The Idea of Testing in Jewish and Christian Interpretations of Election in the Hebrew Bible

Description

The concept of election in the Hebrew Bible can be elucidated by considering election as a test for both the chosen and the unchosen. Drawing upon the work of Jon Levenson, Joel Lohr describes this idea of testing as a specific Jewish emphasis. However, a similar notion is also articulated by Henk de Jong, a Dutch biblical scholar who writes explicitly from a Christian perspective. De Jong gives significant attention to election in the Old Testament in the context of his hourglass model, which serves to illuminate the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. He frequently discusses the test that election is for both chosen and unchosen. This paper aims to compare Levenson’s and De Jong’s analysis of the idea of testing in the context of election. The central question is to what extent Jewish and Christian interpretations confirm, complement, or contradict each other on this point.

Period	22 Nov 2025
Event title	SBL Annual Meeting 2025
Event type	Conference
Location	Boston, MA, United StatesShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International