Training for total devotion: emotionality and narrativity in Deuteronomy

Abstract

This article analyses ideals of total devotion in the Hebrew Bible, concentrating on the book of Deuteronomy. Understanding total devotion as an intense, emotional, and total relationship between a god and the worshippers, the analysis spotlights Deuteronomy 6-7, investigating emotion expressions used of the relation between the deity and Israel, their narrative embedding, and how narrativity stimulates and sustains emotions. I argue that the ideal of devotion involves a totality of scope, andtaking the broader affective and narrative economy into accountsignificant emotional intensity. The command to love is entangled in an emotionally intense elicitation of fear and disgust supporting enclave formation, identity fusion and costly sacrifice. Deuteronomy 1-11 can be understood as aiming to train devotion affectively and narratively. The analysis indicates that more attention should be paid to emotions, narrativity, and group-internal ideals of devotion in radical religion research.

Narrative policy of bureaucratic reform in Indonesia: Rules of narrative in mass media

“…Narratives are the most important part of life because storytelling is closely related to emotional life, it can also shape the process and mobilization of emotions both in groups and individuals (Feldt, 2023a). Narrative is a medium used by a person or party to narrate a particular event or phenomenon (Feldt, 2023b). So, this narrative is related to what is usually told by a person or party about what they feel or certain issues.…”