DOCSLIB.ORG

How the Psalter's References to Life After Death Cohere

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
How the Psalter's References to Life After Death Cohere Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Concordia Seminary Scholarship 4-14-2020 Life with Yahweh After Death: How the Psalter’s References to Life After Death Cohere Bill Tackmier Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/phd Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Tackmier, Bill, "Life with Yahweh After Death: How the Psalter’s References to Life After Death Cohere" (2020). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. 84. https://scholar.csl.edu/phd/84 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LIFE WITH YAHWEH AFTER DEATH: HOW THE PSALTER’S REFERENCES TO LIFE AFTER DEATH COHERE A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Department of Exegetical Theology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Bill J. Tackmier April 14, 2020 Approved by: Dr. Timothy Saleska Dissertation Advisor Dr. David Adams Reader Dr. John Brug Reader © 2020 by Bill J. Tackmier. All rights reserved. ii CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................... vii ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER TWO ......................................................................................................................... 13 THE CULT OF THE DEAD AMONG ISRAEL’S NEIGHBORS .................................... 13 THE CULT OF THE DEAD IN MESOPOTAMIA ........................................................... 13 THE CULT OF THE DEAD IN EGYPT ........................................................................... 18 THE CULT OF THE DEAD IN THE LEVANT ............................................................... 27 Evidence from Ugarit ................................................................................................ 27 Later Evidence from the Levant ................................................................................ 32 The Katumuwa Stele.................................................................................................. 36 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................ 42 CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 44 BIBLICAL OPPOSITION TO THE CULT OF THE DEAD ............................................ 44 LEGAL PROHIBITIONS .................................................................................................. 45 BIBLICAL NARRATIVES THAT DISPARAGE THE CULT OF THE DEAD ............. 52 PROPHETIC CONDEMNATION ..................................................................................... 58 ISRAEL’S UNDERSTATED REFERENCES TO POST-MORTEM EXISTENCE ........ 68 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................ 75 iii CHAPTER FOUR ........................................................................................................................ 78 A RELATIONSHIP WITH YAHWEH THAT REACHES BEYOND THIS LIFE .......... 78 PSALM 16 .......................................................................................................................... 78 STANZA 1 .......................................................................................................................... 80 STANZA 2 .......................................................................................................................... 96 STANZA 3 ........................................................................................................................ 103 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 118 CHAPTER FIVE ....................................................................................................................... 121 DEATH: A GULF THAT ONLY YAHWEH CAN BRIDGE......................................... 121 PSALM 49 ........................................................................................................................ 121 HEADING AND INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 124 STANZA 1: NO ONE CAN BUY HIS WAY OUT OF DEATH (VV. 6–12) ................ 129 REFRAIN (VV. 13 AND 21) ........................................................................................... 136 STANZA 2: BUT GOD WILL BUY ME FREE FROM SHEOL (VV. 14–20) .............. 138 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 155 CHAPTER SIX .......................................................................................................................... 157 YAHWEH, MY PORTION FOREVER ........................................................................... 157 PSALM 73 ........................................................................................................................ 157 STANZA 1: THE DILEMMA (VV. 1–12) ...................................................................... 162 STANZA 2: ATTEMPTS BY THE PSALMIST TO RESOLVE THE DILEMMA (VV. 13–17) ............................................................................................................................... 168 STANZA 3: GOD’S SOLUTION TO THE DILEMMA (VV. 18–28) ............................ 173 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 192 CHAPTER SEVEN ................................................................................................................... 195 iv THE SILENCE OF THE DEAD ...................................................................................... 195 PSALM 6:6 ....................................................................................................................... 196 PSALM 30:10 ................................................................................................................... 199 PSALM 88:11–13 ............................................................................................................. 201 PSALM 115:17 ................................................................................................................. 212 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 216 CHAPTER EIGHT .................................................................................................................... 218 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 218 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................... 228 VITA .......................................................................................................................................... 236 v ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Hieroglyph for ka. ........................................................................................................ 20 Figure 2. Sarcophagus of Ahiram, King of Byblos. .................................................................... 33 Figure 3: Close-up of King Ahiram’s Sarcophagus. .................................................................... 34 Figure 4. Large Statue of Hadad with the Panamuwa Inscription. .............................................. 35 Figure 5. The Katumuwa Stele. ................................................................................................... 37 Figure 6: Babylonian Cylinder Seal from the Ur III Period. ..................................................... 179 Figure 7: Hittite Cliff Relief (13th century BC). ........................................................................ 180 Figure 8: Funeral Papyrus from Deir el-Bahari. ........................................................................ 180 vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Timothy Saleska and my reader Dr. John Brug for all of their helpful input into this dissertation and for their valuable feedback that helped me in revising it. I would also like to thank Dr. Paul Raabe who pointed me to several valuable sources that have figured prominently in the dissertation. I would like to thank those who helped me locate physical and electronic copies of the sources used in my research—Librarian John
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Arsu and ‘Azizu a Study of the West Semitic "Dioscuri" and the Cods of Dawn and Dusk by Finn Ove Hvidberg-Hansen
    ’Arsu and ‘Azizu A Study of the West Semitic "Dioscuri" and the Cods of Dawn and Dusk By Finn Ove Hvidberg-Hansen Historiske-filosofiske Meddelelser 97 Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters DET KONGELIGE DANSKE VIDENSKABERNES SELSKAB udgiver følgende publikationsrækker: THE ROYAL DANISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND LETTERS issues the following series of publications: Authorized Abbreviations Historisk-filosofiske Meddelelser, 8° Hist.Fil.Medd.Dan.Vid.Selsk. (printed area 1 75 x 104 mm, 2700 units) Historisk-filosofiske Skrifter, 4° Hist.Filos.Skr.Dan.Vid.Selsk. (History, Philosophy, Philology, (printed area 2 columns, Archaeology, Art History) each 199 x 77 mm, 2100 units) Matematisk-fysiske Meddelelser, 8° Mat.Fys.Medd.Dan.Vid.Selsk. (Mathematics, Physics, (printed area 180 x 126 mm, 3360 units) Chemistry, Astronomy, Geology) Biologiske Skrifter, 4° Biol.Skr. Dan. Vid.Selsk. (Botany, Zoology, Palaeontology, (printed area 2 columns, General Biology) each 199 x 77 mm, 2100 units) Oversigt, Annual Report, 8° Overs. Dan.Vid.Selsk. General guidelines The Academy invites original papers that contribute significantly to research carried on in Denmark. Foreign contributions are accepted from temporary residents in Den­ mark, participants in a joint project involving Danish researchers, or those in discussion with Danish contributors. Instructions to authors Manuscripts from contributors who are not members of the Academy will be refereed by two members of the Academy. Authors of papers accepted for publication will re­ ceive galley proofs and page proofs; these should be returned promptly to the editor. Corrections other than of printer's errors will be charged to the author(s) insofar as the costs exceed 15% of the cost of typesetting.
    [Show full text]
  • Restructuring Psalm 47
    RESTRUCTURING PSALM 47 DAVID J. ZUCKER PSALM 47 1 For the leader. Of the Korahites. A psalm. 2 All you peoples, clap your hands, raise a joyous shout for God 3 For the Lord Most High is awesome, great king over all the earth; 4 He subjects peoples to us, sets nations at our feet. 5 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom He loved. Selah . 6 God ascends, midst acclamation; The Lord, to the blasts of the horn. 7 Sing, O sing to God; sing, O sing to our king. 8 For God is king over all the earth; sing a hymn [maskil]. 9 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. 10 The great of the peoples are gathered together, the retinue of Abraham's God; for the guardians of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. In the Book of Psalms, only Psalms 47, 49 and 85 bear the identical four- word Hebrew superscription: La-menatzeah li-v'nai Korah Mizmor [For the leader. Of the Korahites. A psalm]. This study offers a schema and an explana- tion for the restructuring of Psalm 47. When restructured, this psalm's mes- sages are more obvious, emphatic, and make greater sense. The reformula- tion follows a pattern similar to one suggested earlier for Psalm 49, which ar- David J. Zucker, PhD, is Rabbi/Chaplain at Shalom Park, Aurora, Colorado, a continuum of care/retirement center. He is the author of Israel's Prophets: An Introduction for Christians and Jews (Paulist, 1994), and American Rabbis: Facts and Fiction (Jason Aronson, 1998), His latest book is The Torah: An Introduction for Christians and Jews (Paulist, 2005).
    [Show full text]
  • Shadows of Being
    Shadows of Being Shadows of Being Four Philosophical Essays By Marko Uršič Shadows of Being: Four Philosophical Essays By Marko Uršič This book first published 2018 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2018 by Marko Uršič All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-5275-1593-1 ISBN (13): 978-1-5275-1593-2 To my dear parents Mila and Stanko who gave me life Just being alive! —miraculous to be in cherry blossom shadows! Kobayashi Issa 斯う活て 居るも不思議ぞ 花の陰 一茶 Kō ikite iru mo fushigi zo hana no kage TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures............................................................................................. ix Acknowledgements .................................................................................... xi Chapter One ................................................................................................. 1 Shadows of Ideas 1.1 Metaphysical essence of shadow, Platonism.................................... 2 1.2 The Sun and shadows in Ancient Egypt .......................................... 6 1.3 From Homeric to Orphic shadows ................................................. 15 Chapter Two .............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • God Among the Gods: an Analysis of the Function of Yahweh in the Divine Council of Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82
    LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND GRADUATE SCHOOL GOD AMONG THE GODS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FUNCTION OF YAHWEH IN THE DIVINE COUNCIL OF DEUTERONOMY 32 AND PSALM 82 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF RELIGION IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES BY DANIEL PORTER LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA MAY 2010 The views expressed in this thesis do not necessarily represent the views of the institution and/or of the thesis readers. Copyright © 2010 by Daniel Porter All Rights Reserved. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my wife, Mariel And My Parents, The Rev. Fred A. Porter and Drenda Porter Special thanks to Dr. Ed Hindson and Dr. Al Fuhr for their direction and advice through the course of this project. iii ABSTRACT The importance of the Ugaritic texts discovered in 1929 to ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Studies is one of constant debate. The Ugaritic texts offer a window into the cosmology that shaped the ancient Near East and Semitic religions. One of the profound concepts is the idea of a divine council and its function in maintaining order in the cosmos. Over this council sits a high god identified as El in the Ugaritic texts whose divine function is to maintain order in the divine realm as well on earth. Due to Ugarit‟s involvement in the ancient world and the text‟s representation of Canaanite cosmology, scholars have argued that the Ugaritic pantheon is evidenced in the Hebrew Bible where Yahweh appears in conjunction with other divine beings. Drawing on imagery from both the Ugaritic and Hebrew texts, scholars argue that Yahweh was not originally the high god of Israel, and the idea of “Yahweh alone” was a progression throughout the biblical record.
    [Show full text]
  • Melodie Moench Charles, “Book of Mormon Christology”
    Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011 Volume 7 Number 2 Article 5 1995 Melodie Moench Charles, “Book of Mormon Christology” Martin S. Tanner Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Tanner, Martin S. (1995) "Melodie Moench Charles, “Book of Mormon Christology”," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011: Vol. 7 : No. 2 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/msr/vol7/iss2/5 This Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011 by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Title Author(s) Martin S. Tanner Reference Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 7/2 (1995): 6–37. ISSN 1050-7930 (print), 2168-3719 (online) Abstract Review of “Book of Mormon Christology” (1993), by Melodie Moench Charles. Melodie Moench Charles. "Book of Mormon C hris­ tology." In New Approaches to the Book of Mormon, ed. Brent Lee Metcalfe, 81-114. Salt Lake City: Sig. nature Books, 1993. xiv + 446 pp. $26.95. Reviewed by Martin S. Tanner Book of Mormon Chri stology is not a new subject, but it is an important one. Melodie Moench Charles begin s her essay on the topic with a personal anecdote. She relates how when teaching an adult Sunday School class (presumably Gospel Doctrine) she dis­ cussed Mos iah 15:1 -4, which she quotes as fo llows: God himself shall come down among the children of men being the Father and the Son- The Father, because he was conce ived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the nesh; th us becoming the Father and the Son-And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.
    [Show full text]
  • Psalms Psalm
    Cultivate - PSALMS PSALM 126: We now come to the seventh of the "Songs of Ascent," a lovely group of Psalms that God's people would sing and pray together as they journeyed up to Jerusalem. Here in this Psalm they are praying for the day when the Lord would "restore the fortunes" of God's people (vs.1,4). 126 is a prayer for spiritual revival and reawakening. The first half is all happiness and joy, remembering how God answered this prayer once. But now that's just a memory... like a dream. They need to be renewed again. So they call out to God once more: transform, restore, deliver us again. Don't you think this is a prayer that God's people could stand to sing and pray today? Pray it this week. We'll pray it together on Sunday. God is here inviting such prayer; he's even putting the very words in our mouths. PSALM 127: This is now the eighth of the "Songs of Ascent," which God's people would sing on their procession up to the temple. We've seen that Zion / Jerusalem / The House of the Lord are all common themes in these Psalms. But the "house" that Psalm 127 refers to (in v.1) is that of a dwelling for a family. 127 speaks plainly and clearly to our anxiety-ridden thirst for success. How can anything be strong or successful or sufficient or secure... if it does not come from the Lord? Without the blessing of the Lord, our lives will come to nothing.
    [Show full text]
  • JOSHUA L. MOSS Source: Melilah: Atheism, Scepticism and Challenges to Mono
    EDITOR Daniel R. Langton ASSISTANT EDITOR Simon Mayers Title: Satire, Monotheism and Scepticism Author(s): JOSHUA L. MOSS Source: Melilah: Atheism, Scepticism and Challenges to Monotheism, Vol. 12 (2015), pp. 14-21 Published by: University of Manchester and Gorgias Press URL: http://www.melilahjournal.org/p/2015.html ISBN: 978-1-4632-0622-2 ISSN: 1759-1953 A publication of the Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Manchester, United Kingdom. Co-published by SATIRE, MONOTHEISM AND SCEPTICISM Joshua L. Moss* ABSTRACT: The habits of mind which gave Israel’s ancestors cause to doubt the existence of the pagan deities sometimes lead their descendants to doubt the existence of any personal God, however conceived. Monotheism was and is a powerful form of Scepticism. The Hebrew Bible contains notable satires of Paganism, such as Psalm 115 and Isaiah 44 with their biting mockery of idols. Elijah challenged the worshippers of Ba’al to a demonstration of divine power, using satire. The reader knows that nothing will happen in response to the cries of Baal’s worshippers, and laughs. Yet, the worshippers of Israel’s God must also be aware that their own cries for help often go unanswered. The insight that caused Abraham to smash the idols in his father’s shop also shakes the altar erected by Elijah. Doubt, once unleashed, is not easily contained. Scepticism is a natural part of the Jewish experience. In the middle ages Jews were non-believers and dissenters as far as the dominant religions were concerned. With the advent of modernity, those sceptical habits of mind could be applied to religion generally, including Judaism.
    [Show full text]
  • Oracular Cursing in Hosea 13
    ORACULAR CURSING IN HOSEA 13 by PAUL N. FRANKLYN 1709 Welcome Lane, Nashville, TN 37216 Each student of the prophet Hosea is impressed by the profound focus that the cult assumes in the rhetoric of the book. Notable excep­ tions are Utzschneider ( 1980) and Hentschke ( 1957) who examine traditio­ historical evidence to argue that Hosea's true foil is the monarchy. The cult, however, is institutionalized according to past scholarship through the speeches of Hosea in three ways: (I) with connections to the fertility cult; (2) with links to the juridical practices acculturated from secular courts; and (3) as a levitical prophet who is trained to search out and destroy cultic apostasy. The speech forms that hypothetically fit the first two settings-dramas or myths of the fertility cult, and oracles of judgment for the city gate-have been well described. The third explana­ tion, which has gained the most recent adherents, is relatively unsub­ stantiated with unique or specific speech forms. After a review of past explanations for Hosea's cultic emphasis, this article proposes a new speech form, the "curse oracle," for the levitical prophet opposed to cultic apostasy. A full argument for the curse oracle in Hosea, including a complete textual, form-critical, and traditio­ historical analysis of Hosea 13, can be found in the author's dissertation (Franklyn, 1986). Connection with the Fertility Cult Hosea is obviously familiar with the cultic practices assigned to the Baca! deities. We are reminded of the influential essay by H. G. May (1932, pp. 76-98), which comes from a period when the religion of Mesopotamia was far too easily paralleled with that of Canaan.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Massoretic Text
    Butler University Digital Commons @ Butler University Graduate Thesis Collection Graduate Scholarship 1935 An Investigation of the Triliteral Root [Baal] in the Massoretic Text Herbert C. Albrecht Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/grtheses Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Albrecht, Herbert C., "An Investigation of the Triliteral Root [Baal] in the Massoretic Text" (1935). Graduate Thesis Collection. 243. https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/grtheses/243 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Scholarship at Digital Commons @ Butler University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Thesis Collection by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Butler University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. J.Jl I NVESTIGAT I ON OF THE 1'RILITERAL ROOT t )J;J. IN THE MASSORETIC TEXT by Herbert C. Albrecht A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts College of Religion Division of Graduate Instruction Butler Uni·versity Indianapolis 1935 I I ,8t...1. r, !}I./,;}-; '-'• 'do PREFACE r:D <Il I~ oertain important words used in t h e Massoretic Text were studied individually, the several instances of their occurrenoe oompa r ed with each other and each form interpreted in the light of its own setting, Bnd in the light of other similar instances of its usage, t her e can be little dcubt that many useful suggestions would re~ult . All these sugge stions would tend toward a more acourate reproduotion of the original Hebrew in t he English trans­ lation of t he Bible.
    [Show full text]
  • Yahweh Among the Baals: Israel and the Storm Gods
    Chapter 9 Yahweh among the Baals: Israel and the Storm Gods Daniel E. Fleming What would Baal do without Mark Stratton Smith to preserve and respect his memory in a monotheistic world determined to exclude and excoriate him? The very name evokes idolatry, and an alternative to the true God aptly called pagan. Yet Baal is “The Lord,” a perfectly serviceable monotheistic title when rendered by the Hebrew ʾādôn or the Greek kurios. Biblical writers managed to let Yahweh and El “converge” into one, with Elohim (God) the common ex- pression, but Baal could not join the convergence, even if Psalm 29 could have Yahweh thunder as storm god. Mark has had much to say about the religion of Israel and its world, and we need not assume Baal to be his favorite, but per- haps Mark’s deep familiarity with Baal suits an analysis of Israel that embraces what the Bible treats as taboo. For this occasion, it is a privilege to contribute a reflection on God’s “early history” in his footsteps, to honor his work, in ap- preciation of our friendship. In the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, a text so familiar to Mark that visitors may per- haps need his letter of reference for entry, Baal is the special title of Hadad, the young warrior god of rain and tempest (Smith 1994; Smith and Pitard 2009). Although El could converge with Yahweh and Baal could never name him, gen- erations of scholars have identified Yahweh first of all with the storm (van der Toorn 1999; Müller 2008). Yahweh and Haddu, or Hadad, were never one, but where Yahweh could be understood to originate in the lands south of Israel, as in Seir and Edom of Judges 5:4–5, he could be a storm god nonetheless: (4) Yahweh, when you went out from Seir, when you walked from the open country of Edom, the earth quivered, as the heavens dripped, as the clouds dripped water.
    [Show full text]
  • Psalms the Human Condition Life in the Ancient World Was Nasty, Brutish
    Psalms The Human Condition Life in the ancient world was nasty, brutish, and short, and ancient Israel was no exception. The Psalms, more than any other book in the Bible, provide a window to the experiences of ordinary people. Out of the Depths Many of the psalms of complaint are cries of despair: “out of the depths I cry to you O Lord” (Psalm 130:1). Life is lived in the shadow of death, and of the netherworld Sheol: For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the Pit . like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep. (Psalm 88:3,5b-6) Human life was not entirely extinguished at death, but afterlife in Sheol was nothing to look forward to. Sheol is imagined as a dark damp basement, a pit from which there is no escape. There is no enjoyment in Sheol. The dead cannot even praise the Lord (Psalm 115:17). Indeed, in Sheol there is not even remembrance of God (Psalm 6:5). Consequently, life is lived in fear of going down into Sheol: The waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire where there is no foothold . Do not let the flood sweep over me or the deep swallow me up or the Pit close its mouth over me (Psalm 69:1-2, 15). A Temporary Reprieve When the Psalmist prays to be delivered from Sheol, the request is for a temporary reprieve or for a postponed sentence.
    [Show full text]
  • Hinduism in Time and Space
    Introduction: Hinduism in Time and Space Preview as a phenomenon of human culture, hinduism occupies a particular place in time and space. To begin our study of this phenomenon, it is essential to situate it temporally and spatially. We begin by considering how the concept of hinduism arose in the modern era as a way to designate a purportedly coherent system of beliefs and practices. since this initial construction has proven inadequate to the realities of the hindu religious terrain, we adopt “the hindu traditions” as a more satisfactory alternative to "hinduism." The phrase “hindu traditions” calls attention to the great diversity of practices and beliefs that can be described as “hindu.” Those traditions are deeply rooted in history and have flourished almost exclusively on the indian subcontinent within a rich cultural and religious matrix. As strange as it may seem, most Hindus do The Temporal Context not think of themselves as practicing a reli- gion called Hinduism. Only within the last Through most of the millennia of its history, two centuries has it even been possible for the religion we know today as Hinduism has them to think in this way. And although that not been called by that name. The word Hin- possibility now exists, many Hindus—if they duism (or Hindooism, as it was first spelled) even think of themselves as Hindus—do not did not exist until the late eighteenth or early regard “Hinduism” as their “religion.” This irony nineteenth century, when it began to appear relates directly to the history of the concept of sporadically in the discourse of the British Hinduism.
    [Show full text]