Enticed by Eden: How Western Culture Uses, Confuses, (and Sometimes Abuses) Adam and Eve

One can wonder if Adam and Eve would be surprised that their names, and their legends, live on so many millennia later. Schearing and Ziegler, professors of religious studies at Gonzaga and DePauw Universities respectively, have crafted a fascinating survey for a popular audience of how our first parents have lived on in western culture. Reflected in the arts, in gender studies, in parenting models, and even in the adult film industry, the Edenic couple have been called to duty, sometimes in an authentic quest for meaning, but often in ways that would have made them blush. Beneath the authors' humor can be found serious commentary, not just on the biblical story, but on how modern society views itself through the creation metaphor. The authors do a masterful job of deconstructing the many layers of the legacy of Eden. At times hilarious but always thoughtful, this is a wonderful read, a worthy addition to the literature of religion and culture. (Feb.)