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1. General 1.1. Words and Concept The English words “sacrifice” and “offering” come from Lat. sacrificium and offero. Ger. Opfer goes back to Lat. operari, “be active.” The terms suggest an active relation to the reality concerned in the different religions. The various ways in which the relation is described may thus affect the concept. Even though a distinction might arise between real and symbolic sacrifice, sacrifice is always at the heart of religion and widely influences human conduct in other spheres as well. In religious history we may un…

1. OT and Judaism 1.1. Atonement is a central concept in biblical theology. Along with the traditional misunderstanding of appeasing an angry deity, the penal definition of making good an offense and the viewing of the cultus as a human work have impeded a more relevant approach. In the OT, atonement breaks the nexus of sin and its evil consequences by “channeling ¶ the baneful influence of the evil into an animal that died vicariously for the man (or for the cultic object). Expiation was thus not a penalty, but a saving event” (G. von Rad, 271). The basis …

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. Old Testament – III. Early Judaism – IV. New Testament – V. Dogmatics I. Religious Studies 1. The judgment discussed here is not in response to a specific transgression or lapse on the part of an individual; it is a judgment upon his or her entire life, taking place only after death and determining the fate of the ¶ deceased in the next world. Because this notion implies the idea of a just recompense, it has the quality and function of a …

[German Version] I. Archaeology and Religious Studies The wild predecessors of cultured vines ( Vitis vinifera vinifera) are found especially in the north-eastern Mediterranean region and in the area of the Black Sea. The earliest evidence of collecting grapes, presumably from wild stocks, is 9,000 years old (Çayönü, Tell Aswad an…

[German Version] I. History of Religions – II. Biblical – III. Philosophy of Religion – IV. Dogmatics – V. Ethics – VI. Science I. History of Religions 1. So-called chaos research (see VI below) has renewed a positive meaning of the term with the model of the “creative” self-organization of matter (thus without the goal-oriented will of an ordering creator). Previously, since Late Antiquity, a negative evaluation of chaos had prevailed: Since creation demonstrates the existence of God, chaos was a negative in relation to the Creator God in a dualistic…

[German Version] I. Old Testament and Judaism – II. Christianity – III. Islam I. Old Testament and Judaism 1. Only in three passages does the Old Testament speak of humankind's being made in the image of God (collective use of הָ]אָדָם]/[ hā] ʾādām in Gen 1; cf. Gen 1:27: male and female): in the relationship between God and human beings in Gen 1:26f. and 9:6, and in the relationship between human beings in Gen 5:1, 3 (all P). Substantially the same idea is conveyed in Ps 8:6–9*; for later treatment of the theme, Sir 17:3–7 and Wis 2…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. History of Religions – III. Philosophy of Religion – IV. Art History I. Religious Studies …

[German Version] I. Natural Sciences and Psychology – II. Religious Studies – III. Philosophy – IV. Old Testament – V. New Testament – VI. Church History – VII. Dogm…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. History of Religions – III. Old Testament – IV. New Testament – V. Philosophy of Religion – VI. Dogmatics – VII. Judaism ¶ I. Religious Studies Concepts of the hereafter do not, of themselves, necessarily contain statements concerning eternal life. On the contrary, concepts of the hereafter develop with dynamics of their own and thus variability. Eternal life and …

[German Version] As part of the ritual for the great Day of Atonement, (Lev 16, cf. 23:26ff.; Num 29:7 ff.), the high priest Aaron lays his hands (Laying-on of hands) on a he-goat, the so-called scapegoat (Vulgate caper emissarius, Fr. bouc émissaire, Ger. Sündenbock), putting the sins of the Israelites on its head and then employing someone designated to take it to “an isolated place” or “the wilderness” (Lev 16:8, 10, 21f.), where rabbinic tradition says that it meets its death ( m. Yoma). …

[German Version] I. Old Testament – II. Art History I. Old Testament Cain and Abel, the children of the first human couple Adam and Eve, are the protagonists of one of the characteristic fraternal narratives of the book of Genesis (cf. Jacob and Esau). Their names are semantically associated with the pre- or non-priestly Paradise narrative of Gen 3*: While the meaning “transitoriness” may be discerned in the name Abel (הֶבֶל, Gen 4:2, 4, 8f., 25), the name Cain (קַיִן, Gen 4:1–25, Tubal-Cain Gen 4:22 [a description of metallurgical skills], as a tribal name in Nu…

[German Version] I. History of Religion – II. Old Testament – III. Judaism – IV. New Testament – V. History of Theology – VI. Creation and Preservation – VII. Religious Education – VIII. Islam – IX. Science – X. Art History I. History of Religion 1. Fundamentals Life, nature, the environment, the passage of time – these are everyday experiences for any society. But reality also includes the danger that this world may be imperiled or perilous. Chaos and death are part …

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[German Version] I. Terminology and Scope The book of Psalms is a unique collection of 150 poetic texts compiled to make a work sui generis. Its Hebrew title תְּהִלִּים(סֵפֶר) /( sēpe…

[German Version] (Dec 17, 1918, Essen – Nov 14, 2000, Essen). After earning his doctorate in Heidelberg (1944) and his Habilitation in Bonn (1948; associate professor of Old Testament there from 1951), Kraus accepted an appointment as professor of OT in Hamburg in 1954, and was professor of Reformed theology in Göttingen from 1968 onward. The son of an Essen pastor, he grew up in Wuppertal. He was instrumental in establishing the Protestant theological faculty in Hamburg and became the successor of O. Weber in the …

[German Version] I. Concept and Terminology – II. Religio-historical Aspects – III. Theological Significance I. Concept and Terminology References to Yahwe…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. Old Testament – III. New Testament I. Religious Studies Light and darkness, day and night, the rising and setting of the life-giving sun determine the vital rhythm of nature and human beings; they find expression in feelings, in language and thought, in symbols and myths. Light is on the side of the gods, the sphere of the divine, the spirit. As a religious symbol, light represents life, salvation, and bliss. Darkness is ambiguous: it can ¶ signify death, perdition, and woe, but it can also represent protective concealment (hell, etymologically “place of concealment”). In the cult, (divine) light illuminates darkness. A sudden blaze of light at the climax of cultic mysteries marks a divine epiphany that enlightens the participants, leading to divinization, rebirth, or the like. Light and fire drive away the powers of darkness (Demons) and bring purification. Bearers of light include the sun, moon, and stars (Constellations), repre…

[German Version] I. Old Testament The word shekhinah (שְׁכִינָה), a postbiblical noun from the root שׁכן/ škn, “settle, dwell,” denotes an aspect of God’s presence in the world, usually translated as “indwelling” or “habitation.” The term indwelling suggests the Egyptian theology of cultic images, according to which the deity in heaven “descends” upon his image in the earthly temple and “unites” with it (Assmann). The earliest reference to the Old Testament shekhinah theology is in 1 Kgs 8:12f., in Solomon’s words at the dedicatio…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies The term substitution, originating in the language of law, is used primarily in Christian theology, but it is well suited for use in religious studies as well, even though so far there has been no detailed systematic treatment of it. In the most general sense, we speak of substitution when the true subject affected or acting (God, an individual like the king, or a collective) is represented by another ¶ …

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[German Version] I. Exegesis – II. Fundamental theology I. Exegesis 1. “Biblical Theology” (BT) is not an unambiguous term. It means either “the theology contained in the Bible” or “theology in accordance with the Bible, with ¶ scripture” (Ebeling 69–70). In the first sense, BT is a historical concept; in the …

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. Bible – III. Dogmatics – IV. Ethics I. Religious Studies While (re)conciliation as an instrument for reaching an amicable settlement in a lawsuit has echoes of the legal ¶ dimension of expiation, the meaning of expiation (appeasement, pacification) refers first of all to the (re)establishment of an undisturbed state or of a “sound” relationship. In contrast to atonement (Reconciliation: II), which is essentially rooted in Jewish and Christian notions of reconciliation, expiation is less specifically…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies Retribution – recompense of good with good and evil with evil, in religion as reward (Payment) or punishment for human conduct, imposed in this life or the next by God or fate – is an aspect of reciprocity, the principle of quid pro quo (Merit). Richard Thurnwald was the first to point out the significance of reciprocity for social action and worldview in ethnic societies. It goes beyond reciprocating with a gift or assistance, or exchanging daughters between exogamous groups; the moral, legal, and religi…

[German Version] I. Religious Studies – II. Old Testament – III. New Testament – IV. Practical Theology I. Religious Studies The laying-on or imposition of hands is a physical gesture usually performed in the context of a ritualized series of actions or as a symbol by itself. It can be ascribed to a divine being conceived anthropomorphically. The ritual gesture is attested in many cultures, especially in the ancient Near East, but it is not universal – it is un…

[German Version] I. Philosophy The word Weltbild (“worldview”; more lit. “world picture”) is already found in early medieval German; it is defined as a “conceptual view of the world that emerges from the totality of impressions made by the world and ideas of one’s Weltanschauung” ( DWb 28 [14.1.1], 1955, 1553). Its meaning is thus related to the meaning of Weltanschauung . Philosophy usually treats both together. A Weltbild can be understood as both a premise and a product of a Weltanschauung. W. Dilthey called a Weltbild “the basis of one’s appreciation of life and understanding of the world” ( Gesammelte S…

[German Version] (Sep 7, 1862, Breslau [Wrocław] – Jan 24, 1945, London). After doctoral studies (diss.: Das Buch Esther in der LXX, 1889, publ. 1890), Jacob taught religion at a college in Breslau, then served as a rabbi in Göttingen (1891–1906) and Dortmund (1906–1929). He was one of the most significant biblical scholars of the 20th century. His time in Hamburg (1929–1938) saw the completion of his monumental commentary on Genesis (1934, repr. 2000) and the start of his work on his equally monum…

[English Version] . Im Rahmen des Rituals zum großen Versöhnungstag (Lev 16, vgl.23,26 ff.; Num 29,7 ff.) wird ein Ziegenbock, der sog. S. (Vulgata caper emissarius, franz. bouc émissaire, engl. scapegoat), vom Hohepriester Aaron durch Handaufstemmung (Handauflegung: II.) mit den Sünden der Israeliten beladen und durch einen dafür bereitstehenden Kultaktanten in eine »abgelegene Gegend« bzw. in die »Wüste« gebracht (Lev 16,8.10.21f.), wo er nach rabb. Tradition zu Tode kommt (mJoma).…

[English Version] I. ReligionswissenschaftlichDer urspr. in der Rechtssprache beheimatete Begriff S. wird v.a. im Rahmen der christl. Theol. reflektiert, doch scheint er durchaus geeignet, auch in der Religionswiss. Anwendung zu finden, wenn auch eine eingehende syst. Behandlung bislang noch nicht geleistet wurde. Im allgemeinsten Sinne ist dann von S. zu sprechen, wenn das eigentlich betroffene oder agierende Subjekt (sei es ein Gott, eine Einzelperson, z.B. der König, oder ein Kollektiv) durch j…

[English Version] I. PhilosophischDas Wort »W.«, das schon im frühma. Deutsch nachweisbar ist, bez. i. allg. ein »vorstellungsmäsziges bild der welt, wie es sich aus der gesamtheit der welteindrücke und we…

[English Version] I. Begriff und Umfang der Psalmen/des PsaltersDas Buch der Pss ist eine einzigartige Zusammenstellung von 150 poetischen Texten zu einem Werk sui generis. Seine hebr. Bez. תְּהִלִּים (סֵפֶר)/(sepær) t ehilli^m, »Buch der (Lob-)Preisungen«, findet sich schon in Qumran (ältester Beleg: 4QM a [= 4 Q 491] 174 [1.Jh. v.Chr.]). Ähnlich wie in den ca.100 Jahre jüngeren ntl. Stellen Lk 20,42; Apg 1,20 (βι´βλος ψαλμω˜n̆/bi´blos psalmō´n) scheint damit zunächst im technischen Sinn eine Schriftrolle mit Pss gemeint zu sein (vgl. die Frgm. 4QPs), evtl. aber auc…

Mit der vierten Auflage erreicht die RGG eine fast hundertjährige Geschichte. Alle vier Auflagen zusammen spiegeln sowohl als Gesamtdarstellungen als auch in den einzelnen Artikeln das 19. und 20. Jahrhundert wider wie kaum ein anderes Dokument der religionswissen…

[English Version] I. ReligionsgeschichtlichV. – die Erwiderung von Gutem durch Gutes und Bösem durch Böses, in der Rel. in Form von göttlichem bzw. schicksalhaftem Lohn oder Strafe für menschliches Verhalten in diesem Leben oder nach dem Tod – ist ein Aspekt der Reziprozität, des Prinzips von Leistung und Gegenleistung (Verdienst). Richard Thurnwald verwies als erster auf die Bedeutung der Reziprozität für das soziale Handeln und das Weltbild in ethnischen Gesellschaften. Nicht nur die Erwiderung eines Geschenkes, Arbeitshilfe auf Gegens…

[English Version] I. Religionsgeschichtlich 1.  GrundfragenLeben, Natur, Umwelt und Zeitenlauf (Zeit/Zeitvorstellungen) sind für jede Gesellschaft Alltagserfahrungen. Zur Wirklichkeit gehört aber auch das Risiko, wonach dieser natürliche Lebensraum bedroht und bedrohlich ist. Chaos und Tod gehören zum Kosmos (Welt). Die Realität ist ambivalent. Evolutionsth…

[English Version] I. Altes TestamentMit Sh. (שְׁכִינָה), einer nachbibl. Nominalbildung der Wurzel שׁכן/škn, »sich niederlassen, wohnen«, wird ein Aspekt der Anwesenheit Gottes in der Welt bez., der in der Regel mit »Einwohnung« oder »Inhabitation« wiedergegeben wird. Von »Einwohnung« ist bereits im Kontext der äg. Kultbildtheol. die Rede, wonach die im Himmel beheimatete Gottheit auf ihr Kultbild im irdischen Tempel »herabsteigt« und sich mit diesem »vereinigt« (Assmann). Die atl. Sh.-Theol., deren ältester Beleg im sog. Tempelweihspruch 1Kön 8,12f. vorliegt, wurde im Lauf einer mehrere Jh. umfassenden Gesch. vielfach transformiert. Während die Sh.-Theol. der vorexil. Zeit einen tempel- (Tempel: II., 4.) bzw. zionstheol. (Zion) Hintergrund hatte (Jes 8,18; Ps 46,6; Dtn 12,5.11 u. ö.; prophetische Kritik in Am 5,17; Mi 3,11 u. ö.), geschah in der Sh.-Theol. der Exilszeit insofern ein Umbruch, als sie jetzt eine nationale, auf die Restitution Israels als Volk Gottes bezogene Komponente erhielt (Ps 74,1f.; Ez 43,7.9; Ex 25,8; 29,45f.; 1Kön 6,11–13; vgl. Ex 33,5 u. ö.). In pers. Zeit, d.h. mit dem Bau des Zweiten Tempels, trat dann der Tempelbezug wieder in Erscheinung, aber ohne daß der Israelbezug zurückgenommen wurde (Sach 2,9.14f.; 8,3; Jo 4,17.21; Ps 135,21 u. ö.). Ein für die urchristl. Profilierung des Themas (vgl. Lk 17,20f.; Joh 1,14; Apk 21,3 u. ö.) entscheidender Schritt wurde in hell. Zeit mit dem Theologumenon der »Einwohnung« der Weisheit auf dem Zion getan (Sir 24,7–12, traditionsgesch. Vorläufer in Hi 28,20–28 und Spr 8,22–31), für das die I…

[English Version] I. Archäologisch und religionsgeschichtlichDie wilden Vorläufer der Kulturpflanze (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. vinifera) finden sich bes. im nordöstlichen Mittelmeerraum und im Schwarzmeerraum. Früheste Belege für Weintraubensammlung, vermutlich von wilden Stöcken, sind 9000 Jahre alt (Çayönü, Tell Aswad und Jericho). Früheste Hinweise auf Weinkulturen stammen vom Ende des 4.Jt. v.Chr. in Ägypten (Omari, Abydos, Saqqara). Trauben wurden gegessen, meistens aber zu W., in Südmesopotamien …

[English Version] I. Religionswissenschaftlich…