Reading Ritual

Leviticus in Postmodern Culture

Wesley J. Bergen

Copyright © 2005 T&T Clark International

A Continuum imprint

Published by T&T Clark International

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 0-5670-4081-X

This book is dedicated to my wife, Deborah, and my children, John and Erin. I realize that having a book about Leviticus dedicated to you is hardly a major event in your lives. Hopefully the time we have spent in music, sports, auto mechanics, reading, and everyday activities has made up for the time I have sacrificed to this project.

Contents

Chapter 1
Introduction

Chapter 2
Animal Sacrifice Today

Chapter 3

Sacrificing for the Team: Leviticus 4 and the Church of Monday Night Football

Chapter 4
Ritual Sacrifice in Leviticus, Africa, and North America

Chapter 5
Blood Sacrifice in the United States

Chapter 6
The Afterlife of Leviticus 1–7 in the Church

Chapter 7
Leviticus 7: A Commentary in Three Voices

Bibliography

Index of References

Index of Authors

Chapter 1

Introduction

1. Beginnings

Many centuries ago, a group of men (and possibly some women) gathered regularly at a sacred spot not too far from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. At this gathering they took a carefully chosen animal, killed it, and after cutting off the skin and certain other parts, they burned the carcass whole. Certain parts of this activity were done the same way every time.

Why? What did they think they were doing? What difference did it make to them that they did it the same way every time? Who decided what the ‘right’ way was? If you asked three of them to explain their actions, would you get three different answers, or three very similar answers?

Part of their answer would likely have had to do with a being they called Yahweh. What would they have understood the relationship between their actions and this Yahweh to be? How would they know what Yahweh thought of their actions? Were there also consequences for these actions within their communities? Were there consequences if these actions were not performed, or if they were performed improperly?

Most of these questions are simply unanswerable, because there is no one to ask. The text that describes this event (Lev. 1) doesn’t answer most of these questions, and the ritual itself is no longer performed. It is also possible that many participants in this activity would not have had ready answers to these questions. These types of questions presume a great deal about the importance of theological formulation and abstraction. How much ...