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Tuesday, February 6. 2024

I need help from readers with a few spare minutes

Maybe knowledge of Greek, Latin, or whatever old languages would help. What does the word "holy" mean? I guess it sorta means "sacred," but what does that mean, exactly?

Our English bibles are titled "Holy Bible," so it matters. Might be a translation from Latin or Greek or something, but from what? I get that "holy" is a Germanic term, later anglicized by those Anglo-Saxons. It seemed to mean whole or complete or, by extension God-connected in some special way, like Heilige Nacht.

Having been raised Protestant, I do not quite get the ideas of holy or sacred. They feel like kind of pagan terms to me, like the unapproachable statues of Athena or Apollo in Greek temples, or the Holy Cow, and there are the Holy Roman Empire and the Holy Grail and The Holy Land. I guess the ideas I was raised with do not connect much that is material with the transcendent - except Jesus - but what do I know or understand? Not much, but I do appreciate CS Lewis' discussions about imagination and every kind of mental life.

I am not a materialist. I do not understand existence at all but I feel it's beyond normal, or beyond human comprehension.

Help me out, genius readers.

Posted by Bird Dog in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 13:06 | Comments (25) | Trackbacks (0)

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I’m an Orthodox Christian. In Orthodox Christianity, the word "holy" carries a rich and profound meaning, deeply embedded in its theology, liturgy, and spiritual life. At its core, "holy" signifies something or someone that is set apart, consecrated, or dedicated to God and His service, embodying purity, moral perfection, and the divine presence.

1. **Divine Holiness**: God is inherently holy, which means He is utterly pure, without sin, and distinct from His creation. The holiness of God is foundational to Orthodox Christian belief, reflecting His absolute goodness, righteousness, and otherness.

2. **Holiness in People and Things**: In Orthodox Christianity, holiness can also refer to people, objects, or times that have been set apart for God's purposes. Saints are considered holy because of their close communion with God and their lives of virtue and piety. Similarly, objects (such as icons, crosses, and the Eucharist) and times (such as the liturgical feasts and fasts) are deemed holy due to their role in worship and their ability to mediate the presence and grace of God.

3. **Theosis or Deification**: A unique aspect of holiness in Orthodox Christianity is the concept of theosis or deification, which is the process of becoming more like God in His energies (i.e., His active presence) through participation in the sacraments, prayer, and ascetic practices. Theosis reflects the belief that humans are called to share in the divine life and become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), not by becoming God in His essence but by being united with Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit.

4. **Moral and Ethical Conduct**: Holiness involves moral and ethical behavior, characterized by love, compassion, justice, and the pursuit of goodness. Orthodox Christians are called to live holy lives, following the commandments of God and the example of Jesus Christ and the saints. This pursuit of holiness is seen as a journey or struggle (asceticism), supported by God's grace.

5. **Communal and Liturgical Dimension**: Holiness in Orthodox Christianity has a strong communal and liturgical dimension. The Church is considered the Body of Christ and a holy community where believers support one another in their journey toward holiness. Worship and participation in the sacraments are central to this process, as they provide encounters with the holy God and means of receiving His grace.

The concept of holiness in Orthodox Christianity is multifaceted, encompassing God's own holiness, the sanctification of people and things for divine purposes, the ethical and moral call to live according to God's will, and the communal and sacramental life of the Church.

#1 Jeff Younger on 2024-02-06 13:27 (Reply)

I was raised Roman Catholic and agree with Jeff Younger's explanation of 'holy'. I would add the word means, is used to designate, paramount, ultimate good.

#2 Jim in Alaska on 2024-02-06 14:01 (Reply)

"Our English bibles are titled 'Holy Bible,' so it matters. Might be a translation from Latin or Greek or something, but from what?"

It's a translation of Latin Biblia Sacra, which is feminine singular but began as neuter plural, a direct translation of Koine Greek neuter plural ta biblia ta hagia ("[the] holy books"); the singular form of biblia is biblion (book). It was the Jews who first used the term ta biblia ("the books") in Greek to describe their Bible and associated writings, later picked up and adapted by the nascent Christian church.

Because the Latin neuter always ends in -a, and thus looks like a singular feminine ending, it was common in Medieval Latin - under the influence of the emerging Romance languages - to reinterpret neuter plurals, e.g., biblia ("[the] Bibles") as feminine singulars e.g., biblia ("[the] Bible").

#3 JJM on 2024-02-06 14:34 (Reply)

Oops!

Make the beginning of that third line:

"Because the Latin neuter plural always ends in -a"

#3.1 JJM on 2024-02-06 14:37 (Reply)

Set apart. Separate. Other. As in the old Buddhist formula: "neti, neti" i.e. not this not that, something utterly other. Tertium quid (neither A nor B, but a third thing) Like nothing else, etc.

#4 mharko on 2024-02-06 14:42 (Reply)

Timothy Keller:
https://lifecoach4god.life/tag/tim-keller-on-holiness/

#5 Airdropsoup on 2024-02-06 14:52 (Reply)

"Holy" and "sacred" are both used to denote setting something specially aside for God, as in "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Anything set aside in this manner can lead us into the error of idolatry or superstition, as we confuse the trappings of the reservation for its underlying goal.

That doesn't mean the the fear of idolatry should cause us to abandon consecration altogether. C.S. Lewis had useful advice on the need to find a sane middle ground between irreverence and idolatry. If we abandon the need to consecrate some times or things, and are not very careful, we'll drift into vulgar irreverence. Conversely, if we obsess over the rituals of consecrating some times or things, and are not very careful, we'll drift into idolizing frippery.

Christ was sometimes exasperated equally by the deadness of conscience that led people to neglect to worship, and by the superficiality that could tempt people to forbid rescuing a donkey from a pit on the Sabbath. We often need guideposts or rituals to keep us on track, but we also need to beware mistaking their surface traits for their purpose.

#6 Texan99 on 2024-02-06 14:54 (Reply)

I have followed your blog/webpage for years. Thanks for the insightful postings and comments.
As for Holy, I am posting a link that handles the question simply and in a concise way. Give credit to whom credit is due.
https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-the-biblical-definition-of-holy/

#7 Mike Wakefield on 2024-02-06 15:04 (Reply)

Separated from sin. Only God is perfectly holy.

#8 Stargazer on 2024-02-06 15:49 (Reply)

Whose God do you mean? Mussi, Hindi, Christi, or

#8.1 RL on 2024-02-06 23:22 (Reply)

Doesn't matter which. God is God, no matter what you call him.

#8.1.1 RebeccaH on 2024-02-07 10:55 (Reply)

He is Holy, uncorrupted, undefiled, clean, pure, complete, whole, not mixed, that is how His holiness was taught to me in the Protestant Faith. Some of the old Mosaic Laws on not mixing certain items schooled us to keep the Faith and Doctrine simple, not mixing and diluting the finished, complete and holy work of Christ now our school master. Be ye holy because I am Holy. I cannot think of any objects, buildings or things that are holy outside of Christs finished work in his people.

#9 Grandmas Shoes on 2024-02-06 16:28 (Reply)

Ditto to what mharko said. The intrinsic idea is "set apart" and "wholly other." Leviticus 19:1 is the key biblical text for the concept: "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." God is "wholly other," completely "set apart" from all that is worldly, wicked, unrighteous, unjust, etc. We are to be as much like God as we can. Closely related is the concept of the distinction between the "sacred" and the "profane" where "profane" means that which is "common." To he holy is to be "special," not "common," in the sense that God is special, like no one and nothing else.

#10 Basil on 2024-02-06 16:51 (Reply)

Exvcellent comments, but I still do not know what word was translated as "holy"

#11 Bird Dog on 2024-02-06 17:21 (Reply)

"I still do not know what word was translated as 'holy'"

The sacra in Biblia Sacra. Latin adjective sacer means "sacred, holy".

#11.1 JJM on 2024-02-06 19:03 (Reply)

Bible comes from Greek Biblios. So, why not consider the Greek word "holos", meaning whole, unbroken. Thus the Holy Bible is the "whole book", the full story? Not too scholarly, but...?

#11.2 JL on 2024-02-08 19:48 (Reply)

Kadosh (hebrew) translated as "holy."
It's hebrew origins mean, set apart, sanctified (see mircea Eliade's Sacred and Profane) generallly meaning either a special place or time.

Kadesh Hakodashim, referred to teh inner sanctum of the Temple. ONly the chief priest could enter and only once on Yom Kippur. He had to cleanse himself in hte immersive Mikveh . A rope was tied to his ankle, because if he were not holy enough and pure enough, he would be struck dead in the inner sanctum . Since no one could enter, he would have to be dragged out dead.

#12 ns on 2024-02-06 17:35 (Reply)

So in the Hebrew Bible - Old Testament to me - holy means special, set apart?

Does that idea differ from all of the other "pagan" religions? Only priests could enter the inner sanctum of Apollo.

#12.1 Bird Dog on 2024-02-06 18:21 (Reply)

Only priests could enter the temple of Yahweh, also; and only the high priest, once a year, into the holy of holies. Some Orthodox Jews to this day will avoid going to the top of the Temple Mount because they can't be 100% sure where the actual sanctuary was, and don't want to accidentally enter the forbidden area.

Ancient Judaism had a lot in common with the pagan practices of their neighbors, and indeed, with the practice of Hindus to this day.

#12.1.1 Janet on 2024-02-07 06:30 (Reply)

Bird Dog,
Durkheim (hisgrandfather was a rabbi, I think, or a cantor)
first pointed out that ALL religions have sacred vs. profane places (and times). All religions. Eliade documented this eveen among "primitive" religions such as shamanism.
think of your church. It is a holy place; one wouldn't consider doing "profane:things there, such as having intercourse in the pews or pissing on the alter. /These would be desecrations.
It fits with our need to find holy vs. profane in our daily lives. One Freud's ideas about the function of religion (in addition to decreasing aggressive acts, per Freud)

#12.1.2 ns on 2024-02-08 12:23 (Reply)

More specifically, it means "dedicated" or "devoted" - set apart for a specific purpose.

#12.2 Ben David on 2024-02-08 13:34 (Reply)

Rudolf Otto had an interesting and influential take on the subjective experience:
The Idea of the Holy
https://ia902901.us.archive.org/8/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.22259/2015.22259.The-Idea-Of-The-Holy.pdf

#13 James the lesser (Link) on 2024-02-06 20:14 (Reply)

If you want to look at the New Testament, the original was written in Koine Greek. The Greek word that is normally translated into English as "holy" is ἅγιος (hágios) which you can find as https://biblehub.com/greek/40.htm. Like the Hebrew, this means "set aside" so it is not for common use, but rather is set aside for divine use. If you want a simple, single word literal translation, "separated" might work.

#14 Jonathan Reece on 2024-02-06 20:31 (Reply)

Lincoln uses the verb form of holy, that is to “hallow” in the Gettysburg Address:
“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.”
He seems to use it to mean dedicate, consecrate for a sacred purpose - as others have commented.

#15 David Rader on 2024-02-06 23:18 (Reply)

I think you'll get farther if you stop trying to define it and look for descriptions of the experience.

When you are exposed to holiness, you will hit the floor and start worshipping. You will immediately feel your own unworthiness and start repenting of things.

See Isaiah's awareness of his own unclean lips, Moses face shining from being with God, no man has seen God's face in th flesh and lived, Peter confessing that he's a sinful man, every angel telling people not to fear, the transfiguration where Jesus is in inconceivably white linens and Peter starts babbling, or the whole notion that heaven won't need light because it just shines from God.

Holy means burningly pure and awesome to the degree that you feel like you're going to die just looking at it.

#16 Tim on 2024-02-07 14:33 (Reply)

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Tuesday, February 6. 2024

I need help from readers with a few spare minutes