human sacrifice (allusion to Abraham)

[Lars Martin Fosse]

>J. Kingston Cowart wrote:
>
>With respect to Dr. Fosse's suggestion that Christianity was initiated
>in an act of human sacrifice, one might argue that a) this, too, was a
>singular event impossible of repetition, b) that it was not a ritual, and
>c) that from an internal theological/Christological perspective, it was
>an act of God's sacrificing himself.

This is of course perfectly true. I also pointed out that human sacrifice is
strictly forbidden in Christianity. As for God sacrificing himself, I
thought that it was rather a case of God sacrificing his only *son* (who of
course is part of the Trinity). The interesting thing here, in my opinion,
is not the finer Christological point, but rather the point that Gods wants,
or even accepts, a sacrifice of this kind. In a sense, the sacrifice is
symbolically continued in the communion, where the believers eat the flesh
of the lord and drink his blood. (This is at least my interpretation, but
theologians may not concur). And the communion, as we know, is a ritual.

Best regards,

Lars Martin Fosse


Dr.art. Lars Martin Fosse
Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114,
0674 Oslo

Tel: +47 22 32 12 19
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Email: lmfosse at online.no
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