Divine Presence and Absence in the Persian Period

The first colloquium of the research group will take place on 12-15 May 2011. The subject of the colloquium is notions of divine presence and absence in the Persian period.

The papers are as follows:

Tempel, Kultbild, Priester – Überlegungen zu den Voraussetzungen für göttliche Präsenz im Alten Orient und zu den Gefahren ihrer Beeinträchtigung (Claus Ambos, Heidelberg University)

Silent Witness: The Symbolic Presence of God in the Temple Vessels in Ezra-Nehemiah (Bob Becking, Utrecht University)

Zur Präsenztheologie des Alltags: Göttliche Gegenwart für jeden und für jede (Angelika Berlejung, Leipzig University)

The Anticipated Rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple as Reflected in the Elohistic Psalter and its Background in Mesopotamian Hymn Tradition (Joel Burnett, Baylor University)

God’s Real Absence and Real Presence in Deuteronomy and Deuteronomism (Stephen Cook, Virginia Theological Seminary)

The Torah of God as God: The Exaltation of the Written Law Code in Ezra-Nehemiah (Lisbeth S. Fried, University of Michigan)

Complicating Presence: Inter-disciplinary Perspectives on a Theological Question (Trevor Hart, St Andrews University)

The Spirit of YHWH: An Overlooked Conceptualization of Divine Presence in the Persian Period (Nathan MacDonald, Göttingen University/ St Andrews University)

Multiple Imaging as Literary Aniconism in the Prophets (Jill Middlemas, Zurich University)

Multiplicity and Monotheism (Ben Sommer, Jewish Theological Seminary)

Waiting for God: Conditions for the Restoration of the Divine Presence in Ezekiel (Bill Tooman, University of St Andrews)