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Theologies of the Old Testament - Book Review
Biblical Theology Bulletin, Winter, 2002 by Roland E. Murphy
Erhard S. Gerstenberger, THEOLOGIEN IM ALTEN TESTAMENT PLURALITAT UND SYNKRETISMUS ALTTESTAMENTLICHEN GOTTESGLAUBENS. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2001. Erhard S. Gerstenberger, THEOLOGIES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. PLURALISM AND SYNCRETISM IN ANCIENT ISRAEL'S FAITH. Translated by John Bowden. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2002. Cloth, $30.00.
The title expresses what is now a common view, that there is no biblical theology as a unified corpus, but there are biblical theologies that depend on the construal of the particular theologian, such as G. von Rad or others. The author, Erhard Gerstenberger, is well known in the U.S.A. for his form-critical studies of the psalms (1988/2001). At present he is emeritus professor from the University of Marburg. His strong positions on social questions have been nourished by many years of teaching in Brazil, where he witnessed the struggle of the poor and marginalized.
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The subtitle indicates particular perspectives on Old Testament faith: the growth of the "Yahweh alone" movement and the vital syncretism that marked the pre-exilic period. This book concentrates on the understanding of God as it emerges in a social history that can be reconstructed from the literary sources. Gerstenberger is not satisfied with a uniform statement of Old Testament faith, most obvious in the traditions that were synthesized in the post-exilic period. These are primarily theological summaries (e.g., the Torah, Deuteronomist, Chronicler). Rather, he asks, what can we learn from the daily religious experiences of people as family expanded to tribe, to monarchy, and beyond? What ideas of God (goddesses, etc.) did they have? We know the views that became official, but what can be said about the "theology" of the average Israelite?
This review was based on the original publication (Gerstenberger 2001), and quotations are my translation. In the meantime, an English translation has appeared (Gerstenberger 2002). Hence the page references are given for both the German original and the corresponding English version.
The study is clearly organized. A sketch of the social history of Israel divides the experience of the people into several phases: (1) family and group (Sippe), (2) village and settlement, (3) tribal units, (4) the monarchy, and (5) the post-exilic communities. Each phase is described in the following chapters in which certain emphases reappear: cultic life, ethos or ethics, and especially the ideas about God. Over the course of time changes occur; there are differences between the religious views of the tribes and those of the kingdoms, between the original independence of the family and life in a more communal setting within a village. These phases are not to be undersood primarily as successive. Characteristics of the family will assert themselves in later phases. Understandably, more detail is provided for the monarchy and for the post-exilic communities. Is there enough pertinent material in the Bible to document these phases? On the one hand, G. freely and often admits that his analysis is a reconstruction. This is inevitable, and a reader may be ill at ease at the scarcity of evidence that underlies many of these reconstructions. On the other hand, one can only admire the clever and imaginative treatment of the biblical texts from which G. teases out real living conditions, especially with the aid of archaeological data. Moreover he makes frequent and telling references to our current situations that are contrary to biblical values. We will discuss each phase and finally offer a critique.
Family
A reconstruction of the religious understanding reflected in families is difficult to achieve. No one in the family, even the patriarch, articulates a "theology." Yet it is possible to approach this problem in an oblique manner. The basic needs of a family are obvious: food, housing, and peace. These are day to day needs, to be met without the vast array of organizations that are supplied in most modern states. In the ancient world the spirit of the family is communal, not individual. All work together for survival against known and unknown hostile powers. The family stands under the protection of a personal divinity, the "god of the fathers." People had recourse to this personal God, especially for sickness, and often with the help of homemade remedies or religious aid (Elisha, "a man of God," and the Shunamite in 1 Kings 4:9). The existence of the teraphim, or cult objects (Rachel, Michal) is an indication of family worship that is indirectly shown by the discovery of hundreds of figurines (mostly female). These must have figured largely as fertility goddesses. All the rites de passage, birth, puberty, marriage, and death gave occasion for liturgical celebration, in which divine protection was surely invoked.
Gerstenberger postulates a "liturgical corner" in the house, which was a focus of religious worship (p. 44). The closeness of the family god is reflected in the visit to Abraham (Gen 18:1-15) and in the care for Hagar (Gen 16:7-13). G. goes so far as to judge the common description of divine mercy and compassion ("merciful and gracious, slow to anger," Ps 103:8-13; Exod 34:6; etc.) as reflecting family tradition about the divinity. He contrasts this with the rigid formality of bureaucratic authority, which praises the "good" king Josiah but judges him from a collective point of view (2Kgs 23:25-27). Family religion lives on anthropomorphic descriptions of God, which contrast with typically heavy theological descriptions. God is near but also distant, one who loves but also hates, who is almighty and all knowing and just, but also allows injustice to prevail. Indeed, G. puts the experiential wisdom of family groups on the same level as Moses and the prophets (p. 67). Characteristics of family religion lived on into later ages, even when "official" theology makes its appearance.
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