Deuteronomy and the Meaning of "Monotheism."

Theology Today, Jan 2004 by Nelson, Richard D

Deuteronomy and the Meaning of "Monotheism." Nathan MacDonald, Tubingen, Mohr/Siebeck, 2003. 271 pp. $71.00.

A revision of the author's University of Durham thesis (2001), this study rejects the suitability of the Enlightenment term "monotheism" in describing the theology of Deuteronomy. After tracing the history of the monotheism concept in scholarship, MacDonald examines the relevant texts (the Shema, the first commandment, and others from Deuteronomy's redactional framework). He concludes that Deuteronomy does not present a viewpoint that can properly be termed monotheistic. The confession of Yahweh's oneness is not an intellectual achievement or an ontological statement but, rather, a challenge to love and loyalty. This confession assumes that other gods not only exist but also represent a serious temptation to disloyalty. It does not imply universalism in the modern sense. Yahweh's uniqueness as God for Israel is founded on Yahweh's mercy and jealousy, as demonstrated in the election of a holy people. The author's argument is persuasive, as well as clearly and coherently presented.

Richard D. Nelson, Perkins School of Theology, Dallas, TX