Immanence and Regime in the Kingdom of Judah: A Cross-disciplinary Study of a Swansonian Hypothesis
In order to illustrate the use of Biblical studies to test social scientific theory, an hypothesis is developed, based on Swanson's Religion and Regime, which relates properties of a central government to belief in the immanence of a high god in the society served by the government. Specificall...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
1983
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| In: |
Sociological analysis
Year: 1983, Volume: 44, Issue: 2, Pages: 147-162 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In order to illustrate the use of Biblical studies to test social scientific theory, an hypothesis is developed, based on Swanson's Religion and Regime, which relates properties of a central government to belief in the immanence of a high god in the society served by the government. Specifically, belief in the immanence of a high god is hypothesized to be prevalent in a society whose government is an absolute monarchy and/or exercises gubernaculum in matters pertaining to providing a common defense, ensuring domestic order and tranquility and establishing a judiciary without, in principle, considering any special interest. Examination of religious beliefs and governmental structures in the Kingdom of Judah under the Davidic dynasty (ca. 1000–587 B.C.E.) supports the hypothesis. Use of Biblical and other sources indicates there was belief in the immanence of God and that political structures were as specified by the hypothesis. The value of Biblical material as an aid to the testing, assessment and development of social scientific theory is thus illustrated. The mutually beneficial nature of cross-disciplinary work involving the social sciences and Biblical studies is stressed. |
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| ISSN: | 2325-7873 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Sociological analysis
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3711399 |