Jesus the Sacrifice: A Historical and Theological Study

Scott Shauf

doi:10.5771/9781978713901

Summary

Jesus the Sacrifice: A Historical and Theological Study investigates interpretations of Jesus’ death as a sacrifice in the New Testament. Scott Shauf argues that sacrifice as a practice has been largely misunderstood by Christians and scholars and that a better understanding of ancient sacrificial practices will change how we understand New Testament interpretations of Jesus’ death. Contrary to traditional Christian theological interpretation, the interpretation of Jesus’ death as a sacrifice should not be considered a subcategory of the idea of atonement. Sacrifices had a variety of purposes in the ancient world, and atonement was only one of these. Different NT texts interpret Jesus’ death as different kinds of sacrifice, and each text must be evaluated in the context of the particular kind(s) of sacrifice drawn upon. The interpretations have in common that they serve to relate the death of Jesus to early Christians’ understanding of themselves, to what God had done in Jesus and to what God was doing in their midst. Shauf’s conclusions also address modern theological questions, such as the problem of the violence of the cross and whether Jesus’ death was necessary in a theological sense.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2022
Copyright Year: 2022
ISBN-Print: 978-1-9787-1389-5
ISBN-Online: 978-1-9787-1390-1
Publisher: Lexington, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 230
Product Type: Monograph

1. Contents No access
2. Acknowledgments No access
1. Notes No access
1. What Is Sacrifice? No access
2. The Varieties of Sacrificial Practice No access
3. Notes No access
1. 1. Sacrifice as Communion with God No access
  2. Sacrifice as Gift No access
  3. 1. The Object and Means of Atonement No access
    2. How Do Sacrifices Atone? The Substitution Theory No access
    3. The Hand-Laying Ritual No access
    4. How Do Sacrifices Atone? The Power in the Blood No access
2. Distinctive Aspects of Israelite Sacrifice No access
3. The Divine Option to Reject Sacrifice No access
4. Sacrifice in the Larger Religious System: Purity, the Temple, and Holiness No access
5. 1. The Olah: The Burnt Offering No access
  2. The Shelamim: The Offering of Well-Being No access
  3. The Hattat: The Purification Offering No access
  4. The Asham: The Guilt Offering No access
  5. The Minhah: The Grain Offering No access
6. Other Sacrificial Terms and Concepts No access
7. 1. The Tamid No access
  2. Passover No access
  3. The Day of Atonement No access
8. Did the Prophets Reject Sacrifice? No access
9. Notes No access
1. 1. 1. Sacrifice as Communion with God No access
    2. Sacrifice as Gift No access
    3. Sacrifice as Means of Atonement No access
  2. Tracing Sacrificial Traditions to Pre-Mosaic Times No access
  3. Sacrifice in Diaspora Texts No access
  4. Sacrifice After the Second Temple No access
2. Questioning Sacrifice No access
3. Sacrifice in the Septuagint No access
4. Notes No access
1. 1. Communion No access
  2. Gift No access
  3. Atonement No access
2. Types of Sacrifice No access
3. Occasions for Sacrifice No access
4. Questioning Sacrifice No access
5. Heavenly Sacrificial Imagery in Revelation No access
6. Conclusion No access
7. Notes No access
1. 1. Mark 14:22–25 No access
  2. Matthew 26:26–29 No access
  3. Luke 22:15–20 No access
  4. 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 No access
  5. Ephesians 2–3 (and Colossians 1) No access
  6. 1 Peter 1:2 No access
  7. Hebrews 9:15–22 No access
2. 1. The Gospel of John and Revelation No access
  2. 1 Corinthians 5:6–8 No access
  3. 1 Peter 1:18–19 No access
3. 1. Hebrews 9:1–10:18 No access
  2. 1 John No access
  3. Romans 3:25 and 5:6–11 No access
  4. Romans 8:3 No access
  5. 1 Corinthians 15:3 and Galatians 1:4 No access
4. 1. John 6:47–56 No access
  2. The “For Us” Texts No access
  3. Ephesians 5:2 No access
  4. John 17:19 No access
5. 1. 2 Corinthians 5:14–21 No access
  2. Galatians 3:13 No access
  3. 1 Peter 2:24 No access
6. Conclusion No access
7. Notes No access
1. JESUS Death as Sacrifice and the Formation of the Early Church No access
2. Sacrifice and Atonement No access
3. Sacrifice, the Problem of Violence, and the Necessity of Jesus Death No access
4. Notes No access
Bibliography No access Pages 203 - 214
Subject Index No access Pages 215 - 216
Ancient Texts Index No access Pages 217 - 228
About the Author No access Pages 229 - 230