Theological perspectives on the concept of 'Yahweh's people' in Ezra and Nehemiah during the early post-exilic period (539-350 BC) - part II
Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: This article is divided into two major parts; each is published \nseparately. Part I dealt with the conflict between the golah (exile) \ncommunity and the am ha’arets (people of the land) regarding the \nexclusive religious, political and social reforms of Ezra and \nNehemiah. The author argued that the conception of ‘Yahweh’s \npeople’ lay behind the tension between the two above-named \ngroups. Consequently, two theological perspectives emerged in \nEzra and Nehemiah on the concept of ‘Yahweh’s people’ and other \nnations. One is exclusive, the other is inclusive. What follows here \nis Part II. This part demonstrates that the Abrahamic and the \nMosaic covenants provide a framework through which every other \nperson could embrace Yahweh, the God of Israel as his/her God. \nTherefore, Yahweh cannot be confined to a single group of people, \nrace or nation as presupposed by the leaders of the early postexilic \nJewish community in Ezra and Nehemiah.
Author: Emmanuel Ordue Usue
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2154339543