The role of the Old Testament in a violent world

Meyer, Esias E.

doi:10.4102/ve.v32i2.502

Cited by 4 publications

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“…Die werklikheid van geweld is ook 'n onderwerp wat in die Bybel wetenskaplike gesprek aangetref word. Meyer (2011) vra byvoorbeeld die volgende vraag:…”

Section: Inleidingunclassified

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God se antwoord op geweld en land in Deuteronomium

Helberg

Walt

2015

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

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Deuteronomium getuig van God se besondere liefde soos Hy dit in verband met die Beloofde Land aan Israel betoon het. Sy bevoorregting van Israel asook sy betrokkenheid by geweld roep egter baie vrae en bespreking op. Twee aspekte wat nie in die besprekings daarvan werklik aandag kry nie, word in hierdie artikel ondersoek: enersyds die verantwoordelikheid en/of skuld van die menslike partye en andersyds dié van God. Die bevindinge is: (1) Nie die nasies of Israel kan God verwyt nie, want die nasies tree self gewelddadig en eksploiterend teenoor mekaar op. Mense bewoon die aarde ten koste van ander mense en ook ten koste van die aardeself. Hulle tree hardnekkig en opstandig op teen die Wet en die wil van God wat die beste vir hulle bedoel. Tog is God in beheer van alles wat gebeur, Hy is onbegryplik en sonder blaam, selfs wanneer Hy in en deur die sondige werklikheid optree. (2) Deuteronomium praat van God se krasse geweld én oorweldigende liefde en verkondig dat Hy die verantwoordelikheid en skuld van die sondige, opstandige mensdom op Hom neem. Hierop gee die Dienaarliedere van Jesaja nog duideliker lig. God moet veral teen hierdie positiewe getuienis waardeer word. Dit is Hy wat aan die werk is en daarom moet die situasie vanuit die oogpunt soos Hy Homself bekend maak, beoordeel word.God, violence, and land in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy attests of God’s exceptional love as proven to Israel in connection with the Promised Land. However, his preferential treatment of Israel and his involvement in violence invokes many questions and much debate. This article investigates two aspects, which do not really receive attention in the debate: on the one hand, human responsibility and guilt, and on the other hand that of God. The findings are: (1) Neither the nations nor Israel can reproach God, for they themselves act violently and exploitingly. They inhabit the earth at the expense of others and of the earth itself. They act obstinately toward the Law and the will of God, who has the best in mind for them. Even so,God is without blame, incomprehensibly in control of all that happens, even when he acts in and through the use of the sinful reality. (2) Deuteronomy testifies about God’s severe violence ánd overpowering love. It is implicitly stated that God takes the responsibility and blame of sinful and rebellious humanity upon himself. The servant songs of Isaiah shed even more light on this issue. God must especially be appreciated by these positive testimonies and with complete trust in his unfathomable power and grace.

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“…Die werklikheid van geweld is ook 'n onderwerp wat in die Bybel wetenskaplike gesprek aangetref word. Meyer (2011) vra byvoorbeeld die volgende vraag:…”

Section: Inleidingunclassified

“…Die verantwoordelike lees daarvan waarvoor Meyer (2011) vra, lê dus nie in die teks nie, maar in God van wie die teks getuig. Dit is sy volle optrede van geregtigheid maar ook selfopoffering wat weerspieël moet word in die SuidAfrikaanse identiteit sodat geweld nie die antwoord op oorlewing is nie.…”

Section: Wat Jahwe Se Optrede Vir Die Nasies Inhouunclassified

God se antwoord op geweld en land in Deuteronomium

Helberg

Walt

2015

In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi

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The Historical Jesus as Peacemaker between Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Scheffler¹

2016

Neotestamentica

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Humans created God in their image? An anthropomorphic projectionism in the Old Testament

Mtshiselwa

Mokoena

2018

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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The Old Testament projects not only a Deity that created the world and human beings but also one that is violent and male. The debate on the depiction of the God of Israel that is violent and male is far from being exhausted in Old Testament studies. Thus, the main question posed in this article is: If re-read as ‘Humans created God in their image’, would Genesis 1:27 account for the portrayal of a Deity that is male and violent? Feuerbach’s idea of anthropomorphic projectionism and Guthrie’s view of religion as anthropomorphism come to mind here. This article therefore examines, firstly, human conceptualisation of a divine being within the framework of the theory of anthropomorphic projectionism. Because many a theologian and philosopher would deny that God is a being at all, we further investigate whether the God of Israel was a theological and social construction during the history of ancient Israel. In the end, we conclude, based on the theory of anthropomorphic projectionism, that the idea that the God of Israel was a theological and social construct accounts for the depiction of a Deity that is male and violent in the Old Testament.

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The role of the Old Testament in a violent world

Cited by 4 publications

References 1 publication

God se antwoord op geweld en land in Deuteronomium

God se antwoord op geweld en land in Deuteronomium

The Historical Jesus as Peacemaker between Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Humans created God in their image? An anthropomorphic projectionism in the Old Testament

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