Teología e historia en el Antiguo Testamento

Abstract

Theology and history in the Old Testament are intimately blended. Biblical stories bring us into contact with the world of their recipients, and especially with their vital needs, to which a particular author attempts to provide a solution. This article exemplifi es this communicative reality in Gn 24. It thus shows that the theology of the Old Testament, and particularly that of the Pentateuch, is historical-salvifi c, that is, it tells of Israel's self-awareness of its divine election precisely in the historic feat of its establishment and survival as a people, especially during the crucial time of post-exile. Effectively, history is the stage where God revealed Himself to Israel and Israel so perceived it. However, at the same time, post-exilic Israel's historical project transcends itself, because the Lord has a plan of social and human fulfi llment that surpasses the narrow calculations of those who forged the destiny of the people in that remote age. Thus, the theology embodied in the books of the Bible continues to be valid today, mainly because it portrays that the Lord continues to act in history.