Language, Otherness, and the Art of Struggle: A Dialogical Reading of the People of Babel

Abstract Many have valued the story of Babel for its anthropological insights. However, what these might be has remained contentious. One of the most recent debates has concerned the nature of the people's sin. Where more traditional accounts have accentuated the severity of their actions and the finality of God's retributive response, other interpretations have rejected any punitive content. Such readings rightly reflect the lack of punitive language in the story but also misgivings about the nature of a God who thwarts humankind's unity, and colours language and cultural diversity as the fruit of sin. However, in doing so, such readings are forced to disconnect the story of Babel from its wider context and connection to the creation narrative and downplay elements of God's response. By drawing on the work of Martin Buber, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Franz Rosenzweig in the context of their critiques of Hegel and idealist thought, this article argues that a dialogical interpretation holds the punitive and non‐punitive concerns together and offers a more coherent account of the people's unity and language. In doing so it provides a more comprehensive framework for considering the story's anthropological significance and the nature of God, as well as a richer foundation for the story's resonance at Pentecost and the nature of faith.