The Theology of Estrangement and the Theology of Intimacy

This work reexamines the traditional understanding of how and why the Pentateuch and four gospels of Jesus Christ were written. One of the most crucial issues is the various authors' perception of God as either intimately interacting with humans, or judging humans from the heavens based on following commandments given by God or Jesus.

This work explores the tension between the first author of the origins of the people of Israel, the Yahwist, and the priestly elite writer(s) who put the whole Pentateuch together after the Babylonian exile. This work further examines the conflict between Paul and the Christian legalists that Paul describes in the Letter to the Galatians. The gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke are products of this conflict. The gospel of Mark was probably the gospel that Paul preached and then instructed Mark to write when Paul was near death. Matthew was a legalistic reaction to Mark's gospel, adding many teachings based on the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Luke, then was a Pauline reaction to Matthew. The gospel of John was a reaction to the gospel of Thomas, in order to challenge Thomas' assertion that Jesus' essential message was a set of secret teachings, and that there was no resurrection of the dead. This work also explores the profound influence of astrology on ancient religions. The development of the Zodiac and the Seven Heavens redefined the whole universe and the nature of the afterlife.

N. D. Chambers is a retired teacher of ancient history. He lives in Toledo, Ohio.