J. Richard Middleton Interview
BIO
J. Richard Middleton is Professor of Biblical Worldview and Exegesis at Northeastern Seminary and Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, NY.
He has been President of the Canadian-American Theological Association (2011-2014) and President of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (2019-2021). Middleton has a Ph.D. from the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, in a joint-degree program with the Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto.
His most recent book is Abraham’s Silence: The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God (Baker Academic, 2021).
CONVERSATION QUESTIONS
First, tell us a little about yourself and your background in christianity and scholarship. What got you interested in the subject of the binding of Isaac?
You begin the book with a section on vigorous models of prayer in the Bible. Could you begin talking about Exodus 32 and the story of Moses’ intercession and what we can learn about the way God wants us to speak and pray to Him?
Next, you get into the book of Job and ask the question about appropriate speech towards God. What is Job all about and how does this story inform us about interaction and speech with God?
When we get to the Binding of Isaac it seems like a crazy story for God to ask someone to sacrifice their son. I’ve seen many internet atheists go to town questioning God’s character and the God of the Bible based on this story. Also It has caused many well meaning christians (me included) to ask questions about God’s character and the request to be unjust or wrong. What are some of the ways this story has been interpreted and what are some of the problems that you see with certain interpretations of this story?
So you take a literary approach to the text and look at how the story of the binding of Isaac connects to other stories in the Bible and how it connects to the immediate context. Walk us through the Aqedah from your point of view.
Things you can possibly touch on here:
• Sodom and Gomorrah
• Elohim vs. Yahweh in Gen 22
• Ishmael and Abraham- Only son you love?
• The Lord will provide (freudian slip)
• The angel’s 2 speeches
• The aftermath with Isaac, Sarah, and Hagar. What did this even teach the next generations? (Fear of Isaac)
Many see Abraham as a father of faith and yet in the way you explain the story it seem as though Abraham failed the test because he did not discern the character of God and his mercy. Can Abraham still be the “Father of Faith” as the NT often describes him?
Probably someone who would object to your interpretation would bring up the epistle of James where he seems to praise Abraham for not withholding His son? How do you respond to that in keeping with your interpretation?
What would you like the church to learn and do based on your book about prayer, lament (talking back to God), and God’s character?