Care for creation: biblical-pastoral perspective of the priestly code (Lv 17-26)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54260/eb.v37i144.377

Keywords:

Leviticus, Priest code, Care of creation

Abstract

At the heart of the Torah, the book of Leviticus is the literary and theological center of the Pentateuch, both for its position in the canonical sequence of the books and for the centrality of the exhortation addressed to its past and present listeners-readers: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lv 19:2). Despite the prejudices surrounding the book of Leviticus due to its ritualistic or legal content, a careful reading of the book in light of its pedagogical purpose is fascinating especially when it relates to the care of creation, as the book aims to offer instructions and prescriptions that allow its recipient to live in the presence of God and in harmony with creation, since coexistence and participation in the holiness of God require a certain commitment on the part of the community, of every man and of every woman, in the observance of certain norms regarding the relationship with God, with one's neighbor and, as this article will demonstrate, regarding the sacredness of the life of animals (Lv 17,11.14), the care of the flora (Lv 19,23-25) and the care of the earth (Lv 25,2.5).

Author Biography

Elizangela Chaves Dias, Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome, Italy.

Doctor in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. Professor at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome, Italy. Professor and member of the scientific committee of the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI-Rome). Sister of the Missionaries of S. C.B. - Scalabrinianas, she is part of the team of translators for the new edition of the Bible of the Pauline Editions in Portuguese, contributing with the commentary and translation from Hebrew into Portuguese of the books of Genesis and Leviticus.

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Published

2021-12-28

How to Cite

DIAS, E. C. . Care for creation: biblical-pastoral perspective of the priestly code (Lv 17-26). Estudos Bíblicos, São Paulo, v. 37, n. 144, p. 222–233, 2021. DOI: 10.54260/eb.v37i144.377. Disponível em: https://revista.abib.org.br/EB/article/view/377. Acesso em: 31 mar. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 144 (2021): Estudos Bíblicos - Dossier: Caring for the Earth

Section

Articles - Dossier

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Copyright (c) 2021 Elizangela Chaves Dias

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