Beschreibung
The English idiom “once bitten twice shy” comes to mind in this study,
where Esias Meyer argues that biblical critics have an ethical
responsibility to explore the oppressive potential of biblical texts. He
does this in the light of the apartheid history and especially the way in
which biblical texts were used to
both justify and criticise apartheid. An ideological critique of Leviticus
25 is presented, which starts with
a thorough synchronic reading and ends with a possible socio-historical
context. This interpretation largely disturbs the liberating image that
the text has, but is an attempt to be more honest about the way in which
theologians could use biblical texts to contribute to a better world.