Liberation Thematic Study #1

Liberation

The word brings many images to mind: protesters waving placards, asylum seekers in the backs of lorries, children rescued from lifestyles of abuse, emaciated refugees carrying their loads across borders, students with Che Guevara emblazoned on their chests, civil rights marches, gay pride ... the list could go on and on.

Liberation

It has been cited many times as a major theme of the Old Testament, leading to the development of entire schools of theology and the justification of many events in modern history. It has created controversies, caused division and diverged into a vast array of ideologies and praxis.

Liberation

What exactly is it?

There is perhaps a danger of over-spiritualising the liberation events in the Old Testament. Conversely, there is also the danger of seeing the liberation events as normative and prescriptive without fully understanding the context within which these events took place. There appears to be the need to strike a balance or rather, embrace a full and whole understanding of liberation past and applying it to the present.

Jon Leveson describes this struggle as being the choice between expounding the, “counter-revolutionary Bible or the hypothetical revolutionary history that lies at the heart of the Israelite tradition.” (130) Citing liberationist Jorge Pixley, Leveson explains the challenge of remaining in the text and not reconstructing events to reflect traditions. To remain ‘in the text’ is not often easy, as Leveson expands, as it presents difficulties that may well contradict modern ideas of liberation. The challenge then, as we pursue (albeit briefly) the theme of liberation in the Old Testament, is to put away presuppositions, to stop searching for justifications for our own socio-political persuasions, and to seek out the intended meaning of the text for its ancient audience.

However once this (as far as it can be) is achieved, further challenge is offered in our evangelical belief that the Bible has relevance and validity for its modern audience, an audience in diverse situations and with contrasting liberation needs. How easy it would be to offer sugar coated applications to middle-class Christians dwelling comfortably in the suburbs and speak of liberation in a purely spiritual sense. How easy it would be to ignore the needs of those trapped in circumstances of very real and physical oppression. It is, however difficult it may be, essential that a thematic study of liberation leads to an understanding of how this can be applied both to those seeking to free others from oppression and those that are imprisoned within this very oppression.

With this in mind, the task of understanding the liberation events and passages of the Old Testament becomes a very serious one indeed.

Interacting with Walton #2

(continued from previous post with corresponding title)

It is common knowledge that both the sun and the River Nile were dominant parts of the Ancient Egyptian cosmic geography.[1]  Looking specifically at the example of the sun, Walton explains that for Egyptians the sun was synonymous with the deity Re (171). Egyptologist David Silverman expands upon this by stating that the sun was the pre-eminent deity for the Egyptian nation and that the, “daily solar cycle was not merely a natural phenomenon but a daily affirmation of the triumph life over death.” (119) When, as narrated in Exodus 10, Moses stretches out his hand and three days of deep darkness covered the land (verses 21-22), the Egyptians would surely have seen this as a hugely significant act. Their most powerful deity was being prevented from displaying his power of providing light and, more importantly, life. To compound this more, the Israelites had light wherever they were located (verse 23), showing that the Deity they worshipped had full control and power over the sun. It could be argued that Pharaoh’s reply, extending his offer to women and children (verse 24), was in reaction to this powerful display of Yahweh over the perceived power of the Egyptian sun-god.

In addition to this, it is important to note that the Israelites were not asking Pharaoh for freedom from oppression but for freedom to worship Yahweh (verses 24-24). This goes back to Yahweh’s instructions in Exodus 3:18. Although not directly linked to cosmic geography it does further emphasise the spiritual aspect of the Exodus.

In summary, Walton reminds his readers, through his discussion of cosmic geography, that communities in the ancient Near East interpreted natural phenomena as inherently divine. This raises questions concerning the interpretation of the Exodus and challenges some of the presuppositions held by modern theologians. It certainly acts as a starting point for discussing whether the ancient Israelites and Egyptians saw the Exodus as, “a class struggle and social revolution” or whether this is an ideology placed upon the text by liberation theologians (Levenson, 129).

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[1] As explained by Jill Kamil in her book The Ancient Egyptians (1984), “The sun and the river, which together formed the dominating cause of existence, made a profound impression on the people.”

choose life

Questions - Liberation as a means to an end?

Was the Exodus the basis for the Mosaic Covenant? If so, was the primary purpose of the Exodus to free the Israelites so that they could enter into this covenantal relationship? Did the act of liberation act mainly as the foundation of the covenantal relationship in that it proves God's faithfulness to the Israelites?

Interacting with Walton

J. H. Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker 2006).

 

Chapter: Cosmic Geography

Biblical Passages: Exodus 1-15

Theme: Liberation

 

Summary

Walton succinctly defines cosmic geography as an understanding of, “how people envision the shape and structure of the world around them.” (Walton 165) How we perceive the world around us, as Walton puts its, ‘second nature’ to us. It is a deeply rooted ideology that informs, perhaps unknowingly, not only our worldview, but also the way in which we choose to explain and interpret our experiences (165). In current Western society, a cosmic geography that is firmly based upon physical properties and scientific explanation has led to explanations of events and experiences that are solely founded upon the physical nature of the world. For example, for most of the British populace, bacteria or germs infecting the immune system cause illness. However, for many in South Africa with a more ‘spiritual’ cosmic geography, illness is often seen as a result of offending ancestors[1].

Walton describes the cosmic geography for those in the ancient Near East as being more concerned with function that structure (Walton 167). This led to an understanding that the, “physical aspects of the cosmos did not define its existence or importance “ but rather that they were tools the gods used to mete out their purpose (167). Most of the ancient Near East cultures believed that the cosmos was made of tiers with the earth being sandwiched between the sky and the netherworld (166). Differing aspects of the world were linked to either the action of the gods (such as conflict between gods and demons causing the sun to disappear at night) or served a purpose to the gods (for instance, mountains holding up the heavens where the gods dwelt) (171-172).  What is more, natural phenomena were considered direct manifestations of the divine. This differs somewhat from Israel’s understanding where they are simply instruments of Yahweh’s purposes (175).

Old Testament and Thematic Relevance

In considering the relevance of understanding the cosmic geography of the ancient Near East, particularly that of the Egyptian and Israelite cultures, one could cite the example of the latter’s exodus from the former. Based on the surmising of Walton one could argue that the liberation of the Israelites from the oppression of the Egyptians was perhaps perceived by both as a conflict between deities that resulted in primarily spiritual liberation rather than only political and social liberation. In fact, it could be said that these were benefits of liberation for the Israelites and not the purpose. This would add interesting considerations for the study of Liberation Theology that often has at its crux the political and social liberation of the oppressed and has, many might argue, left spiritual liberation by the wayside or, at the very least, downplayed its importance[2].

The holistic cosmic geography held by the Egyptians in the ancient Near East meant that any physical phenomena or change was directly linked to the divine. According to Walton, Egyptian art was explicit in portraying, “the divine powers behind the natural phenomena” and were, compared to the Mesopotamians, Canaanites and Hittites, the most obvious in portraying their gods as, “standing in for the physical elements of the cosmos.”(167-168) The ancient Israel nation had a cosmic geography that was, in structure, similar to that of the rest of their contemporaries. However:

“the biblical writers seem to give their own interpretation to many of these concepts. Heaven and primeval ocean [and the range of cosmic geography] are no longer divine powers, but only the creation of YHWH. YHWH is the one that upholds the pillars of the earth, he alone created the heaven and the stars and can decide who goes to the underworld and leaves it.” (Cornelius, qtd in Walton, 175).

Thus there is basis for describing both nations as interpreting their physical surroundings through a spiritual lens. The Egyptians directly see their deities in the physical matter of the cosmos; the Israelites see their Deity as controlling the physical matters of the cosmos.

This is important to note when one considers the events that occurred prior to the Exodus. Could it be that the Egyptians and Israelites saw the plagues as a cosmic battle between deities? Could it be that Yahweh empowered the Israelites with the belief in His mighty reality and that it was this that liberated the people? Have we perhaps seen the liberation of the Israelites as a man, albeit sent by Yahweh, standing up for political and social freedom when it could be that Yahweh was proclaiming His superiority over the Egyptian’s deities and inviting the Israelites into religious freedom? Would this then help us formulate a more whole and balanced view of liberation?

These are some of the questions raised by an understanding of the cosmic geography of the ancient Near East and its bearing on liberation. Delving a little deeper into the biblical narrative of the plagues may highlight this further...

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[1] This is highlighted in the anthropological works of Adam Ashforth including but not limited to  Madumo: A Man Bewitched, Chicago Press, Chicago, 2005.

 

[2] For example, in  A Theology Of Liberation: History, Politics and Salvation, (Orbis Books, New York, 1973) Gutierrez declares that mankind is saved even if, “he is not clearly aware” of opening up himself to God (152) .

 

Question

Could it be that the liberation of the Israelites from the oppression of the Egyptians was primarily a spiritual liberation, with release from political and social oppression as by-products of this?

Hmmm.....