The emergence of monotheism in the Old Testament is closely related to the theodicy question. It is based on doubts about God¿s power, kindness, and wisdom that haunted the Israelites in exile in Babylon. Deutero-Isaiah answers in the form of a "communal theodicy" by confessing YHWH as the only God. Through his universal work in creation and history, the effectiveness of the prophetic word, his saving intervention through Cyrus and his personal nearness, YHWH proves his uniqueness. In connection with monotheism, the theodicy motif shapes the collection and editing of the historical and prophetic books. The author draws parallels to the "individual theodicy" in the books of Job and Psalms, as well as to the "universal theodicy" in the Prehistory.

Hermann Vorländer studied Protestant theology and Assyriology in Bethel, Hamburg, Heidelberg, and Erlangen. From 1972¿1976 he taught as professor for Old Testament at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut (Lebanon). He worked as pastor, church administrator, dean, and taught at the College for Religious Education in Munich. From 1992¿2007 he headed the Bavarian Department for World Mission, now Mission OneWorld, in Neuendettelsau.

Monotheism ¿ Communal theodicy ¿ Individual theodicy ¿ Universal theodicy ¿ YHWH¿s justice - Personal God ¿ Crisis in exile ¿ Historiography ¿ Prophecy ¿ Creation ¿ Cyrus - Zoroaster ¿ YHWH¿s hiddenness ¿ Doxology ¿ Deutero-Isaiah ¿ Job - Psalms ¿ Ecclesiastes ¿ Prehistory ¿ Emergence of YHWH religion - Eschatology - Apocalyptic - New Testament