The Ethics of Worship

The chapter examines the relation between ethics and worship in ancient Israel. It focusses on the way in which the cult was instrumental in instructing the people of Israel and Judah in the basic tenets of the moral life by drawing clear distinctions between the ways of the good and those of the wi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Davies, Eryl W. 1953- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Oxford University Press 2020
In: The Oxford handbook of ritual and worship in the Hebrew Bible
Year: 2020, Pages: 444-458
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Description
Summary:The chapter examines the relation between ethics and worship in ancient Israel. It focusses on the way in which the cult was instrumental in instructing the people of Israel and Judah in the basic tenets of the moral life by drawing clear distinctions between the ways of the good and those of the wicked. It was in the context of worship that the people were reminded of the moral aspects of the character of God, and some psalms suggest that his character should be imitated in the lives of the pious. The chapter discusses the prophetic critique of Israel’s worship, especially their focus on the disconnect between the conspicuous displays of piety and the lack of ethical behavior on the part of the people. Some aspects of Israel’s worship are highly problematic from the ethical point of view, and the chapter discusses the so-called “imprecatory psalms,” which reflect a tone of resentment and a hunger for retaliation on the part of the worshipper.
ISBN:0190944935
Contains:Enthalten in: The Oxford handbook of ritual and worship in the Hebrew Bible
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190222116.013.29