Reflections on the Silence of God.. A Discussion with Marjo Korpel and Johannes de Moor

This collection presents Bob Becking's sustained engagement with Marjo Korpel and Johannes de Moor's groundbreaking work on divine silence in ancient Near Eastern texts. The volume examines how biblical and extra-biblical sources conceptualize periods when deities appear unresponsive to human communication, contributing significantly to discussions about divine hiddenness and the nature of prophetic experience.

Becking's analysis centers on Korpel and de Moor's thesis that divine silence represents a recurring theological motif across ancient Near Eastern literature, manifesting in various forms from temporary withdrawal to permanent absence. Through meticulous textual analysis, the work explores how ancient texts navigate the tension between belief in divine sovereignty and experiences of divine unresponsiveness. The collection particularly focuses on prophetic literature, where the silence of God emerges as both a theological problem and a literary device.

The methodological approach combines comparative ancient Near Eastern studies with close textual analysis of biblical passages. Becking examines how different textual traditions explain divine silence—whether as punishment for human transgression, a test of faith, or an inherent aspect of divine transcendence. Special attention is given to prophetic texts where God's silence creates crises of authority and legitimacy, forcing prophets to interpret absence as meaningfully as presence.

The work engages critically with traditional approaches to prophecy that assume constant divine communication. By highlighting periods of divine silence, Becking demonstrates how ancient texts themselves problematize simplistic models of prophetic inspiration. The collection shows that biblical authors were sophisticated theologians who wrestled with divine hiddenness long before modern philosophy of religion formalized the problem.

Becking's contribution lies in demonstrating that divine silence functions not merely as absence but as a mode of divine action with its own theological significance. The collection reveals how ancient texts use divine silence to explore themes of judgment, testing, and the limits of human understanding. This textual evidence provides important historical context for contemporary debates about divine hiddenness, showing that perceived divine absence has always required theological interpretation.

The work's significance extends beyond biblical studies to broader questions about religious experience and divine communication. By mapping how ancient communities interpreted divine silence, Becking provides resources for understanding how religious traditions maintain coherence despite experiences of divine absence.