Reading Joshua with Augustine and Sommer: Two frameworks for interpreting theophany narratives

In this article, Joshua 5.13-6.5 is used as a test case for looking at possible models for understanding theophany narratives. First, I argue that Benjamin Sommer’s historical model of divine fluidity draws attention to the prominence of the theme of divine embodiment in the Hebrew Bible but raises unresolved questions about the nature of God. Second, I argue that Augustine’s interpretation of the theophany narratives from within the framework of his trinitarian theology resolves some of these questions while avoiding Christianizing the Hebrew Bible. I conclude by briefly returning to the Joshua narrative, looking at the difference that these models make in reading the text