Genesis 9, Noah’s Covenants and Jewish Theology of Religions

Genesis 9 plays an important role in contemporary Jewish theology of religions. The covenant with Noah is understood as the universal covenant, providing a balance to the particularity of the covenant with Abraham. Such an understanding is found in the works of Jonathan Sacks, Irving Greenberg, and...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Goshen-Gottstein, Alon (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations 2023
In: Studies in Christian-Jewish relations
Year: 2023, Volume: 18, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-26
Further subjects:B Abraham
B Jonathan Sacks
B Jewish theology of religions
B Covenant
B Universalism
B Irving Greenberg
B Jewish particularity
B Noah
B Jon Levenson
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:Genesis 9 plays an important role in contemporary Jewish theology of religions. The covenant with Noah is understood as the universal covenant, providing a balance to the particularity of the covenant with Abraham. Such an understanding is found in the works of Jonathan Sacks, Irving Greenberg, and Jon Levenson. This article offers a novel reading of Genesis 9 as a covenant of no-harm, in which both parties commit to avoid inflicting harm upon one another. It introduces a novel typology to covenant studies and undermines our ability to read Genesis 9 in line with the covenants with Abraham and Israel at Sinai. Beyond the contribution to the theological discussion, the article raises the question of the impact of biblical interpretation on theology. The final part of the article offers an alternative reading of the theological import of Noah’s covenant. It is as powerful creator that God is encountered in Genesis 9, rather than as relational partner. If one does not enter into relationship with God, one can at least know him, and the covenant of no harm becomes a means of knowing God.
ISSN:1930-3777
Contains:Enthalten in: Studies in Christian-Jewish relations
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.6017/scjr.v18i1.16131