The Social Meanings of Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible: A Study of Four Writings

ISBN-13: 9783110181586 / Angielski / Twarda / 2004 / 312 str.

David Janzen

Opis

This work uses anthropological theory and field studies to investigate the social function and meaning of sacrifice. All rituals, including sacrifice, communicate social beliefs and morality, but these cannot be determined outside of a study of the social context. Thus, there is no single explanation for sacrifice - such as those advanced by Rene Girard or Walter Burkert or late-19^th and early-20^th century scholars. The book then examines four different writings in the Hebrew Bible - the Priestly Writing, the Deuteronomistic History, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles - to demonstrate how different social origins result in different social meanings of sacrifice.

Recenzje

"This is a very valuable contribution to the understanding of an institution that continues to baffle and intrigue scholars."P. Jenson in: Book List 05/2005

O autorze

David Janzen is a visiting professor at the Seminario Anabautista Latinoamericano in Guatemala City. He has published several works on the social world of the Hebrew Bible.