Book Religion? The Role of the Scroll in Deuteronomy

ABSTRACT This essay engages with Kåre Berge’s reflections on book religion in Deuteronomy. It first elaborates upon the concepts of religion and book religion and considers aspects of the literary and rhetorical anatomy of Deuteronomy. Then it argues that the salient point in Deuteronomy is not the text of the Torah as such, but the doing of what that text says. This orientation towards religious practice is squarely similar to adjacent strands of ancient Hebrew religion. Deuteronomy, however, adds certain religious practices, all of which required the use of (oral or written) texts. The essay argues that Deuteronomy had little potential to generate common religious change, but it could be seen as a force towards changes in religious leadership. Finally, the essay considers the concept of book religion—as a classificatory concept and as an analytical perspective.