Knock at the Sky - Print

Knock at the Sky
Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible

By Liz Charlotte Grant

A deeply personal and imaginative exploration of Genesis, offering fresh perspectives for those re-examining their faith and relationship with Scripture.

This book:

• Provides readers with a renewed approach to engaging with the Bible.
• Encourages curiosity and open-mindedness in biblical interpretation.
• Offers fresh perspectives on familiar Genesis narratives.
• Integrates insights from art, science, and Jewish midrash.
• Addresses the challenges of faith deconstruction and reconstruction.
• Provides a model for seeking God through evolving faith.
• Invites readers to view Scripture as a work of art.
• Is written in a lyrical and engaging prose style.

Features

• Personal commentary on the book of Genesis.
• Incorporation of natural world encounters and art criticism.
• Exploration of Jewish midrash alongside biblical narratives.
• Foreword by Sarah Bessey.
• Discussion questions for personal or group reflection.

Paperback, 272pp
1.4 cms H x 21.41 cms L x 13.79 cms W (0.32 kgs)
ISBN 9780802883759
Eerdmans (2025)

[Allow 4 weeks]

Description

In Knock at the Sky, Liz Charlotte Grant embarks on a deeply personal journey through the book of Genesis, reimagining its stories in the wake of her evolving faith.

As she grapples with questions of biblical inerrancy and the challenges of deconstruction, Grant offers a fresh vision for engaging with Scripture beyond literal interpretations.

Braiding together encounters with the natural world, Jewish midrash, and art criticism, Grant makes familiar Sunday school stories strange, inviting readers to see them anew.

For those who have known Genesis as a weapon in cultural debates, she interprets the Bible's inspired book of beginnings as a work of art, rich with complexity and beauty.

Each chapter delves into a different narrative from Genesis, exploring themes of creation, identity, struggle, and faith.

Grant's lyrical prose and insightful reflections encourage readers to approach Scripture with curiosity and openness, embracing the mysteries and paradoxes inherent in the text.

This book is an invitation to question the sacred without fear, to knock loudly on the doors of understanding, and to seek the resonance at the heart of the story.

In the wandering and wondering, Grant suggests, we may find the presence of God.

About the Author

Liz Charlotte Grant is an award-winning essayist whose work has been published in The Revealer, Sojourners, Brevity, Christian Century, Christianity Today, and other outlets. She writes "The Empathy List," a popular newsletter that has been nominated for a Webby Award. Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible is her first book.

Contents

1. Foreword by Sarah Bessey
2. Introduction
3. In the Beginning: Creation Narratives
4. The Fall: Reimagining Sin and Redemption
5. Noah's Ark: Destruction and Renewal
6. The Tower of Babel: Unity and Division
7. Abraham's Journey: Faith and Doubt
8. Hagar and Sarah: Marginality and Blessing
9. Jacob's Wrestling: Identity and Transformation
10. Joseph's Dreams: Providence and Forgiveness
11. Conclusion: Seeking God in the Text
12. Discussion Questions