Review
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Author: Benjamin D. Sommer
Title: Revelation and Authority: Sinai in Jewish Scripture and Tradition
Publisher: Yale University Press
Genre: Religion/Philosophy
Year: 2015
Pages: 419
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-0-300-15873-1
Price: $50.00
Reviewed by Greg Seppi for the Association for Mormon Letters
This book requires consideration from its reader—not the normal suspension of disbelief that accompanies a work of fiction (which this is not, in any way)—but instead the type of patience that one extends to a valued friend visiting for the weekend. The author, Benjamin D. Sommer, is a Professor of Bible in the Department of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages at The Jewish Theological Seminary. The theme of the text is the relationship between the Bible and contemporary Judaism. Sommer argues that the gap between what is believed by critical theologians/historians and traditional faith leaders is not irreconcilable (p. 10; all page numbers refer to the text under review unless otherwise noted). He proposes a “constructive” Judaic theology based on an appreciation for Jewish tradition and rabbinical works alongside the Bible, mediated and applied to present-day problems in light of what we now know about the process by which the Bible was created. For Sommer, this reconciliation would enable historians and other scholars of the Hebrew Bible to believe in the value of the teachings that have been transmitted to them over centuries while allowing sufficient space for new historical and archaeological discoveries to be incorporated into Jewish theology.
The heart of Sommer’s argument can be reduced to two main points, which he supports through consistent reference to various works of biblical scholars and theologians. First, he argues that no rational individual can believe the Bible *prima facie* to communicate directly the words God spoke to Moses; he demonstrates the difficulties enshrined in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) by the redactors or schools of redactors whose work produced the Bible (p. 72-75). Some knowledge of recent biblical scholarship is necessary to understand Sommer’s arguments and references to E, D, P and J (if these letters mean nothing to you, consider starting with a more basic text on the history of the Bible—something like Simon Schama’s “The Story of the Jews,” published in 2013 by Ecco).
Sommer’s point is that the Bible itself does not prove that God spoke vocally in words that were heard and understood by the crowds at Sinai (see Exodus 19 and 24, for example); instead, he argues that the redactors themselves shaped the Pentateuch as part of an ongoing response to God—whether as an echo of the voice of God from the past or as the ongoing, active influence of the Divine on the scribes, translators and rabbis who transmitted the Old Testament from generation to generation. This leads to his second main point, that questions regarding the specific historicity of the Bible entirely miss the point of the Bible, which is the product of oral tradition and is often taught orally to this day (p. 174-175). Instead of discarding generations of rabbinical sayings attached to Hebrew scripture, one might instead see the rabbinical tradition as the vital element that gives the Bible meaning. “In the realm of practice, Written Torah might be compared to a constitutional monarch: hers are the honor and ceremony,” Sommer writes. “But we all know that the Oral Torah, as the prime minister, holds the power” (p. 176).
The book is written for several audiences. First are those who are studying to become rabbis or who already are, and who are struggling to reconcile serious doubts regarding the historicity, validity, and sanctity of the Bible. Next, it specifically invites interfaith dialogue; in the first sentence of the Preface, Sommer remarks that this text is addressed to “biblical scholars, specialists in modern Jewish and Christian thought, theologians, clergy, religious educators, and—not least—lay readers who wonder about the place of the Bible in their live and in the life of their communities.” (p. i). As a professor experienced in training rabbis, Sommer uses a gentle, rational approach to the “Old” Testament.
While Sommer himself is quite forgiving of the term “Old Testament,” given the respect that he feels the term gives to what many scholars call the “Hebrew Bible,” his text is written from a purposefully Jewish perspective, giving the text a “local” perspective that nonetheless confronts difficult questions faced by those who are seeking to understand the faith traditions they were raised in or adopted at some point in their lives (p. 13). Sommer draws on sources from the early post-Christian years to the Middle Ages, from 16th century Rabbinic works to 20th century Christian theologians such as Paul Tillich, and Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, is also quoted twice in the text. This panoply of sources gives the book an intrinsic strength because it allows Sommer to approach the central question of the text from the strongest angles offered by each thinker he draws on. I was reminded of Michel Foucault’s comment, now a cliché, that knowledge is not for knowing, but for cutting (Foucault, M. (1984). “Nietzsche, Genealogy, History. The Foucault Reader.” New York: Pantheon Books, p. 88). While it is possible to understand this quote as giving leave to philosophy to violate the boundaries of the sacred and to exchange traditional ways of knowing for the instability of the poststructuralist critique of truth, it is also possible to displace or replace older and less effective ways of knowing with better approaches to knowledge.
Interestingly, many of Sommer’s conclusions regarding the relationship between Oral Torah (that is, teachings developed in the face of need) and Written Torah (the Bible) are quite comparable to LDS beliefs regarding the necessity for continued revelation. For example, he asks “Does revelation take place in Jewish tradition after Sinai, or are all post-Sinaitic laws and teachings based on interpretations of what God finished communicating at Sinai? Is there such a thing as postbiblical inspiration or guidance that manifests itself in works of tradition?” (p. 188). In answering this question, to greatly simplify his position, Sommer concludes that “(t)he covenant formed at Sinai is correlational, but it is not a contract between equals” (p. 248). The implication is that while the Bible may not provide all of the answers to the questions God’s people face, it must still be respected, studied and understood as the fulcrum of millennia of sacred tradition. Yet its redactors and scribes have been human, fallible, and even at odds with each other over the length of time that events occurred at Sinai, or who was with Moses when God appeared to him, or what additions can be made to the Bible. As such, we (and I say we because I feel a kinship with Sommer on this point) must simply do our best to “nurture, protect, and create Torah with as much honesty as possible, to live that Torah, to teach it, and to pass it on” (p. 250).
Jew or Gentile, saint or sinner, the nature of our relationship to God is one that must be explored and maintained throughout our lives. While scripture cannot provide a fixed point that we can rely on, it is evidence of God’s active role in our lives. While I will respectfully decline the priority that Sommer places on Jewish tradition in favor of the Mormon beliefs I have inherited, discovered and invented, I continue to hope that my God—our God—is leading me where I need to go.
I would strongly recommend this text to LDS teachers who are struggling with reconciling the role of traditional LDS teachings with the difficulties inherent in trying to make sense of received tradition. It is very LDS-friendly in its approach and respect for the Bible, and Sommer purposefully makes room for multiple voices and approaches to the Bible throughout the text. I would also recommend it to scholars interested in an alternative to the faith vs. history/science debate that seems to dominate most conversations on religion. Finally, a general reader interested in Jewish history and theology will likely find this text to be an excellent introduction to biblical criticism and a study of the Jewish faith tradition today. I enjoyed it, and will likely turn to it again for inspiration in the future.