Deuteronomic Theology and the Significance of Torah

Deuteronomic Theology and the Significance of Torah

Author: Peter T. Vogt

Publisher: Penn State Press

Published: 2006-06-23

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 1575065649

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One of the few areas of consensus in modern Deuteronomy scholarship is the contention that within the book of Deuteronomy there is a program of reform that was nothing short of revolutionary. Although there are divergent views regarding the specific details of this revolutionary program, most scholars agree that, in fundamental and profound ways, Deuteronomy was radical in its vision. This vision was expressed in key ideas: centralization of worship, secularization, and demythologization (of earlier traditions). However, Vogt argues that these ideas fail to account adequately for the data of the text of Deuteronomy itself. Instead, he claims, at the heart of Deuteronomic theology is the principle of the supremacy of Yahweh, which is to be acknowledged by all generations of Israelites through adherence to Torah. Thus, the book of Deuteronomy is in fact radical and countercultural but not in the ways that are usually adduced. It is radical in its rejection of ANE models of kingship and institutional permanence, in its emphasis on the holiness of life lived out before Yahweh, and in its elevation of Yahweh and his Torah. In the introductory chapter, the structure and ideology of the book are examined. Chapter 1 then examines some of the ways in which the theology of Deuteronomy has been understood, namely, in terms of centralization, secularization, and demythologization. Chapters 2–5 evaluate key texts that are used to support the idea that centralization, secularization, and demythologization are at the heart of the theology of Deuteronomy. An alternative reading of the texts is presented that highlights the supremacy of Yahweh and Torah. The final chapter investigates the theological and ideological implications of this alternative reading of key texts.


Rewriting and Revision as Amendment in the Laws of Deuteronomy

Rewriting and Revision as Amendment in the Laws of Deuteronomy

Author: Kevin Mattison

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Published: 2019-01-14

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 3161558154

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La 4e de couverture indique : "Kevin Mattison argues that Deuteronomy was designed to amend the Covenant Code (Exod 20:22-23:19). He proposes a model of amendment, which draws on existing models of replacement and supplementation to provide a more complete explanation of Deuteronomy's rewriting of the Covenant Code."


Deuteronomy and the Hermeneutics of Legal Innovation

Deuteronomy and the Hermeneutics of Legal Innovation

Author: Bernard M. Levinson

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 0195152883

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Positioned at the boundary of traditional biblical studies, legal history, and literary theory, Deuteronomy and the Hermeneutics of Legal Innovation shows how the legislation of Deuteronomy reflects the struggle of its authors to renew late seventh- century Judean society. Seeking to defend their revolutionary vision during the neo-Assyrian crisis, the reformers turned to earlier laws, even when they disagreed with them, and revised them in such a way as to lend authority to their new understanding of God's will. Passages that other scholars have long viewed as redundant, contradictory, or displaced actually reflect the attempt by Deuteronomy's authors to sanction their new religious aims before the legacy of the past. Drawing on ancient Near Eastern law and informed by the rich insights of classical and medieval Jewish commentary, Levinson provides an extended study of three key passages in the legal corpus: the unprecedented requirement for the centralization of worship, the law transforming the old Passover into a pilgrimage festival, and the unit replacing traditional village justice with a professionalized judiciary. He demonstrates the profound impact of centralization upon the structure and arrangement of the legal corpus, while providing a theoretical analysis of religious change and cultural renewal in ancient Israel. The book's conclusion shows how the techniques of authorship developed in Deuteronomy provided a model for later Israelite and post- biblical literature. Integrating the most recent European research on the redaction of Deuteronomy with current American and Israeli scholarship, Levinson argues that biblical interpretation must attend to both the diachronic and the synchronic dimensions of the text. His study, which provides a new perspective on intertextuality, the history of authorship, and techniques of legal innovation in the ancient world, will engage pentateuchal critics and historians of Israelite religion, while reaching out toward current issues in literary theory and Critical Legal Studies.


Centralizing the Cult

Centralizing the Cult

Author: Julia Rhyder

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 484

ISBN-13: 9783161576867

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In this work, Julia Rhyder provides new insights into the relationship between the Holiness legislation in Leviticus 17-26 and processes of cultic centralization in the Persian period. The author departs from the classical theory that Leviticus 17-26 merely presume, with minor modifications, a concept of centralization articulated in Deuteronomy. She shows how Leviticus 17-26 use ritual legislation to make a new, and distinctive case as to why the Israelites must defer to a central sanctuary, standardized ritual processes, and a hegemonic priesthood. This discourse of centralization reflects the historical challenges that faced priests in Jerusalem during the Persian era: in particular, the need to compensate for the loss of a royal sponsor, to pool communal resources in order to meet socio-economic pressures, and to find new means of negotiating with the sanctuary at Mount Gerizim and with a growing diaspora.


The Legislative Themes of Centralization

The Legislative Themes of Centralization

Author: Jeffrey G. Audirsch

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2014-08-12

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 162032038X

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The centralization of the cult mandate in Deuteronomy has captivated scholars for over two centuries. Related to this mandate are five legislative themes--abrogation of idolatry, tithing, the Israelite festival calendar, judiciary officials, and the priesthood. Collectively, these themes are interwoven into the Deuteronomic social, political, and religious infrastructure. Interpreted through an exilic lens, this study examines the themes through the relevant literary strata in the Enneateuch. In doing so, the themes are identified as playing an instrumental role in the demise of the divided monarchy. It is through the demise of the divided monarchy that the book of Deuteronomy, especially the centralization mandate, takes on a new meaning--a utopian desire. Thus, the rhetorical strategy of centralization, once contrived to unify and purify the cult, actually leads to failure and serves as motivation for reform during the exilic period.


Time and Place in Deuteronomy

Time and Place in Deuteronomy

Author: James Gordon McConville

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 1995-01-01

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 0567324761

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The book is a literary and theological study of the themes of time and place, which aims to set the so-called 'centralization-law' of Deut 12-26 in the broad context of the book. The authors show that time and place are pervasive themes of Deuteronomy, a crucial part of its articulation of its understanding of history, religion and ethics. The heart of the thesis is that the foundational encounter between God and Israel at Horeb is paradigmatic for all subsequent encounters. For this reason, no one time or place can have final or absolute significance. The thesis thus calls into question the received view that the altar-law of Deut 12-26 is a 'centralization-law' associated with Josiah's reform. The refusal to identify the 'place' is no mere device against anachronism, but a consistent element in Deuteronomy's theology of history. The Connection between Deuteronomy and Josiah's reform has long been an important tenet of Old Testament criticism. The debate about the interpretation of Deuteronomy, however, has never been finally settled. The present study looks in a new way at the so-called 'centralization-law' of Deuteronomy which has been the most important factor in the traditional critical view of the book. It sets the law in the context of a broadly based study of the theology of the book, and comes to conclusions which call the connection with Josiah's reform into question. A broadly based study of the themes of time and place in Deuteronomy, calling into question accepted ideas about the purpose and setting of the book.


Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy

Author: Gerhard von Rad

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Published: 1966-01-01

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 1611645778

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This commentary on Deuteronomy meets and exceeds the high standards of the Old Testament Library series. It provides one of the most sophisticated explanations to date of the compositional process that produced Deuteronomy, presenting that process as a combination of large-scale redactional activity and "micro-redaction." The commentary is also attentive to the historical background of Deuteronomy's origins in the reigns of Manasseh and Josiah. The fresh translation that heads each section is followed by insightful linguistic comments that highlight Deuteronomy's famous homiletical and didactic style. The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.


Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School

Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School

Author: Moshe Weinfeld

Publisher: Eisenbrauns

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 492

ISBN-13: 9780931464409

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By means of a threefold approach--typological analysis of literary forms, investigation of religious ideology, and study of didactic aims and methods--Weinfeld shows that the deuteronomic composition was the creation of scribal circles who began their work some time prior to the reign of Josiah and were still at work after the fall of Judah. Includes a 46-page detailed appendix on deuteronomic phraseology. This volume is a reprint of the 1972 Oxford edition.


Interpreting Deuteronomy

Interpreting Deuteronomy

Author: David G. Firth

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2013-04-05

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 0830884181

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The book of Deuteronomy has been immensely influential, not least within the Old Testament itself. It is found among the most frequently occurring manuscripts at Qumran, and it is also one of the Old Testament books most frequently cited in the New Testament. In Matthew s Gospel, it is Deuteronomy which Jesus cites in rejecting temptation. As with so many other Old Testament books, study of Deuteronomy is in the midst of significant change. While for many scholars the Documentary Hypothesis has continued to provide a framework for interpretation, it no longer commands the status of an "assured result." Instead, fresh approaches have been developed, engendering their own debates. Recent as well as older study affirms that Deuteronomy represents a distinctive theological voice within the Pentateuch. While many excellent resources are now available, these tend to be either introductory or highly specialized; there are fewer that bridge the gap between the two. This volume contributes to that need: it assumes some foundational knowledge and guides readers through current issues and approaches. Here is evangelical scholarship that will inform, stimulate and reward diligent teachers and preachers of the Old Testament. The contributors are Paul Barker, Jenny Corcoran, David G. Firth, Greg Goswell, Christian Hofreiter, Philip S. Johnston, James Robson, Csilla Saysell, Heath Thomas, Peter T. Vogt and John H. Walton.