Monday, May 24, 2010

Transformation

“...In a Christian theological sense then, read through neo-structuralist categories, Joshua may be seen as a ‘preparation for the gospel’ in that it pushes the structure and categories of Israelite identity away from a genealogical identity (or at least identity based on an established ‘in-group’) in favour of a more open identity that is constituted by character and responsiveness to God. This implies the possibility of transformation from outsider to insider, or vice versa. The Old Testament tended to deny the possibility of such transformation but this is something that is central to the New Testament and the Christian gospel. Indeed, in the Old Testament חרם, certainly in its Deuteronomic sense, is perhaps the paradigmatic expression of the denial of mediation and transformation, whereas in the New Testament ‘faith’ is perhaps the paradigmatic category for expressing mediation and transformation...”—Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, pages 212-213

<idle musing>
I always like it when the OT/NT supposedly rigid divisions are shown to be a lie :)
</idle musing>

1 comment:

Bev said...

We all (Christians and Jews and all "others") need to read David Frankel's and Konrad Schmid's new books on a contrasting view of the very topics you and Earl are discussing. Fortunately for all of us, Schmid's is now out and Frankel's soon will be. Very interesting that all three are appearing close to each other time-wise, from the same publishing company. Especially interesting to the editors and marketers who read them!