Work

Prohibition of Meat and Animal Sacrifice in the Chinese Book of the Messiah and in the Pseudo-Clementines: Anti-Sacrificial Discourse as Boundary-Marking Strategy in Polytheistic Contexts

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Chinese Christian Book of the Messiah’s doctrinal framework, demonstrating how its author portrays the prohibition against meat consumption and animal sacrifice as an eternal divine commandment. It subsequently establishes parallels with the Pseudo-Clementine Homilies and Recognitions. The article argues that both works exemplify the strategic adaptation of early anti-sacrificial motifs as rhetorical tools for religious boundary-marking, contributing to our understanding of how Jesus-oriented groups deployed theological resources to distinguish themselves from surrounding polytheistic practices across diverse cultural settings.

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Religion

DOI: 10.1093/jaarel/lfaf094

Author: Alexis Balmont

Institutions: Chinese University of Hong Kong, Collège de France, Histoire et Sources des Mondes Antiques, Centre de recherche sur les civilisations de l'Asie orientale

Language: English

Topic: Biblical Studies and Interpretation

Subfield: Religious studies

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,390

OpenAlex ID: W4417424187

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