Holy Resilience

David M. Carr is professor of Old Testament at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City and a leading specialist on how the Bible was formed. He lives in New York City.

“David Carr’s brilliant book is a magisterial reinterpretation of the emergence and sustenance of biblical Scripture. It is a pioneering, powerful, and poignant treatment of a traumatized people making sense of a catastrophic world—yet still able to find hope in compassion and endurance in empathy!”—Cornel West“Clear and persuasive, Holy Resilience illuminates the origins of the Bible by bringing the early history of a traumatized people to light. This fascinating and engrossing book peels away the veils of history to teach us about ourselves.”—Mark Epstein, MD, author of The Trauma of Everyday Life  "Taking on the entire Christian canon, David Carr courageously and creatively builds upon his established skill as an interpreter of Scripture to provocatively examine the role of trauma in its creation.  His striking interdisciplinary exploration is an important accomplishment."—Daniel Smith-Christopher, Loyola Marymount University of Los Angeles"This remarkable book, which reads like a thriller, tells the story of how centuries of catastrophes and traumas shaped ancient Israel of Old Testament times and later Jewish and Christian civilizations. Anyone who wishes to know who we are and where we come from should read this book."— Israel Finkelstein, Tel Aviv University