Deep insights for Christians—from Leviticus
Gary Anderson thinks that the answer to what ails contemporary Christian theology lies tucked away in the Torah’s tabernacle narrative.
That I May Dwell among Them
Incarnation and Atonement in the Tabernacle Narrative
Recently, a parishioner of mine proudly reported that she and her husband had started reading through the Bible, beginning with Genesis 1. You won’t be surprised at my warning to her: watch out for Leviticus.
Gary Anderson has heard it before. The Notre Dame professor has long been in love with the tabernacle narrative in Leviticus 1–10, although he acknowledges that “most readers are not!” Many Christians have asked Martin Luther’s question about the difficult parts of the Old Testament: What do we do with these objectionable stories now that Christ has come? Devotees of Old Testament scholar Brevard Childs, such as Anderson, ask instead: Given what we know of God’s promises to Israel, how do we make proper sense of the New Testament?
Anderson himself is more ambitious still. He thinks that the answer to what ails contemporary Christian theology lies tucked away in Leviticus, hiding in plain sight.
