Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 78 No. 1, 2008.
Original scientific paper
A Small Historical Credo or Anamnesis as Historical Remembering? Exegetical-Theological Analysis of Deut 26:5-10
Božo Lujić
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The sources of this article can be found in the Deut 26:5-10 that G. von Rad once marked as a »Small Historical Credo«, stressing that this text and many similar ones (Deut 6:20-24 and Jos 24:2b-13), significantly influenced the format of the Hexateuch. The theses presumes that the Deut 26:5-10 emerged before the Hexateuch was written. Von Rad explained its emergence through Jehovic and Elohic tradition. Based on historical-critical research, some exegetes conducted a deconstruction of von Rad's thesis about the early emergence of these texts and then of their key role in the emergence of the Hexateuch. Through a detailed analysis of the Bible, these authors demonstrated that the editor of the Deuteronomy in fact took some contents and motives from Jehovic and Elohic tradition and included them in the text that generally represented a summary of Israeli history. In this way he ascertained that the small historical credo did not influence the shape of the Hexateuch but that they were in fact the source from which the editor of the Deuteronomy drew on important content and then created the mosaic of the historical credo.
The article goes one step further in deconstructing von Rad's thesis: that this text in fact is the credo. Based on the analysis conducted and comparison of what is understood to be the credo and on the other hand, that which falls under the notion of an anamnesis in the biblical sense of the text in Deut 26:5-10 we come to the conclusion that this text is primarily an anamnesis rather than a classical credo. This would however, amongst else, direct us to connecting this text with the ritual of offering the first fruits as a sign of gratitude to the Lord. The Deut 26:5-10 in itself contains mutual relations between God and his people which we have established belongs to the fundamental meaning of the Hebrew verb (zkr) - to remember. This is clear in the emphasised use of the verb (ntn) - to give in Deut 26:1-11. The subject of this verb is in fact the Lord. The answer to God's actions and giving is contained in offering the first fruit to the Lord in memory of his giving and as a sign of gratitude of his people.
Keywords
small historical credo; anamnesis; Deuteronomic tradition; the Lord; memory; remembering; to give; to save; to liberate; to redempt; to offer; liturgical thanks giving
Hrčak ID:
25580
URI
Publication date:
7.5.2008.
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