The study of place in Deuteronomy is often centred around issues related to the chosen place. In recent years, scholars in a variety of disciplines have developed an interest in the nature of place and in place’s influence on individuals and society. Their research suggests that within Deuteronomic studies, the traditional conversations about the chosen place do not adequately address the full complexity of Deuteronomy’s place. This study investigates place as conveyed in Deuteronomy using a philosophical and sociological understanding of place. The interdisciplinary approach highlights the multiple factors that contribute to the intricate structure of place. The first half of the study begins with analysing the creation narratives that underscore the importance of Israel’s participation in placemaking and also the use of memory to create the ethical motivator for dwelling together in place. The second half of the study focuses on the law code and the internal placial structure built on a mutual relationship between the chosen place and rest of the land. The analysis reveals that Deuteronomy understands place as something bigger and more intricate than the chosen place. The centralising programme in Deuteronomy challenges a tribal and localised perspective of place and also a politicised and centralised perspective of place that diverts responsibility from the majority of the people. Deuteronomy diminished the importance of an elite class of society, including the king who is not given a significant physical or social place to bolster his authority. Israel possesses the land as caretakers of the gift God has given to all the people, and they dwell in the land with the chosen place at the centre of society and with the rigorous demands to maintain purity throughout the land. Deuteronomy makes all the people liable for one another and for the non-human creation in their care.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:646784 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Parker, Cynthia |
| Contributors | Mcconville, Gordon ; Pitkanen, Pekka |
| Publisher | University of Gloucestershire |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/2259/ |
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