Professor Kaminsky will explore various motifs surrounding the theme of special divine favor toward certain individuals and groups that pervades Genesis in hopes of illuminating these often troubling narratives. The talk will be conducted as a dialogue prompted by questions raised by Professor Nathaniel Deutsch and the students in his course. 

Joel S. Kaminsky is the Morningstar Family Chair in Jewish Studies as well a Professor of Bible in the Religion Department at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. He has lectured widely at universities and colleges across the globe including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, St. Andrews, UCLA, Middelbury, University of the Pacific, University of British Columbia, University of Kansas, and University of Virginia. He has been a Visiting Professor at Duke, Harvard and twice at Yale Divinity School, as well as serving as a Visiting Jewish Studies Research Scholar in Residence at Durham University in England three times. He has authored many essays in both scholarly and more popular journals as well as authored and edited several books including, Yet I Loved Jacob: Reclaiming the Biblical Concept of Election, and most recently he co-authored The Hebrew Bible for Beginners: A Jewish and Christian Introduction.