Cultural Trauma and the Song of Moses (Deut 32)

The Song of Moses blames Israel for the idolatry that caused divine wrath and led to the people’s near annihilation by their enemies. This article analyses the Song’s structure and dynamics, its rhetoric of blaming and shaming, and its literary context within the book of Deuteronomy before re-evalua...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Markl, Dominik 1979- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: SA ePublications 2020
In: Old Testament essays
Year: 2020, Volume: 33, Issue: 3, Pages: 674-689
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Moses / Wrath / Censure / Shame / Sociology / Bible. Deuteronomium 32
IxTheo Classification:HB Old Testament
HD Early Judaism
TC Pre-Christian history ; Ancient Near East
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Summary:The Song of Moses blames Israel for the idolatry that caused divine wrath and led to the people’s near annihilation by their enemies. This article analyses the Song’s structure and dynamics, its rhetoric of blaming and shaming, and its literary context within the book of Deuteronomy before re-evaluating the Song’s message through the lens of psychological and sociological trauma theory. Psychological research on the relation between trauma and feelings of guilt and shame helps us to understand the divine message of blaming and shaming as an externalised transformation of self-blame. Through the lens of the sociological concept of cultural trauma, the Song can be seen as an intellectual ‘working through’ of past collective suffering that marks the community’s identity for the future.
ISSN:2312-3621
Contains:Enthalten in: Old Testament essays
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.17159/2312-3621/2020/v33n3a18