Out of the Midst of the Fire: Divine Presence in Deuteronomy

This monograph challenges the widely-held assumption that Deuteronomy so emphasizes God's transcendence that he is excluded from the earthly sphere. It does so by examining a number of possible references to divine Presence in both the historical and legal sections of the book and concludes that the Deity is portrayed as being present not only in heaven but also in battle, on the mountain (Horeb) and at the "chosen place." It thus questions the view popularized by von Rad, that in Deuteronomy it is "not Jahweh himself who is present at the shrine, but only his name."