Author: Poorthuis, Marcel & Joshua Schwartz. (eds).
Title: Purity and holiness. The heritage of Leviticus.
Description: Leiden, Boston & Köln, Brill, 2000. XII,371 pp. 11 b./w. ills. Orig. hardcover (boards). 8vo. (Jewish and Christian perspectives series, Vol. 2). [ISBN: 978-90-04-11418-0]. - As new (no marks, etc.).Purity has long been recognized as one of the essential drives which determines humankind's relationship with the holy. Codes of purity and impurity, dealing with such far-ranging topics as 'external stains' and 'inner remorse', represent the physical and 'bodily' side of religious experience and provide the key to the understanding of human orientation to nature, and the structure of society, including even relationships between the sexes. The present collection of studies proceeds far beyond other collections on purity, studying both the medieval and modern periods. Purity rules, in both Christian and Jewish society, do not disappear in the Middle Ages, but become increasingly stronger. Sometimes there appear unexpected and surprising similarities between both societies. Modern society sees a decline in the importance of purity, reflecting a growing ambiguous attitude to the relationship between the body and the holy. A feminist perspective is also provided, examining the intertwined relationship between religion, gender and power.Exegesis, archaeology, liturgy, anthropology and even architecture are all used to study the complex phenomena of purity in their religious and social dimensions from both Christian and Jewish perspectives. - Publisher's retail price: € 156,96

Keywords: Judaïca Theology Chrisianity Judaïca Theologie Christendom