The Silent God -- contents -- preface -- the silent god in modernity -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 The Silent God in Modern Literature and Media -- 1.2.1 Marie Luise Kaschnitz -- 1.2.2 Jean-Paul Sartre -- 1.2.3 Samuel Beckett -- 1.2.4 Eli Wiesel -- 1.2.5 Ingmar Bergman -- 1.2.6 End o Sh usaku -- 1.2.7 Nathalie Sarraute -- 1.2.8 Cormac McCarthy -- 1.2.9 Patric Tavanti -- 1.3 Some Theologians and Philosophers -- 1.3.1 Silent before the Silent -- 1.3.2 Contemporary Theologians and Philosophers -- 1.3.2.1 Karl Barth -- 1.3.2.2 Kornelis Miskotte -- 1.3.2.3 God Is Dead Movement -- 1.3.2.4 John Paul II and Benedict XVI -- 1.3.2.5 Emmanuel Levinas -- 1.3.2.6 Rachel Muers -- 1.3.2.7 Interim Conclusion -- 1.4 The Silent God in Agnosticism and Atheism -- 1.5 In Defense of a Silent God -- 1.6 Critical Examination of Current Views -- 1.6.1 Modern Literature and Media -- 1.6.2 Contemporary Theologians and Philosophers -- 1.6.2.1 Contemporary Christian Theologians -- 1.6.2.2 Does a Silent God Require Silent Devotion? -- 1.6.2.3 A New Theism? -- 1.6.2.4 Is Atheism the Solution? -- 1.6.2.5 Conclusion -- chapter two prerequisites for a fresh investigation -- 2.1 De ning the Scope of This Study -- 2.2 The Human Nature of Religious Language -- 2.2.1 Metaphor in the Philosophy of Language -- 2.2.2 Metaphor in Religious Language -- 2.2.3 Religious Language: Conclusion -- 2.3 Silence Presupposes Speech -- 2.3.1 Introduction -- 2.3.2 Spaces Marking Rhetorical Silences -- 2.4 The Silent God: The Biblical Roots -- 2.5 The Silent God: The Biblical World -- 2.6 Why This Approach? -- chapter three silence between humans in antiquity -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Reasons for Silence between Humans -- 3.2.1 Silence Because of Offenses -- 3.2.1.1 Silence Because of O enses in the Ancient Near East -- 3.2.1.2 Silence Because of Offenses in the Bible.

3.2.2 Silence Because of Awe or Fear -- 3.2.2.1 Silence Because of Awe or Fear in the Ancient Near East -- 3.2.2.2 Silence Because of Awe or Fear in the Bible -- 3.2.3 Silence Because of Forbearance or Prudence -- 3.2.3.1 Silence Because of Forbearance or Prudence in theAncient Near East -- 3.2.3.2 Silence Because of Forbearance or Prudence in theBible -- 3.2.4 Silence Because of Incapacity -- 3.2.4.1 Silence Because of Incapacity in the Ancient Near East -- 3.2.4.2 Silence Because of Incapacity in the Bible -- 3.2.5 Silence Because of Sleep -- 3.2.5.1 Silence Because of Sleep in the Ancient Near East -- 3.2.5.2 Silence Because of Sleep in the Bible -- 3.3 Conclusions on Silence between Humans -- how did man address the deity? -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Songs and Prayers -- 4.2.1 Songs and Prayers in the Ancient Near East -- 4.2.2 Songs and Prayers in the Bible -- 4.3 Letters to Deities -- 4.3.1 Letters to Deities in the Ancient Near East -- 4.3.2 Letters to God in the Bible -- 4.4 Magic and Sorcery -- 4.4.1 Magic and Sorcery in the Ancient Near East -- 4.4.2 Magic and Sorcery in the Bible -- 4.5 Silence of Man before the Deity -- 4.5.1 Silence Because of O enses -- 4.5.1.1 Silence Because of O enses in the Ancient Near East -- 4.5.1.2 Silence Because of O enses in the Bible -- 4.5.2 Silence Because of Awe or Fear -- 4.5.2.1 Silence Because of Awe or Fear in the Ancient NearEast -- 4.5.2.2 Silence Because of Awe or Fear in the Bible -- 4.5.3 Silence Because of Forbearance or Prudence -- 4.5.3.1 Silence Because of Forbearance or Prudence in theAncient Near East -- 4.5.3.2 Silence Because of Forbearance or Prudence in theBible -- 4.5.4 Silence Because of Incapacity -- 4.5.4.1 Silence Because of Incapacity in the Ancient NearEast -- 4.5.4.2 Silence Because of Incapacity in the Bible -- 4.5.5 Silence Because of Sleep.

4.5.5.1 Silence Because of Sleep in the Ancient Near East -- 4.5.5.2 Silence Because of Sleep in the Bible -- how did the deity address man? -- 5.1 Direct Communication between Deity and Man -- 5.1.1 Direct Communication in the Ancient Near East -- 5.1.2 Direct Communication in the Bible -- 5.2 Communication through Intermediaries -- 5.2.1 Divine Intermediaries -- 5.2.1.1 Lower Divine Intermediaries in the Ancient NearEast -- 5.2.1.2 Lower Divine Intermediaries in the Bible -- 5.2.2 Human Intermediaries -- 5.2.2.1 Prophets and Seers in the Ancient Near East -- 5.2.2.2 Prophets and Seers in the Bible -- 5.2.2.3 Scribes in the Ancient Near East -- 5.2.2.4 Scribes in the Bible -- 5.3 Dreams, Visions, Oracles, Omina -- 5.3.1 Dreams -- 5.3.1.1 Dreams in the Ancient Near East -- 5.3.1.2 Dreams in the Bible -- 5.3.2 Visions -- 5.3.2.1 Visions in the Ancient Near East -- 5.3.2.2 Visions in the Bible -- 5.3.3 Oracles and Omina -- 5.3.3.1 Oracles and Omina in the Ancient Near East -- 5.3.3.2 Oracles and Omina in the Bible -- 5.4 Conclusions on the Deity Addressing Man -- the silent god -- 6.1 The Silence of the Remote God -- 6.1.1 In the Ancient Near East -- 6.1.2 The Silence of the Remote God in the Bible -- 6.2 Broken Communication between God and Man -- 6.2.1 Comprehensible Divine Silence -- 6.2.1.1 Divine Silence Because of O enses -- 6.2.1.1a In the Ancient Near East -- 6.2.1.1b Divine Silence Because of O enses in the Bible -- 6.2.1.2 Divine Silence Because of Awe or Fear -- 6.2.1.2a In the Ancient Near East -- 6.2.1.2b Divine Silence Because of Awe or Fear in the Bible -- 6.2.1.3 Divine Silence Because of Forbearance or Prudence -- 6.2.1.3a In the Ancient Near East -- 6.2.1.3b Divine Silence Because of Forbearance or Prudencein the Bible -- 6.2.1.4 Divine Silence Because of Incapacity -- 6.2.1.4a In the Ancient Near East.

6.2.1.4b Divine Silence Because of Incapacity in the Bible -- 6.2.1.5 Divine Silence Because of Sleep -- 6.2.1.5a In the Ancient Near East -- 6.2.1.5b Divine Silence Because of Sleep in the Bible -- 6.2.2 Incomprehensible Divine Silence -- 6.2.2.1 In the Ancient Near East -- 6.2.2.2 Incomprehensible Divine Silence in the Bible -- 6.3 Conclusions on Divine Silence -- chapter sevenepilogue -- 7.1 Faith Talk -- 7.2 God's Word in Human Guise -- 7.3 Synergy -- 7.4 Is Revelation Still Possible? -- 7.5 Bearing Witness to a Silent God -- 7.6 The Courage to Become a Witness -- 7.7 The Integrity of Witnesses -- 7.8 Theodicy -- 7.9 Believers and Unbelievers -- abbreviations -- bibliography -- index of subjects -- index of texts.