Stephen Greenblatt on the Enduring Influence of the Bible's Adam and Eve

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John Cogan University Professor of the Humanities Stephen Greenblatt is pictured in his Cambridge home. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer

Many of us think we know the biblical story of Adam and Eve and its themes of original sin, temptation and exile. But the story has a complicated history, beginning as a Babylonian creation myth and later taking on literal meaning for medieval and Renaissance Catholics. In his new book “The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve”, award-winning Harvard University humanities professor Stephen Greenblatt excavates the origins and retellings of the ancient tale to illustrate how it continues to shape Western culture.

Guest:
Stephen Greenblatt, professor of humanities at Harvard University, author of "The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve"; His other books include the Pulitzer prize-winning "The Swerve: How the World Became Modern."

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