The Anti-Religious Testimony of the Bible as Self-critique

The Anti-Religious Testimony of the Bible compares the work of Jan Assmann with the writings of Dutch theologian Kornelis Heiko Miskotte. Both scholars acknowledge that biblical texts undeniably make judgements, distinctions, and divisions. Assmann considers the intolerant aspect of the Bible ‘semantic dynamite’ that causes religious violence, whereas Miskotte views the Bible’s critical stance as ‘self-critique’. Mirjam Elbers shows how Miskotte’s self-critical approach could further the Monotheism Debate that Assmann initiated in the 1990s and that is still ongoing. Additionally, this monograph dives into the Hebrew Bible to show how critique and judgement function in selected stories from the Torah and the Prophets. This exegetical research attempts to answer the question of who is actually being criticized. Finally, the book offers a theological outline of what it would mean for Christian theology if the biblical judgements are first and foremost self-critical.