The Impact and Implications of Textual Corruption on the Doctrinal Development of Absolute Monotheism in the Old Testament

Abstract

Biblical writers weaved its theology and scribes standardized the text. Textual critics now admit that there are copious evidences of literary influences that reflect either the theological interests of the biblical writers or their inadvertent errors in the course of reproducing and transmitting the written traditions. This has been designated “textual corruption”. One of the means of this corruption is biblical redaction. Scholarly attention has not adequately focused on the implications of this phenomenon on doctrinal formulations that invariably shape religious perspectives. This paper discusses textual corruption/redaction of the Hebrew text. Exegetical, hermeneutical, redaction-critical and historical methods were used. The study establishes that textual corruption/theological redaction has implications for doctrinal formulation, such as the doctrinal development of absolute monotheism in the Old Testament. Such doctrinal development breeds religious particularism which often midwives religious intolerance/violence. Thus, religious adherents should promote religious dialogue/harmony by deemphasizing exclusive uniqueness in favour of unity.