VAN DER TOORN, K. God in Context: Selected Essays on Society and Religion in the Early Middle East. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018, 400 p. – ISBN 9783161564703.
In this work, Karel van der Toorn explores the social setting, the intellectual milieu, and the historical context of the beliefs and practices reflected in the Hebrew Bible. While fully recognizing the unique character of early Israelite religion, the author challenges the notion of its incomparability. Beliefs are anchored in culture. Rituals have societal significance. God has a history. By shifting the focus to the context, the essays gathered here yield a deeper understanding of Israelite religion and the origins of the Bible.
Karel van der Toorn (1956) is Faculty Professor of Religion and Society in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam.
