Leviticus

September 1, 2008
The book of Leviticus, largely given over to the details of ancient Israelite ritual, plays little role in the life of most Christians. Evangelical commentator Radner (historical theology, Wycliffe Coll., Univ. of Toronto; "The End of the Church") believes this is unfortunate, for Leviticus provides the theological categories for understanding the death of Jesus as the sacrifice that Christians believe reconciles humans to God. As part of the "Theological Commentary on the Bible" series, this volume focuses on reading the text theologically as sacred Scriptureas distinct from a modern historical-critical approach. This opens space to long-ignored precritical readings. But on the other hand, Radner allows questions surrounding the normative character of the text to remain curiously nebulous. Likewise, by focusing on the theological to the exclusion of the sociological, cultural, political, and historical contexts of the text, the lessons of the text seem disturbingly disincarnate and abstract. Nonetheless, even those who challenge this series' conception of "theological" will find insight and food for thought in this remarkable, if basically flawed, commentary. Recommended for academic libraries.Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

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