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Holiness
Holiness (OE, halignes, ‘without blemish’). The state of being set apart for God, or for religious purposes. For R. Otto, the Holy is Ganz Andere, the Totally Other, and all that relates to it must be separated from the profane and sinful. Holiness (Heb., kedushah) is a fundamental requirement of Jewish religion. (Leviticus 19. 2). What does it mean to be holy? According to Maimonides, ‘When the Bible says, “Be holy”, it means precisely the same as if it had said, “Keep my commandments”.’ Torah is thus the syag (‘fence’, a founding principle of rabbinic Judaism, Pirqe Avot 1. 1, ‘Be reflective in judgement, raise up many pupils, and build a syag around Torah') which prevents diffusion into randomness and uncertainty.
Christianity inherited the hope of holiness from Judaism, but no longer saw Torah as either a necessary or a sufficient condition. The Holy Spirit is the source of the making holy (i.e. sanctification) of Christians, who become (or are meant to become) temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6. 11 and 20; 1 Peter 2. 9). The word ‘holiness’ is then widely used for comparable vocations and goals in other religions, although it then loses its more specific constituents. In particular, it merges with considerations of purity and ablution: see also SACRED AND PROFANE. |
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Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Holiness." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Holiness." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Holiness.html JOHN BOWKER. "Holiness." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Holiness.html |
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holiness
holiness What is separated from ordinary or profane use is ‘holy’. Hence, above all, God is holy (Isa. 6: 3) and his holiness extends to human beings who have transactions with him (e.g. priests in the Temple) and equipment which they use, and the festivals they celebrate (Lev. 23). The Holiness Code (Lev. 17–26) is a compendium of ritual and moral precepts based on the holiness of God (Lev. 19: 2) and probably used by priests and Levites for instruction.
In the NT the holiness which belonged to the Jerusalem Temple is regarded as a quality of Christian people (1 Cor. 3: 16–17), but pre-eminently Jesus is holy (Luke 1: 35), as he is called in the early preaching (Acts 3: 14), and as he addresses his Father (John 17: 11). Because the Church too is holy (Eph. 2: 19–22), indwelt by the Holy Spirit, any behaviour which violates this relationship is reprehensible (Rom. 5: 5; 2 Cor. 6: 16–7: 1). |
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Cite this article
W. R. F. BROWNING. "holiness." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "holiness." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-holiness.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "holiness." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-holiness.html |
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holiness
ho·li·ness / ˈhōlēnis/ • n. the state of being holy: a life of holiness and total devotion to God. ∎ (His/Your Holiness) a title given to the pope, Orthodox patriarchs, and the Dalai Lama, or used in addressing them. ∎ [as adj.] denoting a Christian renewal movement originating in the mid 19th century among Methodists in the U.S., emphasizing the Wesleyan doctrine of the sanctification of believers. |
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Cite this article
"holiness." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "holiness." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-holiness.html "holiness." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-holiness.html |
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