2004
Volume 52, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0165-4322
  • E-ISSN: 3050-9947

Samenvatting

Abstract

The book of Leviticus presents holiness in two interrelated ways: as a designation for specific spaces, objects, persons, and times, and as a moral-spiritual quality that every Israelite is called to embody. The text emphasizes that Israel is to be holy because God is holy, linking ethical conduct with ritual observance. Dietary laws, distinctions between clean and unclean, and observance of sacred times serve both to set Israel apart from other nations and to cultivate imitation of God’s character. Theophanies, such as the revelation at Sinai, provide intense encounters with divine holiness, eliciting reverent fear and motivating the people toward obedience. These experiences are mediated through priests, ritual spaces, and structured practices, creating layered access to the sacred and reinforcing communal and individual devotion. The book thus functions as a guide for living a holy life through both ethical behavior and participation in ritual. Insights from Leviticus remain relevant for the contemporary church, highlighting the value of symbols, sacraments, and ethical formation in embodying God’s holiness in everyday life.

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  • Soort artikel: Research Article
Keyword(s): Ethical conduct; Holiness; Leviticus; Ritual; Theophany
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