The aqedah in the New Testament : sacrifice, violence and human dignity
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch University, Faculty of Theology
Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between violence and human dignity in a religious context where sacrifice, even if only at discursive level, is common. The New Testament has two direct references to Gen 22, known as the Aqedah (binding of Isaac), in Heb 11:17-19 and Jas 2:23, but possibly also various other allusions to the Aqedah. In both direct references, and in line with the biblical and most of the Christian (and also Jewish and Islam) tradition, the Aqedah is taken as positive indication of Abraham’s faith. A brief investigation of the reception of the Aqedah in
the New Testament, leads to the consideration of its wider reach, particularly to what extent sacrifice generally informs the relationship between violence and human dignity in the New Testament. In doing so, the explicit and implicit consequences of this narrative and sacrificial practices are shown to be multi-fold, wide-ranging and ambiguous.
Description
CITATION: Punt, J. 2009. The aqedah in the New Testament : sacrifice, violence and human dignity. Scriptura, 102:430-445, doi:10.7833/102-0-605.
The original publication is available at http://scriptura.journals.ac.za
The original publication is available at http://scriptura.journals.ac.za
Keywords
Sacrifice, Violence, Dignity
Citation
Punt, J. 2009. The aqedah in the New Testament : sacrifice, violence and human dignity. Scriptura, 102:430-445, doi:10.7833/102-0-605