Internationally renowned scholar Erhard Gerstenberger here offers a radical departure from traditional treatments. Rather than a systematic approach to theological topics in the Old Testament, Gerstenberger discusses its various theological voices rooted in different social settings within ancient Israel: the family and clan, the village, the tribal group, and the kingdom. Further, he discusses the variety of Israel's views concerning the divinepolytheism, syncretism, and monotheism. Gerstenberger concludes with his reflections on how contemporary theology is informed by the biblical witness and how it must be contextual and ecumenical in order to be authentic.
Erhard S. Gerstenberger (Emeritus Professor of Old Testament, Marburg University, Germany) is a widely published author. His books in English are: Yahweh the Patriarch (Fortress Press, 1996), Psalms 1: With an Introduction to Cultic Poetry (1988), Psalms 2 and Lamentations (2001), Woman and Man (1981), and Suffering (1980). His theological perspective has been informed not only by currents in German theology but also by his years of teaching in South America.
Preface PRELIMINARY REMARKS INTRODUCTION 2.1 From what context do we consider the Old Testament? 2.2 What is the status of the Old Testament writings? 2.3 What are our aims in interpreting the ancient traditions? A SKETCH OF THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF ISRAEL 3.1 Family and Clan 3.2 Village and small town 3.3 Tribal alliances 3.4 The monarchical state 3.5 Confessional and parochial communities THE DEITY IN THE CIRCLE OF FAMILY AND CLAN 4.1 The horizon of faith 4.2 Cultic actions 4.3 Ideas for God 4.4 The ethic of family and clan 4.5 Theology from the family - theology of the individual DEITIES OF THE VILLAGE (SMALL-TOWN) COMMUNITY 5.1 The social history of Palestine 5.2 Village structures 5.3 Rituals and cults 5.4 Ethics and the administration of justice 5.5 The theology of the settled community GOD AND GODDESS INTHE TRIBAL ALLIANCE 6.1 The biblical picture of the tribal system 6.2 The origin of Israel 6.3 The structure of the tribes 6.4 Cultic actions 6.5 Ideas of God 6.6 Faith and ethics 6.7 Ideologies of war? Liberation theology? 6.8 How were larger societies organized? KINGDOM THEOLOGIES IN ISRAEL 7.1 The sources 7.2 Internal organization 7.3 Foreign policy 7.4 Theology of king and state 7.5 The opposition from peripheral groups (prophecy) 7.6 Were there special features in the northern kingdom of Israel? 7.7 The theology of the southern kingdom after David (Jerusalem theology) 7.8 Popular belief 7.9 National religious? THE FAITH COMMUNITY OF 'ISRAEL' AFTER THE DEPORTATIONS 8.1 The political and social situation: internal structures 8.2 The origin of the holy scriptures 8.3 Yahweh, the only God 8.4 The cult: temple and synagogue 8.5 Popular belief 8.6 The ethic of the Yahweh community 8.7 What remains? POLYTHEISM, SYNCRETISM AND THE ONE GOD 9.1 Conceptual clarifications 9.2 Changes: the accumulation and interdependence of images of God 9.3 Tensions between the theologies of ancient Israel EFFECTS AND CONTROVERSIES 10.1 Christian perspectives? 10.2 The ecumenicity of our theology 10.3 The autonomous human being 10.4 The unjust, unredeemed world 10.5 God: personal or impersonal? 10.6 The liberating God 10.7 An ethic of responsibility 10.8 Images of God today 10.9 Parallel theologies (pluralism)? 10.10 Relativity, absoluteness, globalization 10.11 Monism and dualism 10.12 Anthropology 10.13 History and eschaton 10.14 Our God today 10.15 God for all APPENDIX: GOD IN OUR TIME Abbreviations Bibliography Index of Biblical References Index of Modern Authors
