Forming God: Divine Anthropomorphism in the Pentateuch (Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures)

This Volume Examines Divine Anthropomorphism In The Hebrew Bible, A Study Characterized By Disagreement And Contradiction. Discussions Of Anthropomorphism In The Hebrew Bible Are Typically Found In Three Areas Of Inquiry: Ancient Israelite Religion, As Reflected By The Compositions Of The Pentateuch; Comparisons With Ancient Near Eastern Religions; And Comparison With Ancient Translation And Interpretation Of The Hebrew Bible. Contradictory Arguments Exist, Both Within Each Area Of Study And Between Them, About The Intent Of Biblical Writers, With Respect To A Theology Of Anthropomorphism. In This Work, Knafl Asserts That Biblical Studies Has Reached This Impasse, Largely Due To Its Approach To The Study Of The Phenomenon. The Prevailing Method Has Been To Study Divine Anthropomorphism Within An Assumed Framework Of Polemic And By Associating It With A Theological System. By Contrast, Knafl Analyzes Divine Anthropomorphism As A Literary-contextual Phenomenon And Seeks To Build A Typology, From Which Secondary Arguments Regarding Theology Or History Of Religion May Be Built. This Typology Will Provide Scholars Of Biblical Studies, History Of Religion, And (systematic) Theology With A Means Of Evaluating Divine Anthropomorphisms And Their Relation To Human-divine Interactions, As A Biblical Phenomenon.--provided By Publisher. Methodology And A Test Case -- The Divine Body -- Divine Location -- Divine Action And Interaction. Anne K. Knafl. Based On Author's Dissertation (doctoral - University Of Chicago, 2011). Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Acknowledgments Abbreviations Chapter 1 Introduction The Topic and History of Scholarship The Relevance of a New Study The Approach of This Study Structure and Argument Chapter 2 Methodology and a Test Case Methodology Creation and Divine Anthropomorphism: A Test Case (Genesis 1:1–2:4a) Anthropomorphic Features of God in Genesis 1:1–2:4a A Preliminary Typology Chapter 3 The Divine Body Definition God’s Bodies: Full- and Small-Scale Manifestation Mental Activity: Bodily Idiom and the Inner Life of the Deity Chapter 4 Divine Location Definition Theophany: Earthly Presence Divine Mobility Sustained Presence Chapter 5 Divine Action and Interaction Definition A Survey of Divine Action in the Sources Divine Action with Direct or Indirect Interaction Chapter 6 Conclusion A Typology of Divine Anthropomorphism in the Pentateuch Divine Anthropomorphism in the Pentateuchal Sources Implications of this Study and Future Avenues of Research Bibliography Index of Authors Index of Scripture Blank Page