As the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, (Sacrosanctum
Concilium) was one of the most important events performed by the Second
Vatican Council. It was
approved by the assembled bishops and promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 4, 1963. Mother Church earnestly desires that all the
faithful should be led to that fully conscious, and active participation in
liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy.
The
document begins with a short introduction, followed by lengthy seven chapters
that offer some general principles of the changes in the Liturgy.
Chapter I,
General
principles for the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy.
Chapter II,
Plants
out the changes that are called for in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Chapter
III,
Outlines
what is to be reformed in the other Sacraments.
Chapter IV,
Speaks
of the Liturgy of the Hours or the official prayer of the church that priests
and women and men in monasteries are obliged to pray daily.
Chapter
V,
Reflects
on the riches of the Liturgical Year.
Chapters VI, and VII, talk about sacred music
and sacred art.
The Catholic Church
holds that the christian experience originates (D.V. 4) in the historical event
of Jesus the Christ, who is the fullness of revelation (D.V. 2). The Church
keeps alive and transmits that revelation through Scripture and Tradition and
through magisterial teachings. (ND 210, 216).
In this thesis
these following points are to be highlighted:
1. Christian
experience of God' revelation in the historical event of Jesus Christ
2. This
revelation of God in Jesus Christ is the Fullness of revelation
3. This
revelation is transmitted by the Church through:
a)
Tradition
b)
Scripture
c)
Magisterial Teachings
Introduction
Humans are historical and contingent
beings who by nature tend to go beyond, seek and experience the transcendent
God. As persons human being have power to understand the invitation of God and
they have ability to respond (faith). Faith is possible because of human
ability to respond. Every revelation is a religious experience of the human
being in this historical world. All theories on revelation have to do with the
way the human beings experience the transcendence. This religious experience of
transcendence is a search which occurs in the historical contexts and it takes
place in individual as well as in the communities. Every community which
experiences God's revelation preserves its encounter, the originary experiences
and transmits it to the next generation through Scripture, tradition, creed
cult and Code etc.
a) Revelation of God
God reveals Himself to the human
beings in a way they can experience. Revelation means to remove the veil, or
disclose something that is hidden. It is the Self disclosure of God to human
beings, in a way historical human beings would come to experience and express it.
It is possible only when God takes initiative and human beings respond to it.
Therefore, God's revelation and human response (faith) go hand in hand. It is the combination of both, the divine
initiative and human response. When God reveals, He is no longer hidden, that
is to say, though God is incomprehensible yet He can be known and experienced
tangibly. This revelation or the human experience of the Transcendence is an
act of freedom for personal relationship. It is something happening to the
humans through this Divine encounter and as a result they are prompted to act
in a particular way. Hence this experience provides norms for the behavior of
the human community.
The finite human beings cannot
experience God by themselves. They need help of God to experience God Himself.
Revelation as a divine initiative it takes place always through mediation.
Hence God is always disclosed through someone or something other than God and
other than ourselves. Hence, in order to
communicate Himself God speaks to human beings in various ways. According to
scripture God spoke and creation came into being. Therefore incarnation of
God's word is whole of creation; All that exists because God has spoken and
God's word is seen. God gives experience to all through His creation. God's
revelation takes place through the mediatorship of creation, prophets, Jesus.
But all these mediators are not of the same degree.
b) Historical Revelation
It is God's disclosure to human
through historical realities, events, etc. History is the creative act of God
and as we are historical beings, God reveals Himself in and through history. In
this God involves himself in the human history. God takes the life struggles of
the people seriously in which He is involved personally. Acceptance of this
revelation would mean to listen to the voice of God in history and work for the
purpose for which God involved Himself in the history. The Semitic religions
such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam are great examples of such revelation.
History is both the content and the
context of revelation. So, not only God is revealing in history but also God
reveals history.
Revelation of History
History is the result, and not just
the medium of revelation. History is itself what is revealed. History as such is the horizon of human
existence and action endowed with revelatory promise. Biblical tradition
believes a promise to be fulfilled in history. History without promise is
intolerable. Therefore, revelation may be understood as the promise of an
ultimate meaning to history. Revelation is promise, and without our response of
hope neither revelation nor history's meaning can take hold of us in our
present situation.
Revelation in History
Faith must have some concrete
grounds. Actual deeds and events in history are needed to vindicate our hope
for fulfillment. In order to discern the revelatory nature of the Christ-event
and other instances of God's fidelity requires that we belong to the inner life
a faith community which sees its very identity as having been founded by the
story of divine acts of fidelity to the promise. To those who participate in
this "inner history" such occurrences as the call of Abraham, the
Exodus, the lives of the prophets, the deliverance of Israel & Judah from
captivity the events surrounding the life and death of Jesus, the establishment
of the Church, all have a revelatory significance.
1. Christian Revelation: A Historical Revelation of God
For a Christian history is not just
place or a context in which God communicates eternal truths to humankind,
rather history is the created act of God through which God is manifested. The
moment of climax in history is always the Christ-event because God is disclosed
in the totality of history, we come to a knowledge of God as we reflect on the principal
events of our history. Revelatory events that took place in historical Jesus
the Christ affected the community and it became meaningful to us.
Christian
revelation is Self-disclosure or Self-communication of God in Christ-event for
the salvation of men and women in history
Through this self disclosure in and
through Jesus Christ God has entered into dialogue with the humankind freely
and by this, our human needs are met and the history of our lives reaches its
completion. God has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ yet he
cannot be objectified. The God in whom the Christians believe is not an
abstract idea but personal as proclaimed by Jesus Christ. Mystery of God
present in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus which takes place in, and
transforms, brings salvation to humankind and human history. In him the human
history reaches its climax not chronologically but Kairologically. By this
event human history is oriented towards a new direction and achieves its
fulfillment. God is seen as the one who intervenes at decisive moments of life
of humankind. God becomes one with human history guiding and leading the
humankind to Himself. Christian revelation is centered around Jesus Christ as
the fullness of revelation and in him revelation reached its definite point.
(cf. Mt. 11:27; Jn.1:14,17; 14:6; 17:1-3; 2 Cor 3:16; 4:6; Eph 1:3-14).
2. Jesus is the Fullness of Revelation
God's revelation takes place in the
process of human history. According to Christian belief, the christian historical
revelation begins with the call of Abraham. Centuries ago, the Biblical stories
say, a man called Abraham, got the revelation in the form of `promise', a hope
for a great future. That hope was handed down in the line of humanity through
Moses and the Prophets and the Patriarchs to acknowledge Him as the one true
living God, the provident Father and a just judge. For Christians the person of
Jesus of Nazareth constitutes the decisive breaking in of the promise
fulfillment felt long ago by Abraham. Thus God addresses himself to humans and
makes them partners of His plan. Through the covenant with Moses and the event
of Exodus, God reveals himself as the liberator of the Israelites. This
historical revelation reaches its fullness in Jesus Christ. "After God has
spoken in many and various ways through the prophets, in these last days, he
has spoken to us by the Son" (Heb. 1:1-2). This Son is the eternal word
who enlightens all men (Jn.1:1-18). He is the climax and the epitome of all the
signs of revelation; he marks the total disclosure of God. To see Jesus is also
to see the Father (Jn. 14:9). Christ is the perfection, fullness and the
totality of the self-gift of God to the humans. There is nothing `beyond' and
`after' Christ. In him God's dialogue has achieved its goal. Jesus brings
revelation to its final perfection through his words, deeds, death and
resurrection and by sending the spirit of truth.
Jesus Christ, the Son is the
fullness of God's revelation because He spoke through him the word and manifested through his deeds. What
God speaks comes into being. In the historical Jesus God's word incarnated or
became flesh. Jesus says he who sees me sees the Father. God has revealed
Himself through the words and deed of Jesus Christ. Seeing the deeds of Jesus
Christ we have seen God, and hearing the words of Jesus we have heard God's
word. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the fullness of revelation.
Jesus is fulfillment of revelation
for He makes himself present. This present is seen in his death and resurrection
and sending His Spirit. God has given fullness of revelation in and through
Jesus Christ which is the ultimate, not the end but the fullness of revelation.
He is the mediator, not the center of revelation but God in Trinity is the
center of revelation. Trinitarian God is foundation and model of Christian
community. The way we become mediators, God's revelation will be continued.
Revelation is complemented by faith
or response. An obedient of faith is to respond to God of self giving, self
disclosure Who communicates His divine life to us. By His self communication He
invites us to share his divine nature and any respond to it is the self giving
to Him in Faith. Faith is an intellectual accent to the truth that God reveals
to us. Intellectually what we grasp is that what God reveals to us. In this
whole life is involved therefore our response cannot be merely intellectual but
total self giving to God. It calls for a total self surrender and commitment
without any compulsion because God doesn't compel but only He invites us. He
opens our eyes and hearts and in that openness and awareness we freely response
to God's revelation.
The Nature and purpose of God's Revelation
God's revelation is purposive event.
God reveals Himself for the universal salvation. In His infinite goodness he
has ordained human beings to a supernatural end, namely, to share with us the
good things of Himself which utterly exceed the intelligence of human mind. It
is not for Christians alone but for whole human beings. Revelation is the
knowledge of salvific plan of God. It is not manufactured by rationalist but it
is revealed by God and through the Scripture and creation. God in Christ has
reconciled not only christians but with the whole world. Hence promise of God
is realized as universal salvific Reconciliation. Therefore, we human beings in
this sinful nature can know God because He has revealed Himself as
reconciliation.
God reveals himself to invite us to
share divine life. This invitation is beyond human understanding. It is not a natural revelation which human
being can invent. In this invitation God
takes initiative. As 1 Cor 2:9 says "that which my eye has not perceived,
beyond human life God invites for that life." There is an invitation given
to us in the name of God to confirm that God is at work. Miracles of Jesus is
to confirm to that God's grace given to us. So, purpose of revelation is God's
invitation for divine life. From our part as response to this invitation or
revelation is faith. Only through faith we can experience and share God
life.
The word of God is revealed in Jesus
Christ through the Holy Spirit. By this revelation, the Trinitarian God is
manifested. Therefore Christian experience of revelation is the experience of
God the Trinity. It is an invitation to the Trinitarian life of God the
Trinity. The purpose of His revelation
is to draw men to Himself, His nature. The spirit of risen Lord still
gives this experience of our being drawn to God because in Jesus God speaks to
us out of love and makes us his friend. Therefore Jesus speaks to us God's love
and in that love God is drawing us to Himself. All that I heard from the Father
make known to you. He speaks words of Father and lives among us and through him
we share salvation and life of divine.
3. Transmission of the Revelation through Scripture, Tradition
and Magisterial teachings
The Christian revelation which
originates in the historical event of Jesus Christ is transmitted by the
Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the magisterial teachings.
Traditionalist say that long ago God
gave revelation and this revelation became tradition and this we need.
Tradition is going back to the Scripture. Even today God reveals Himself
through scripture or tradition.
a) Tradition
Tradition is the giving over from one
to another, or the handing down from one to another. It can be viewed as a
giving over (an activity) of something (a content) to another. It is the
collective acceptance and communication of truths, customs, practice belief
etc. in the community and an act of handing down the originary experience or
the revelation in these forms. It is a process by which revelation coming from
Jesus Christ, through his apostles is communicated and unfolded in the
community of the Church. Tradition makes it possible to preserve a value in a
community. Thus the living tradition is a channel through which divine
revelation comes to us.
"Tradition ensures the
continuance of what has been once begun; and through the wisdom and experience
of one's ancestors gives one a perspective in which to classify and evaluate
new experiences. "Tradition appears
as perception, insights, understandings, myths, values, wisdom of past ages,
cultural images -- in a word, a whole complex of factors which make up the life
of a community in all its varied aspects. These factors are handed over from
generation to generation so that persons are enabled to evaluate new
experiences and integrate them fruitfully in their lives.
The function of tradition is that it
enables persons of different times, places and situations to share common
heritage, to determine their freedom meaningfully, and ultimately to form human
community. It includes a past that needs to be retrieved and, in the process,
to be reinterpreted. In a religious community, there is a constant need for its
members to be linked with an originary experience and at the same time to cope
successfully with contemporary challenges.
Tradition supposes a sense of
rootedness. Rootedness means that there is `givenness' with which every human
person begins life. The context in which we begin our lives and make our
decisions is shaped by others. The notion of being created, contingent, or
finite is linked with the concept of rootedness. Yet rootedness does not negate
our freedom. We can decide to live by values which are different from those by
which our forefathers lived. We may perceive that certain aspects of tradition
become stifling and need to be discarded. We may become aware of new insights
and also the need of modifying what is given us from the past.
The Christian Tradition is what the
apostolic community hands over to us concerning Jesus Christ. This tradition
begins from an originary experience: faith in Jesus Christ, the final and
definitive manifestation of God in this world. This foundational experience is
articulated in writings, liturgies, in the structures of the Church and in the
way of life of the early Christians. Already in the first century, we discover
different Christologies in the New Testament which have been elaborated by different
communities. At the same time, we are made aware of the efforts of the New
Testament community to clarify the essential nature of Christian salvation and
the process that was used for this purpose.
Christian Tradition includes the way
of life lived by Jesus which was understood and accepted by the apostolic
community. This community and succeeding generations of Christians have handed
down this tradition to us.
Christian tradition that
communicates to us the Jesus way of life would include the following: the
values of the Kingdom which Jesus proclaimed in his words and deeds; the Bible
(Scripture) that reflects the apostolic community's experience of Jesus; the
liturgies, creeds; the writings of the early Fathers of the Church; the
teachings of the bishops, religious practices, prayers, etc. The Bible
(Scriptures), while holding a unique place among all these, remains a part of
the Christian tradition.
b) Scripture
Scripture is the sacred writing of
the community's God experience. It is community's core experience of God in written form. It is
the theological articulation of the religious experience or the divine
revelation in the person of Jesus or Christ-event. Thus the scripture is both
the experience and interpretation of the reality of revelation.
Church transmits this originary
experience through scripture. She accepts 72 books in the scripture. The
apostolic community saw these 72 of which OT 45 and NT 27) books as reflecting
(directly or indirectly) its experience of Jesus. The Christian Bible (God's
revelation in written form) may be viewed as the Constitution of the Church.
The apostolic community existed before the bible was put together. Yet once the
Bible came into being, the Church found in the Bible the norms which could help
to shape her life and witness faithfully to Jesus' way of life.
Tradition as a source of revelation
was unanimously rejected by the reformers. Luther Held `Sola scriptura' -
Scripture alone is the norm for Christian living. He noted that some elements
in the Christian tradition were superstitions (e.g. buying and selling of
indulgences, treating the sacraments life magical charms, etc.) and that they
distorted the true meaning of God's revelation to us in Jesus Christ. He
therefore decided to restrict himself only to the Bible to know the way of life
of Jesus, since he believed that only there the truth of God's word be found.
As a written text the Bible could not be changed and hence God's truth would
remain undistorted.
Catholics Church accepts the Bible
as God's word because they accept the whole Christian Tradition. Council of Trent said saving truth and rule
of conduct are present in Scripture (written) and Tradition (unwritten) (ND
210). Vat I reaffirms the word of the Trent that the Gospel was promised of old
though the prophets in the sacred Scriptures, Our Jesus Christ, Son of God,
first promulgated it from his own lips; he in turn ordered that it be preached
through the apostle to all creatures as the source of all saving truth and rule
of conduct. The council clearly perceives that this truth and rule are
contained in the written books and unwritten tradition which have come down to
us, having been received by the apostles from the mouth of Christ himself or
from the apostles by the dictation of the Holy spirit, and have been
transmitted as it were from hand to hand (ND 210).
Church holds that the books of Old
and New Testaments are to be received as sacred and canonical in their
integrity, with all their parts. Church holds them to be sacred and canonical
not because, having been carefully composed by mere human industry, they were
afterwards approved by her authority, nor merely because they contain
revelation with no admixture of error, but because, having been written by the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God for their author and have been
delivered as such to the church herself (ND 216).
Both Scripture and Tradition are the means of
transmission of revelation
According to Vat.II revelation is
passed on by the heralds of the Gospel, the apostles and their successors.
Sacred Tradition has its origin from the apostles. The Council is concerned
with doctrinal tradition, not with ecclesiastical laws or customs. The emphasis
is laid on the active role of the church and on the development of the content
of revelation with the help of the Holy Spirit. The vexed question concerning
`two sources' is dealt with a positive way in the sense that both Scripture and
Tradition are presented as two functions with the living historical transmission
of truth rather than as static sources of ideas. The controversy on the
sufficiency of scripture alone is thus avoided by situating the problem on the
higher plane. The council does not affirm that Scripture is insufficient in the
sense of not containing all matters of faith, but it states that the Church
does not derive her certainty from Scripture alone.
Both Tradition and Scripture try to
portray or faithfully articulate the Christ-event. The first Christian
community experienced God's revelation in Christ, shared and accumulated the,
lived that experience in the form of scripture and Tradition with an intention
to invite future generation to enter into that experience of God's revelation
in Christ and thus enter into the process of self-giving. So the Scripture and
Tradition become normative in so far as they enable us to enter into the
process of self-giving with the particular context of ours.
They are like a mirror in which the
pilgrim church on earth looks at God from which she has received everything
until it is brought finally to see Him as He is, face to face (DV 7). What was
handed on by the apostles includes everything which contributes to the holiness
of life, and the increase in faith of the people of God, and so the church in
her teaching life, worship perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that
she herself is, all that she believes (DV 8). They both contain the message of
salvation from God. The message of Jesus, which is transmitted to us through
both Scripture and Tradition. The Source of which is God Himself. The purpose
of both Scripture and Tradition are also same. They transmit the will of God or
word of God, the message of salvation in its entirety.
Trent affirms that "the church
does not draw her certainty about all revealed truths from the Holy Scriptures
alone. Hence, both scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with
equal feelings of devotion and reverence." The church teaches that the
Scriptures as well as Tradition have their origin in "Christ the Lord and
the Holy Spirit" (DV 9).
In short, Scripture is the record of
both the experience and the interpretation of the reality of revelation. The
Scripture is profoundly understood only when it is read within the tradition.
Scripture is a normative element to correct tradition. On the one hand
tradition controls the reading of the scripture and on the other the Scripture
is constantly actualized through tradition.
Relation between Scripture and Tradition
There is close connection and
communication exists between Scripture and Tradition. For both of them flow
from the same divine spring, in a certain way merge into a unity, and flow
towards the same end. For Sacred Scripture is the word of God in as much as it
is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. While the
Sacred Tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and Holy
Spirit to the apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its integrity so
that, led by the light of the Holy Spirit of truth, they may in their preaching
of this word, preserve it faithfully, explain it and cause it to spread.
Consequently it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the church derives her
certainly about the whole content of revelation. And so both Scripture and
Tradition are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and
reverence. Scripture and tradition complete one another,$not so much in a
quantitative sense but rather in a sense that each shed light up on the other.
(DV.10) Sacred Scripture and S. Tradition make up a single sacred deposit of
the word of God.
c) The Role of Magisterial Teachings in the Transmission
of Revelation
Magisterium is the teaching office
of the church endowed with pastoral authority ultimately derived from Christ.
It has the task of authentically interpreting the word of God. It's authority
is to exercise in the name of Jesus Christ and to interpret the word of God
with such authority as their learning confers on them. This teaching office has
responsibilities to guide the faith community in the line of originary
experience. This magisterium is not above the word of God but a servant of it.
It teaches only what has been handed on, listens to it devoutly, guards it
conscientiously, and explains it faithfully, by divine commission and with the
help of Holy Spirit. From this one deposit of faith it draws everything which
it presents for belief as divinely revealed (DV.10).
Appendix
Difference
between Tradition, Traditions and Tradition
Tradition
It would mean the entire Christian
tradition which includes the Scriptures and all the other traditions in the
Church. Such Christian tradition precedes the formation of the Christian
Scriptures and, therefore, of the Bible.
Traditions
These would include practices which
have disciplinary and dogmatic in the Church and which owe their origin to
historical circumstances in the life of the Church. Examples of these are
devotional practices, novenas to saints, ways of gaining indulgences for
oneself and others, etc. Some of these practices grow out of a faulty concept
of God and his dealings with us; others are born out of greed for money. Both
types do not offer the Christian an authentic witness to Jesus' way of life. It
is these traditions which caused Luther to decide on Sola Scriptura.
Tradition
Since the magisterium has the task
of interpreting authentically the word of God in the Bible, the Church teaches
concerning the Bible is significant. "Tradition is the living teaching
office of the church, which authoritatively interprets and complements
scripture".( Hubert Jedin, "Grasping the Tradition: Reflections of a
Church historian, TS 45 1984, p.159). Here, tradition is identified with the
magisterial teaching of the Church. But it must be kept in mind that the
magisterium is the servant of the word, not its master.
It is sometimes said
that the `election theology' of Israel (Ex 19:3-8; Dt 7:6; Am 3:1-2) makes it
an inward-looking religion. This does not do justice to the various strands
that are found in the Pentateuch (e.g., Gen.12:1-3). Israel consciously
reflected on its place and role in the community of nations. The prophetical
writers of the Pentateuch retrojected their views on God and the human being,
on the origin of sin and of evil into the Primeval History (Gen.1-11). The
ancient Sumero-Akkadian myths which were adopted and adapted by the Biblical
authors present a marked difference in their theology and anthropology in
comparison with the biblical narratives. However, it is not without problems to
call Israelite myths monotheistic.
The 4 traditions of
the Pentateuch J E D P help us not
to generalize and speak of an OT theology and will make us realize that there
are various theologies in it, complementary, supporting and even correcting one
another. Thus we see that the same God speaks
through different heralds at different times in different ways (Heb 1:1).
considering the 4 various traditions of Pentateuch we can say that they
propound to us in varying degrees of intensity that Yahweh, the God of Israel
has a Universal plan of salvation for all nations. Although a shadow of inward
looking nature can be traced before and after the Babylonian exile, nowhere
that narrow perspective haunts the Israelite, is a truth.
Election Theology
It is the religious conviction that
God has chosen one out of a group. By this usage I understand the verb an
isolation. The fact that Israel belongs to YHWH as his special possession makes
it a nation. The new relationship is termed as covenant. The covenant made at
Sinai was the decisive step in the creation of Israel as a people
The Deuteronomy
It is most unfortunate that the D's
teaching on the `Ban' concerning the inhabitants of the promised land has been
taken as leitmotif not only in D's but of Israelites theology in general. We
cannot prove that this ban has ever been practiced in historical times. It is
not to be found in any other Israelites' tradition outside D. It is merely a
gross semitic exaggeration in the context of the deuteronomist's polemics
against all forms of syncretism. Therefore, it will be injustice if we take
this motif as the Magna Charta of Israelites theology.
Ban/Herem
It is connected with warfare. In
hope of victory a vow was made devoting all spoils, animate and inanimate to
the deity (Num 21:2-10). The unmitigated ban required slaughter of everything
that breaths (Dt 20:16). The mitigated ban exempted women and children along
with cattle and sheep (Dt 21:10-14; 2:34; Num 31:7-12).
The Canaanites were devoted to
destruction in order that Israel might not be seduced into idolatry. Actually
it was only Wishful Thinking of a later time and it is not admitted that the
Israel unable to carry out the destruction (1 kg 9:21). In the post-exilic time
the ban was no longer applied as a military measure but was adapted as a means
of eliminating undesirable elements from the community. When Ezra attempted to
close the ranks of the returned exiles against the heathen influence on the
people of the land those who refused to
co-operate has their property devoted i.e., confiscated and they themselves
were expelled from the community (Ez 10:8). Thus the ban became a means of
Ecclesial discipline.
What is the legislation for the distant nations?
This ban is but only the second part
of the law. The first part deals with nations outside the promised land.
According to Dt 20:10-14 - when attack is made on a town first offer peace, but
if it refuses the lay siege to it. YHWH will deliver it for you and you are to
put all men folk to sword sparing women and children. Deuteronomic legislation
so severe concerning the inhabitants of promised land : i) so that they may not
teach all the detestable practices (Dt 20:18). ii) YHWH hates what they have
done to gods - burning own sons and daughters in the fire for their God (Dt
12:31). iii) Sacred prostitution (Dt 23:18ff). iv) Magic ? Necromancy (Making
children walk through fire, consulting ghosts, calling upon the dead etc. (Dt.
18:10-12).
Historically speaking, this
legislation on the ban presents many problems. It gives the impression that
Israel is going to conquer the promise land in one single sweep, as in the book
of Joshua. But the truth is far this as we see from the book of the Judges. It
was a slow and painful process. Jebusites, for eg. were conquered only in the
time of David (2 Sam 5).
Therefore, the scholars today have
recognized that the book of Deuteronomy as a later theology retrojected to the
times of the pre-conquest days and placed in the lips of Moses. It seems to
reflect the political resurgence of the time Josia when Assyria's power was on
the wane. It also reflects antisyncretic tendencies and polemics of the
prophets. Hence, the teachings of the D are not to be absolutized nor to be
treated as typical of OT Theology.
Although there is the spirit of
intolerance regarding non-Israelites in D, he is also open to Ger (stranger).
"Love the stranger for you were strangers in Egypt" (Dt 10:19). Ger
is included in YHWH's covenant where Israel became chosen people (Dt 29:10).
(e.g., The Edomites and Egyptians were admitted to Israelites cult). Though
election is the most important subject of the D, it is not exclusive and not
based on merit (Dt 18:12b; Gen. 15:16; Dt 30:17ff). God also has assigned
inheritance to other nations. Therefore, God is concerned about other nations.
In Dt 2 exclusively we see that while Israel pass through other nation's land,
forbidden to declare war, ask permission to pass through, buy food and water
etc. Therefore, YHWH the same God of
Israel has not excluded any nations but allotted them too with land. In all
these YHWH's universal guidance of history is very obvious.
The J
The Primeval History (Gen 1-11)
The J account of creation is
concerned mainly with Man (Gen 2:5).
His theological perspective reaches
out not merely to the ancestors of Israel, as in the case of E but to the sons
of men as such. The great interest and love which YHWH shows for man and his
mate is amply clear from the rest of the account. In the account of YHWH's
covenant with Abraham is Gen.15:20 and in Num 24:21 the mention of 10 nations
on the border of Israel shows the J is interested not only in Israel but also
in her neighbours. According to J, Noah found favour with YHWH (Gen.6:8), after
flood God assures `Man' of the stability of the universe (Gen.8:21), YHWH let
himself be appeased by the sacrifice of Noah (Gen.8:21) and the so called
oracle of Noah (Gen.6:26ff) also exhibits strong straits of universalism. This
is a clear case of retrojection from the time of David's empire which subdued
Canaan and gave protection to the Jebusites and the Hittites.
In Gen. 10:8-9;25-30 the mention of
the table of the nations shows the J's world wide vision (nations of
Mesopotamia Canaan and the Arabian wastes including Egypt). In short we could
say that he has kept a register of "all the families of the earth"
then known to him. The story of the tower of Babel shows that YHW is not a
tribal God but the God of the world (Gen.18:25) who judges the actions of all
men (Gen.11:1-9).
The Patriarchal History
Gen.12:3a seems to be a partiality
on the side of God but the truth is far from this. But in Gen.12:3b we read
" And in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed". This
blessing reappears twice more in a slightly altered form in the case of Isaac
(Gen. 26:4c) and Jacob (Gen.28:14c). Though mankind has forfeited the blessings
showered on it by sin (Gen. 2:33) as a result of which the soil from which man
had been created was once more. Therefore, the blessing given by YHWH to
Abraham not only passes down the line of his descendants but simultaneously to
all the families of the earth. It is shown in their behaviours.
Abraham
Gen.13:7-11
[Dispute b/w shepherds of Abraham and of Lot ... Abraham let Lot have the
better pasture].
Gen. 18:22-23
[Abraham intercedes with YHWH on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah... Lot is their
ancestor... angels sent to forewarn Lot's family... thus blessing is passed on
to Moab and Ammon which are non-Israelites].
Isaac
Gen.26:14-29
[Philistines sealed the wells dug by Abraham... Conflict b/w Isaac's people and
Philistines... Isaac they sought covenantal peace with Isaac.. granted it &
sent them in peace. so blessing is passed on to Philistines who are
non-Israelites].
Jacob
Gen.30:27-30 [Laban
the Aramaen explicitly acknowledges that YHWH blessed them because of Jacob and
Jacob corroborates the statement of his uncle].
Joseph
Gen.39:5b & c
[Potiphar realized Yahweh was with Joseph... makes him in charge of his
household... The J comments "Yahweh blessed the household of the Egyptians
because of Joseph"].
Exodus 12:38a
[When the sons of
Israel bid for freedom under the protection of Yahweh they allowed people of
various sorts to join them and share in their blessings. this implies that
Israel did not segregate itself from other but kept itself open to others].
Conclusion
Universalism of salvation is one of
the main motifs of J. None of the chauvinism, parochialism or ghetto mentality
of the latter times is to be found in this thought.
Sits-im-leben
The J is exercising a critique of
the political situation of the empire of David and Solomon. For we know from
the book of Samuel of the oppressive tactics of David with regard to Ammonites
which seem to reflect the harsh treatment meted out to the sons of Israel by
the Pharaoh [2 Sam 12:30]. Similar account of this was of David with Moab, Aram
and Edom where in stead of blessing passing from Israel to the nations, Israel
is looting and oppressing the nations [2 Sam 8:1-14]. This is not how their
fathers behaved - The J reminds his contemporaries.
The E: The E
is writing at the time of religious syncretism and crisis of faith in Yahweh as
portiered in the episode of Elijah asks the people of Israel - " If Yahweh
is God follow him and if Baal follow him". Naturally in such situation we
cannot expect universalism as we see with J. Besides that the E is writing the
national epic of Israel. But all the same we do find traces of universalism in
this fragmentary tradition.
Abraham
Gen.20:7-17.
Abraham who is portrayed in the grab of prophets is ready to intercede for
Abimelech and his household... God hears his prayer and heals them.
Jacob
Gen.31:28-29. In
the episode of Jacob and Laban we Yahweh although God of Israel deals with
others [dream of Laban]... "On no account say anything to Jacob".
Joseph
Gen.50: 19-20. In
the story of Joseph when the sons of Jacob are afraid... Joseph will take
revenge at Jacob's death... Joseph reassures to trust him and in God saying
"do not be afraid God can turn evil to good... as he has delivered
numerous people". The numerous people are Egyptians and not sons of Israel
for they are not yet numerous but just twelve families.
Exodus 18:12
Jethro
[father-in-law of Moses] accepts the offer and Aaron and elders of Israel had
to come to partake in the meal in the presence of God. We see thus even in the
E Israel is called upon to share with other people the blessing which Yahweh
granted her.
The P
In the P narrative [not P code] we
find a beautiful synthesis of all the attitudes of Israel towards the other
nations.
Theology: Monotheist implicitly affirms a universal God. Ex 6:2f
identifies Yahweh with the God of patriarchs, El Shaddai, and with the God of
all humans Elohim. The theology of P is same as that of second Isaiah. "I
am the first and the last, there is no other God besides me" [Is 44:6].
Creation
Account: Gen.1:1-2:44. This
unique and universal God has neither rival as in Babylonian Marduk who fought a
duel with Tiamet; nor a helper [Demiurge] as the supreme Greek god.
Flood
Story: This unique
creator God has also the role as judge of humans. In his opinions there were no
exceptions to the universal sin. Quite naturally partisan theology of Israel
tended to collapse of the Jewish nation on the gentile emperor Nebuchadnezar of
Babylon. But the P stresses that Israel too has its due share of blame which
means both Jew and Gentiles have sinned.
Anthropology
Creation: As humankind has proved to be a communion of sinners so
too humankind has a communion of origin. All human beings are the origin of God
[Gen. 1:26]. According to him the blessings of God was given to all humans
before they committed any sin [Gen. 1:28] and it was reiterated in the blessing
to Noah, who is the second Adam to all humans after universal sin of the flood
story [Gen. 9:1-7].
Original
Sin: "Humani
Generis" [Encyclical of Pius XII 1950] Monogenis was imposed condemning
the scientific theory of Polygenism. Also taught that Adam is the name of
Individual. These are from the literal interpretations of the myths in Gen.
1-11. In Hebrew it is not `Adam' but `ha-adam' which means the man [Gen. 2:8,
20, 22-23] not individual. According to the teachings of the Church papal
encyclicals are not infallible. The competent of positive sciences and theology
should be respected.
According to Vat II the Church
teaches that all human beings are born without a right to receive grace which
is the free gift of God. This is how the doctrine of Original Sin is
interpreted. The Church never taught the dogma of faith that original sin was
transferred in the act of generation. This was the opinion of St.Augustine. Sin
and guilt cannot be a matter of inheritance. Sin is a free act of commission
and omission. Original sin therefore, refers not to sin as such but consequence
of mortal sin which is lack of communion with God.
Evil
In the narrative of `fall' God shows
a lot of understanding to man and woman and not at all to the serpent. This
shows that the serpent is the symbol of something else. At the historical level
it stands for the canaanite who mislead Israel by means of their fertility
cult. At the existence level it represents the mystery of evil into whose hand
human beings seems to have been handed over. In the decalogue for example,
those things that are forbidden them rather God has forbidden them because they
are evil. [That is ontological formation morality as the moral theologians
call. But in practice we tend to think of God as someone who is keen in
restraining and limiting our freedom]. This narration is found in the mythical
garb in the dialogue between the woman and the serpent.
Retrojection
One should not think that before the
`fall' man did not have to sweat for his bread, woman had no labor pains or
snakes walked erect. The author is merely reflecting on the existential human
situation where life on earth is a drudgery. In fact, if we take the fall
narrative literally we should have to the male domination as designed by god
[Gen. 3:16]. this is really not a command which god gave to man rather it
reflects the sorry state of affair in the patriarchal society where woman
cannot survive expect by being subordinate to their husbands and fathers. In
other words what the author intends to tell us is that life in this vale of
tears corresponds to the sinful situation of human beings. The author also
shows that in spite of the fact that God punishes human beings by driving them
out of paradise, God as a mother clothing the human couple with garments of
skin [Gen. 3:21]. Thus the narrative ends on a note of optimism and hope.
WHY IT IS DIFFICULT TO CALL ISRAELITE MYTH AS
MONOTHEISTIC?
Israelite
Myth: Gen. 1:1
Monotheistic God [God created heavens and earth in an effortless manner]. Gen.
2:4 These are generations of heavens and the earth when they are created which
points to Baalism [story of Enki, god of heavens and Ninhursag, the mother of
lands]. Gen. 6:4 "Sons of god and daughters of men... bore children".
Now to bear sons god's counterpart goddess must be there. Let us create men in
our image, let us go down and confuse the people ... in Tower of Babel story
and three men came to visit to Abraham ... blessed them with the child etc.
Therefore, it is difficult to say Israelite myth as monotheistic.
DIFFERENCE
Theology: Israelite God is a monotheistic who had no rival/no
superior / no peers / no helper as in Sumero-Akkadian myths.
Anthropology: In Israelite myth man is a creature, image and likeness
of God, dependent of God and God's representative. God created man with mud and
blown God's breath into man which shows his closeness towards God more than any
other creatures, whereas in Sumero-Akkadian myth man is made out of blood of a
god Kingu mixed with clay divine element mixed in the human being.
It is sometimes said that `election theology' of Israel
(Ex 19:3-8; Dt 7:6; Am 3-2) makes it an inward-looking religion
Ex
19:3-8, serves an
introduction to the meeting between Yahweh and Israel at "the
mountain." First, the meeting is an entry into "the holiness for the
purpose of worship. This focus on worship makes this chapter pivotal for the
entire book of Exodus.
God speaks to
Moses, abruptly and with sovereign power. This speech is likely the most
programmatic for Israelites faith that we have in the entire traditions of
Moses. Yahweh's initial rescue is unconditional and without reservation, a
sustained relation with Yahweh is one of rigorous for covenant. Israel is to be
a community in which worldly power and holy purpose converge. Israel's holy
distinctiveness depends on moment-by-moment listening to the God who commands
and authorizes. Whenever Israel ceases to listen and to keep covenant, and
presumes upon its "status" it forfeits its claim in that moment.
Israel has agreed to its identity and status as subject and vassal of Yahweh,
in the full expectation that it will become a new kind of kingdom and a new kind
of nation. This pledge not only binds Israel unequivocally to Yahweh, but also
sets Israel apart from all other peoples. Israel's response is an appropriate
answer to the oracle (vv.7-8). The oracle and responsive oath seem to be
something like the initial questions asked the bribe and grooms prior taking
their vows, when each party states the intention and resolve for the relation.
THE THEOLOGY OF DEUTERONOMY
The specific characteristic of the
experience of god in the Old Testament has found its most typical expression in
the so-called "covenant or allegiance" formula. With slight
variations of different texts, it reads: "I will be your God and you shall
be my people." The speaker is Yahweh, the God of Israel. He is not
addressing individuals or all humanity, he is addressing members of the people
of Israel. Yahweh and Israel have a unique, very close relationship. This
relationship finds its realization in time: it has a history. This is why the
covenant formula is often related to the date of the origin of Israel's
history, the exodus from Egypt (being-led-of-Egypt).
In the seventh century, the
Neo-Assyrian empire was kept together mainly by a large number of treaties of
various types. Oaths were fashion. Thus Asharhaddon, the suzerain of Manasseh
of Judah, with the aid of his priests, drew up a covenant between the god
Assur, himself and the Assyrian people. To a people uncertain of itself and
living at the margin of the empire, covenants must have appeared to provide a
guarantee of unassailable security. Therefore Deuteronomy accepted the
structure of the covenantal documents. All spheres of life were covered by the
treaty with Yahweh as the authentic suzerain. Precisely through this way of
adjusting to declare the treaties formerly made with foreign rulers invalid.
The exclusive relation between YHWH
and Israel finds its concrete form in the so-called parenetic texts in
Deuteronomy particularly in chapters 4-11 and 29-30- as well as in its cult
legislation. As the seclusion and integrity of the people had obviously been
lost to a great extent, even the earliest deuteronomic stipulations concerning
the cult aimed at giving the people a new center in the one cult site. Yahweh's
relation to Israel, which had formerly been understood in an undifferentiated,
holistic manner, was to begin with localized. YHWH's exclusive claim, which had
been understood in a general way, became particularized by the relation to a
specific sanctuary. In the second place, the cult centralization was founded
and legitimized through a divine act: YHWH's election of Israel.
When Israel is compared to other
nations, the incomparability of Israel is always ultimately founded on a gift
of grace, as were, for instance, the wisdom of Solomon and of Joseph. It is
precisely this which is intended to make the bitterly humiliated people of God
aware of the fact that its election remains valid and to encourage it to accept
and live in accordance with its exceptional position among the nations, in
spite of every temptation to adapt itself to what was practiced everywhere
else.
Within the deuteronomic covenant
theology, the demand to love God is only one of several versions of the
"chief commandment," to honor YHWH alone and have no other gods.
Given this connotation, the commandment to love YHWH finally determines the
YHWH predicate of 6:4 - YHWH is neither one in the sense of undivided in
himself nor the only god there is; he is
the only god among all the gods whom Israel - and not merely the individual
Israelites - is to love as its own God. In other words, YHWH is the one and
only as Israel's God; he is unique only as the God loved by Israel.
For the monotheism of Deuteronomy is
not an end in itself. According to Dt 4:40, monotheism is a prerequisite for
Israel's being able to live in conformity with its social order - which in its
turn entails a long and happy life in the promised land.
