Divine substitution
Book Description
In Divine Substitution, Stephen L. Herring embarks on a fascinating exploration of how ancient peoples understood divine presence in the material world. This scholarly investigation challenges conventional assumptions about early religious practices by examining whether ancient Israel shared similar beliefs with their Mesopotamian neighbors regarding sacred objects and divine manifestation.
Herring reveals how ancient cultures believed that statues and sacred items could actually embody the presence of gods and rulers, serving as more than mere symbols or representations. Through careful analysis of biblical texts and ancient practices, he demonstrates that despite later biblical authors' criticism of such beliefs, pre-exilic Israel likely embraced similar concepts about divine presence manifesting through material objects like standing stones.
The author uncovers how biblical writers engaged in sophisticated rhetoric against foreign cultic practices, employing themes of destruction, erasure, and ritual deconstruction to distance themselves from Mesopotamian traditions. Yet Herring's research reveals that these negative views were not universally held throughout Israel's history.
Most intriguingly, he identifies three specific biblical passages that present a positive view of material images manifesting divine presence, with one crucial distinction: these positive examples focus exclusively on humans as the appropriate vessels for divine manifestation. This groundbreaking perspective offers fresh insights into ancient spirituality and the complex relationship between the material and divine realms, providing valuable understanding for anyone interested in the historical development of religious thought.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~7 hours)
📄 Length: 244 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Study Bible from spiritual perspective
- ✓ Explore Bibel
- ✓ Explore Idols and images
- ✓ Explore Bible, theology, o. t.
- ✓ Explore Stellvertreter Gottes
- ✓ Explore Bible, commentaries, o. t. pentateuch
- ✓ Explore Theology
- ✓ Explore Gegenwart Gottes
Topics Covered
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La representation du divin dans les récits du Pentateuque
God, grace, and righteousness in Wisdom of Solomon and Paul's letter to the Romans
Jesus in the Gospels
Divine visitations and hospitality to strangers in Luke-Acts
Hosea (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary)
