Books by John Dunnill

What is sacrifice? For many people today the word has negative overtones, suggesting loss, or death, or violence. But in religions, ancient and modern, the word is linked primarily to joyous feasting which puts people in touch with the deepest realities. John Dunnill's study brings together insights from social anthropology, biblical studies.

This study focuses on the way the Letter to the Hebrews explains the Christian doctrine of salvation by means of sacrificial symbols drawn from the Old Testament. Theories about the nature of sacrifice are taken from the work of social anthropologists to show the underlying meaning of these symbols.