Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1907 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XII. THE THEOLOGY OF THE SAMARITANS.1 I. INTRODUCTORY. It is proposed in the present Chapter to give a digest of the Samaritan theology. Such a presentation is exposed to the scientific criticism that it avoids the historical processes of the development of doctrines. But the writer would meet this criticism by his intention to note carefully the more important changes in the theology, while withal he submits that to do full chronological justice to the subject a whole volume based upon many exhaustive investigations would be required. However, he has reached the opinion that Samaritanism had practically attained its ripeness by the IVth Century A. C., when, in the teachings of its great theologian Marka, all the elements of its doctrine are found at hand. Karaitism may subsequently have influenced practice, and Islam has largely affected theological expression, while it cast the doctrine of God into a more Deistic mould and affected especially the eschatology. But in general we are not doing violence to historic method in regarding Samaritan theology from its first literary monuments in the 1 For the literature, besides the works of the earlier scholars, as Reland and Cellarius (consult Bibliography), see especially Gesenius, De Samaritanorum theologia; de Sacy in the introduction to his edition of the Epistles in N. et E.; Petermann, Reisen im Orient, i, 269; RE ed. 1, s. v. Samaritaner; Kautzsch in the 2d and 3d editions of the same; Heidenheim, in introductions to his Bibliotheca Samarkand, and numerous articles in DVJ; Nutt, Samaritan Targum; Hamburger, in REIud. ii, s. v. Samaritaner; Cowley, Some Remarks on Samaritan Literature and Religion, JQR viii, 562. IVth Century down to our own time as a whole which may be..."
