Lydnadsteologier i judisk reception av Akedan

Sammanfattning

In this thesis, I examine theologies of obedience in the Jewish reception of the narrative of the Akedah in literature from the later second temple era and the classical rabbinic period and discuss the theological-ethical difficulties of Genesis 22:1–19. In my analysis, I translate and comment Genesis 22:1–19, I study the representations of the Akedah in Jewish reception, and I present different theologies of obedience that can be expressed from the Jewish reception of the Akedah and discuss these in relation to the ethical issues of the Akedah and Genesis 22:1–19. My theoretical framework is based on the propositions that a text holds no one true or original meaning but rather has capacities for different meanings, that reception of biblical text is mainly reception of narrative as a cultural trope, and that a biblical text or narrative can be contradictory. There is a variety of representations and interpretations of the Akedah within Jewish reception of the narrative. A recurring theme is Isaac’s consent to be sacrificed by Abraham. Some theologies of obedience can be formulated from these representations of the Akedah: obedience understood as a performative display, as a readiness in following God’s command, as rational rather than blind obedience, in terms of reciprocity, and as an interplay between Abraham and God. Furthermore, I make a distinction between ideology of obedience and theology of obedience within the reception of the Akedah. While the actions of Abraham in the Akedah are celebrated within Jewish reception, the act of sacrificing a child is generally understood as immoral and I identify some implicit criticism of the Akedah within the reception. Even though the Akedah could be understood as an ambivalent narrative, the ethical and theological problem that Abraham either would have sacrificed or actually sacrificed his son is not resolved. Finally, I propose that an ethical reading of the Akedah rejects the obedience of the narrative and demands empathy with the victim of sacrifice.