Preface: The Professor and the Fossil
Introduction: The Beginning of Wisdom
Part One: Dangerous Beginnings: The Uninstructed Ways - Genesis 1-11
1. Awesome Beginnings: Man, Heaven, and the Created Order
2. The Follies of Freedom and Reason: The Story of the Garden of Eden (I)
3. The Vexed Question of Man and Woman: The Story of the Garden of Eden (II)
4. Fratricide and Founding: The Twisted Roots of Civilization
5. Death, Beautiful Women, and the Heroic Temptation: The Return of Chaos and the Flood
6. Elementary Justice: Man, Animals, and the Coming of Law and Covenant
7. Paternity and Piety: Noah and His Sons
8. Babel: The Failures of Civilization
Part Two: Educating the Fathers - Genesis 12-50
Abraham (Genesis 12-25)
9. Educating the Fathers: Father Abraham
10. Educating Father Abraham: The Meaning of Marriage
11. Educating Father Abraham: The Meaning of Patriarchy
Isaac (Genesis 25-28)
12. Inheriting the Way: From Father to Son
13. The Education of Isaac: From Son to Patriarch
Jacob (Genesis 28-35)
14. The Adventures of Jacob: The Taming of the Shrewd
15. Brotherhood and Piety: Facing Esau, Seeing God
16. Politics and Piety: Jacob Becomes Israel
The Generations of Jacob: Joseph, Judah, and Their Brothers (Genesis 36-50)
17. The Generations of Jacob: The Question of Leadership
18. Joseph the Egyptian
19. Joseph and His Brothers: Estrangement and Recognition
20. Israel in Egypt: The Way Not Taken
21. Losing Joseph, Saving Israel: Jacob Preserves the Way
Epilogue: The End of the Beginning
Endnotes
Index