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1. OT The OT contains only a few late references to the kingdom of God. The terms used—Heb. mĕlûkâ, malkût, mamlākâ; Aram. malkû, šolṭān, all meaning “kingdom,” “kingly rule,” or “empire”—show that what is meant is God’s royal rule or dominion. None of these well-attested terms, however, is primarily theological. For the most part, they refer to earthly kingdoms and empires, whether Israelite, Babylonian, or Persian. There is certainly unanimity that ¶ God gives and takes away earthly dominion (see 2 Sam. 16:8; 1 Chr. 10:14, etc.), but this conviction did not at firs…

1. In Philosophy 1.1. Basic Problem Insofar as thinking is part of faith, a critical and questioning element is involved in faith as well as an interpretive element. This form of criticism of religion is immanent or intrinsic, involving distinction between inalienable contents and those that are less central. We find examples in Wisdom literature, for example, Job and Ecclesiastes in Judaism or the Upanishads in Hinduism, then in the Enlightenment, with its interest in the philosophy of religion (e.g., G. Berkeley, G. E. Lessing, I. Kant), then in the modern philosophy of religion. Exter…