10-04-2007, 11:37 AM
Just started reading this book by Richard Elliott Friedman (Friedman is a Jewish professor of Hebrew who previously wrote the book Who Wrote the Bible?). This is a very interesting book broken into 3 sections. The first deals with the gradual disapperance and withdrawal of God from human affairs over the course of the Old Testament (and briefly the new). The second fast-forwards 2,000 years to focus on the connection between Nietzsche and Dostoevsky regarding their "death of God" theories. Finally the third section compares "intriguing parallels" between Big Bang cosmology and Kabbalah mysticism.
The book's central premise is around what Friedman calls "Divien hiddenness" or God's apparent decision to become less active. His focus is on the possible spiritual crisis and moral vacuum that the "absence" of God could leave to. I briefly skimmed the last section and while some of the language is a bit reminiscient of J.S. Spong it is intriguing nonetheless. Thus far the first chapters focus on the fact that God gradually becomes more and more withdrawn in the Old Testament-in effect surrendering his sovereignity to people. Friedman points out that as the human characters of the Old Testament become more developed God becomes farther away.
Should be an interesting read.
The book's central premise is around what Friedman calls "Divien hiddenness" or God's apparent decision to become less active. His focus is on the possible spiritual crisis and moral vacuum that the "absence" of God could leave to. I briefly skimmed the last section and while some of the language is a bit reminiscient of J.S. Spong it is intriguing nonetheless. Thus far the first chapters focus on the fact that God gradually becomes more and more withdrawn in the Old Testament-in effect surrendering his sovereignity to people. Friedman points out that as the human characters of the Old Testament become more developed God becomes farther away.
Should be an interesting read.