Is the Old Testament Ethnocentric? Israel’s self-Perception and the Attitude to Stranger

Stari je zavjet pisan iz perspektive izraelskog naroda i u tom se smislu može smatrati etnocentričnim. U njemu je Izrael opisan kao svet i odvojen narod kojega je Bog izabrao da bi mu se objavio. Budući da je objava jedini način da grješni čovjek spozna Boga, Izraelovo je znanje o Bogu jedinstveno i jedino ispravno, pa su slijedom toga bogoštovlja drugih naroda i religija nužno krivovjerja. Istodobno je biblijski tekst prepun zamjerki prema izraelskom narodu, a sadrži niz pohvala strancima i došljacima koji su pokazali vrline kao što su pravednost, istinoljubivost, vjernost, poniznost i milosrđe, te im pridaje važno mjesto u Izraelovoj povijesti. Zbog toga je Stari zavjet, usporede li se etnos i objava, bezuvjetno objavocentričan, a tek uvjetno etnocentričan, što je diskurs kakav se nastavlja i u evanđelju.The Old Testament was written from the perspective of the people of Israel and as such can be considered ethnocentric. Israel was described as holy and separate nation chosen by God to receive revelation. Inasmuch as revelation is the only method by which sinful man can know holy God, Israel’s knowledge of God is unique and the only correct, while other nations’ and religions’ perceptions of the divine are by default erroneous. At the same time, biblical text directs much criticism towards Israel, and contains much praise to foreigners, particularly in issues regarding righteousness, veracity, faithfulness, humility and mercy. Thus, comparing ethnos and revelation we may assert that the Old Testament is much more revelation-centric than ethnocentric. Such discourse also continues and is amplified in the Gospels