Pregledni rad
Religious life in The Book of Tobit
Drago Župarić
orcid.org/0000-0002-6393-4658
; Univerzitet u Sarajevu - Katolički bogoslovni fakultet, Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina
Sažetak
The Book of Tobit was written around 200 BC. The colorful narrative tells the
history of one family in which the pious Jew, Tobit, a prisoner of the Naphtali tribe, lives
in a manner of authentic religious observance. Filled with grace, he acts according to
the Law. His goal is to follow the faith of his fathers, even if it costs him his life. He is determined
to pass on the values he treasures to his son Tobias. The book is imbued with
a sense of trust in Divine Providence and with the idea of the fatherhood of God, who
cares for people and always responds to those who call upon him. The historical context
of Tobit recalls the opportunity to live the fullness of faith within a cultural, social
and political reality which at first glance seems to be totally alien to Judaism. It is not
difficult to see that the religious life in Tobit is actual for us too. Even today Tobit offers
a way of living in fidelity to God in an environment where the prevailing values seem
to be completely alien. In other words, Tobit aims to answer the key question: How
do we live as believers in a world that is not disposed towards religion and does not
support religion? The author of this article highlights the religious elements in Tobit,
bringing these elements to the surface and creating a synthesis. In several subsections
he examines Tobit’s faithfulness to God, analyzing the moral and religious character of
this fidelity. The author also explores characteristics of Sarah’s prayer and faith, and
discusses the common journey of faith of the young married couple, Tobias and Sarah.
Religious sensibility and a state of fellowship with the one true God are the mystery at
the heart of the idyllic atmosphere described in Tobit.
Ključne riječi
fidelity to God; moral and religious character of Tobit; faith in God as a universal judge; prayers of Tobit and Sarah; journey of faith of Tobias and Sarah
Hrčak ID:
266445
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.12.2013.
Posjeta: 839 *