Abstract
According to Deuteronomy 17, leaving your religion is punishable by death.
The command is meant to draw a line as a safeguard against apostasy,
as that would be disastrous for the whole community. In the history of
both Jewish and Christian interpretation, we do not find indications
that this law was much implemented. Jewish tradition added so many
criteria that it became almost impossible to carry out the death penalty.
Therefore, Deuteronomy 17:2–7 does not have the last word when it comes
to exclusion or inclusion in Tanakh. It should be read together with other
texts with a different approach to this theme.
The command is meant to draw a line as a safeguard against apostasy,
as that would be disastrous for the whole community. In the history of
both Jewish and Christian interpretation, we do not find indications
that this law was much implemented. Jewish tradition added so many
criteria that it became almost impossible to carry out the death penalty.
Therefore, Deuteronomy 17:2–7 does not have the last word when it comes
to exclusion or inclusion in Tanakh. It should be read together with other
texts with a different approach to this theme.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Religiously Exclusive, Socially Inclusive? |
| Subtitle of host publication | A Religious Response |
| Editors | Bernhard Reitsma, Erika van Nes-Visscher |
| Place of Publication | Amsterdam |
| Publisher | Amsterdam University Press |
| Chapter | 5 |
| Pages | 75-86 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9789048556434 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789463723480 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
| Event | Symposium en afscheid Bernhard Reitsma: Een theologie van inclusie? - Christelijke Hogeschool Ede, Ede, Netherlands Duration: 5 Oct 2023 → 5 Oct 2023 https://www.che.nl/evenementen/symposium-en-afscheid-bernhard-reitsma |
Seminar
| Seminar | Symposium en afscheid Bernhard Reitsma |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Netherlands |
| City | Ede |
| Period | 5/10/23 → 5/10/23 |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- apostasy
- death penalty
- Deuteronomy
- text reception
- rabbinic texts
- idolatry