48:7: Why is Rachel, Joseph’s mother, included in his dream if she is already dead?
- 37:19: Why is fratricide, attempted or accomplished, such a common theme in Genesis? How do the different fratricidal episodes compare to each other? Is there a discernible development from Cain and Abel to Joseph and his brothers?
- Chapter 38, which provides an account of Judah and his dealings with his family, breaks up the Joseph story; why is this account placed here?
- There are three pairs of dreams in the Joseph story: Joseph’s initial dreams (37:5-11); the dreams of the Pharaoh’s cupbearer and chief baker (40:5-19); and the Pharaoh’s dreams (41:1-30). How do these dreams compare with each other? Why would doubling the dreams mean they would come true? (See 41:32)
July 7, 2025 | Session VI
- Readings:
- Strauss, “On the Interpretation of Genesis”
- Burger, “Woman and Nature: The Female Drama in the Book of Genesis”
- Topics:
- Nature vs. Convention
- Philosophy vs. obedience or piety
- The role of women in Genesis
- Discussion Questions:
- Following his preliminary reflections and his analysis of the first two chapters of Genesis, Strauss concludes that the Bible presents us with the fundamental alternatives: the life of pious obedience vs. the philosophic life. He further concludes that no synthesis or compromise between these lives is possible (p. 373). Why not?
- What do you make of Ronna Burger’s argument that Genesis implies a distinction between nature and law or convention? If Leo Strauss is right that the discovery of nature is essentially the same as the discovery of philosophy, is philosophy as the study of nature reconcilable with God’s revelation of His law? Or is the study of nature superfluous if we have faith in God?
- Chapter 38, which provides an account of Judah and his dealings with his family, breaks up the Joseph story; why is this account placed here?
- There are three pairs of dreams in the Joseph story: Joseph’s initial dreams (37:5-11); the dreams of the Pharaoh’s cupbearer and chief baker (40:5-19); and the Pharaoh’s dreams (41:1-30). How do these dreams compare with each other? Why would doubling the dreams mean they would come true? (See 41:32)
