The basic premise of this dissertation is that the land theme is the central theme of the Old Testament and that behind this theme stands entire theology of the land which makes whole biblical text coherent and dynamic. Reading biblical text as theology of the land opens an ability to understand more clearly God's instructions in deliberations on solving existential problems of religious life and to find a way of its moral testimony in religious behavior: political, ethical, ecological, economic and ritual. In the first chapter, after pointing out the need and importance of the land theme, historical development of theology of the land is explained and shown. The basic research and knowledge about Hosea, as shown in the second chapter, confirms that his book made a strong impact on the development of the land theme in other biblical books. For that reason the book of Hosea was considered as a prototype of the prophetic literature, and Hosea, as the initiator of a new theological view on the land theme. Original approach to the land theme and theological messages that are designed by means of Hosea’s metaphorical speech on the land is elaborated in the third chapter of this dissertation. The conclusions after studying the land metaphors, presented in the fourth chapter, reveal that, in the context of overwhelming crisis that occurred in Hosea homeland, Hosea’s metaphorical speech can be understood as a deconstruction of the concept of land present in minds of his hearers and construction of its new meaning. By promoting the truth of faith about life-giving connection between God and the fate of the Israel and their country, through the metaphors about land Hosea develops a new vision, a new structure of insight and new experience of reality of life in/on the land that has lost its former theological, and a real value. In the approach to the text of the Book of Hosea used in this dissertation the achievements of modern exegetical science and knowledge in the field of other biblical sciences, and especially biblical metaforology is well used. Investigation of the concept of the land in the metaphors used by Hosea includes examining tripartite relation man-God-land in the light of religious, political and economic aspects of life in Israel during the activity of the prophet Hosea. This research of Hosea’s metaphors on the land reveals that, because of cross-cultural and trans-temporal power of the metaphor, and existentiality of the land concept, those metaphors still have the power to change the worldviews of contemporary people. Hosea’s metaphors on the land are communicative channel through which a God’s message about the land can get to us. The existential character of the land concept opens up the possibility of transferring its theological meaning and theological values of the land theme from time and circumstances of Hosea at the present time and present historicalpolitical and religious circumstances.

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Teologija zemlje u metaforici proroka Hošee

The theology of the land must start in the Garden of Eden. Eden is a sanctuary, a covenanted land, and a royal garden. Eden is proto-land, and Adam is proto-Israel. Starting in Eden underlines the universal dimension of the land promise and its conditionality. It also elevates ethical behaviour above the gift. The theology of the land in the OT reflects these Edenic themes: holiness, covenant, and kingdom. First, the holiness of the land depends on the presence of God in the land, and on the holiness of its dwellers; there is no permanent holy place in the OT. Secondly, the land is a gift under treaty; the goal of the gift is establishing an ideal covenantal community that witnesses to other nations in other lands. Thirdly, the land is the sphere of God’s reign on earth through his vicegerent. The vicegerent brings justice and peace to the land. God remains the ultimate king in the land. The original promise to Israel is a promise of universal dominion. After the exile, the prophets spoke of a time in which the land would become an ideal place. This ideal land is, effectively, Eden restored. The restoration of the land ultimately points forward to the restoration of the earth. The land in the OT underlines the social dimension to redemption. Yet, importantly, Israel’s faith can survive without the land. The Jesus-event is the starting place for the theology of the land in the NT. Jesus restored Israel and fulfilled the promises of the OT, including the land. He embodied the holy presence of God on earth, kept the covenant on behalf of Israel, and brought the reign of God on earth. He inherited the land, and in him Jews and Gentile are its true heirs. This radical new fulfilment, brought about by the Jesus-event, dramatically changed the meaning of the land and nullified the old promises in their old articulation. The NT points forward to a time of consummation when the whole earth will become an ideal place or a redeemed land. The land has thus been universalized in Christ. Universalization does not mean the ‘spiritualization’ or ‘heavenization’. Instead, the theology of the land of Israel – modified in the Jesus-event – is a paradigm for Christian communities living in other lands. The theology of the land thus underlines the social and territorial dimensions of redemption. It also highlights the goodness of creation, and has many practical implications for the ongoing mission and practice of the Church throughout the world.

From Land to Lands, from Eden to the Renewed Earth: A Christ-Centred Biblical Theology of the Promised Land

Christian philo-Semitism: Sources and Challenges

Theological Challenges: The Australian Catholic Church Response to the Innovations of Pope John Paul II Regarding the State of Israel

One of the principal issues confronting Christians in the dialogue is the significance of the land in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. This article explores the significance of the Land of Israel in the Scriptures as land given, retained and holy – especially to Christians. The history of the significant Christian religious relationship to the land is reviewed and finally a re-imaging of our relationship to the Holy Land in terms of a post-Vatican II expansion of our understanding of Catholic sacramental theology is suggested: that as Christ is the sacrament of encounter with God, so the Holy Land is a sacrament of our encounter with Christ.

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Richard C. Lux

Papers

The Land of Israel (Eretz Yisra’el) in Jewish and Christian Understanding