Revelation and Authority
Sinai in Jewish Scripture and Tradition
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- $49.99
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- $49.99
Publisher Description
At once a study of biblical theology and modern Jewish thought, this volume describes a “participatory theory of revelation” as it addresses the ways biblical authors and contemporary theologians alike understand the process of revelation and hence the authority of the law. Benjamin Sommer maintains that the Pentateuch’s authors intend not only to convey God’s will but to express Israel’s interpretation of and response to that divine will. Thus Sommer’s close readings of biblical texts bolster liberal theologies of modern Judaism, especially those of Abraham Joshua Heschel and Franz Rosenzweig. This bold view of revelation puts a premium on human agency and attests to the grandeur of a God who accomplishes a providential task through the free will of the human subjects under divine authority. Yet, even though the Pentateuch’s authors hold diverse views of revelation, all of them regard the binding authority of the law as sacrosanct. Sommer’s book demonstrates why a law-observant religious Jew can be open to discoveries about the Bible that seem nontraditional or even antireligious.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this groundbreaking work, Sommer (The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel), who teaches biblical studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary, argues that the idea of participatory revelation (in which those who receive a divine command participate in creating the resulting sacred texts and laws) has long been accepted in Jewish tradition, and he traces the history of that concept. Notably, Sommer benefits from source-critical Bible scholarship, which holds that early biblical books were derived from multiple text sources. In fact, Sommer proposes that the Hebrew Bible be officially acknowledged as a composite of Israelite/Jewish traditional voices in dialogue though deriving ultimately from the divine command and that this view, far from being hostile to religious belief, makes the Bible more valuable. A resulting modest and flexible theory of Jewish law potentially resolves some contradictions of belief and practice for modern Jews. Clearly written and broad in application, this is an important read for Jewish laypeople, clergy, and scholars. This volume is also likely to appeal to non-Jews who want to make modern biblical scholarship relevant for believers.
