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The Theology of the Chronicler

최종진 1

1서울신학대학교

Candidate

ABSTRACT

That the Chronicler had strong historical and theological motives in writing his work is self-evident. He would not bother to rewrite the history of a period which was already documented to resolve the questions at issue. Several attempts have been made to ascribe the entire book to a single purpose or mood. The Chronicler' aim was to establish his theological purpose on the successive redemptive stream of the redemptive seed from Adam to the seed of the woman which penetrates down in the Old Testament. As you see the historical background of the Chronicler, the exiles had now returned from Babylon and through his work the writer sought to show them the true glory of their nation as theocracy and to show them the rights and importance of the Davidic dynasty and the successive redemptive history through the restored Judaean community. It is because of his purpose that the writer uses his materials in the manner that he does. He could pass over lightly the facts of history, however he rather embellished or interpreted them. For the purpose of his writing, he did by taking hold of the Davidic religious institutions -Jerusalem, the temple, the cultus, the priests, the Levites- through which the people of the Lord could operate as a community once more. The Chronicler sees Jerusalem as the authentic place of worship, the returnees as the legitimate successors of the people of Judah and the cult personnel, and the community established by them as the true Israel. He therefore passes over the history of the northern kingdom practically in silence, and in the life of David he treats principally those events which have to do with the nation's worship on Zion and which are preparatory to the erection of the Temple. For this reason also, in the life of Solomon, he brings onto prominence the formal worship of the theocracy, the Temple singers, the Levites and their functions, and all that had to do with such worship. It certainly is likely that this was done out of any theological interest. These theological interests brought the theology of the Chronicler on the returned Judaean community from Babylon.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.