The Theology and Ministry Program of the School of Humanities invites you to the oral defense of the Ph.D. Dissertation entitled “THE NEW PRIEST: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF CHRIST’S PRIESTHOOD AND HIS ONCE-FOR-ALL SACRIFICE IN HEBREWS 9:1–10:22 IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DAY OF ATONEMENT” by Fr. RYAN JANELLE A. SALVACION (Archdiocese of Palo) on 19 March 2025, Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. at the Tipanan ni San Ignacio, DLC 201, 2/F Dela Costa Bldg., Loyola School of Theology. The Board of Examiners is composed of Markus Locker, Ph.D. (Adviser), Fr. Felipe Fruto Ramirez, S.J., S.T.D. (Second Reader/Principal Examiner), Fr. Oliver Dy, S.J., S.T.D., Ph.D., Fr. Renato Repole, S.J., S.T.D., and Fr. Rex Fortes, C.M., S.Th.D., Ph.D. The defense is being held in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Theology concentrating in the field of Biblical Theology. It is open to the public.
Abstract: The present study is entitled, “The New Priest: A Biblical Theology of Christ’s Priesthood and His Once-For-All Sacrifice in Hebrews 9:1-10:22 in the Context of the Day of Atonement.” In recent biblical studies, there is a gap or lacuna that needs to be addressed regarding the lack of research on the contextual utility of the Day of Atonement allusions in the Letter to the Hebrews to better explain why the priesthood of Christ is new, and how His sacrifice, in the language of the Author of the Letter to the Hebrews is ἐφάπαξ – once-for-all. The present study attempts to answer the following queries concerning the topic:
1. What makes the priesthood (ἱερωσύνη) of Christ and His once-for-all (ἐφάπαξ) sacrifice new vis-à-vis the Old Testament priesthood (Λευιτική ἱερωσύνη) and sacrifices (πολλάκις)?
2. How may the context of Yom Kippur ( יוֹם כִּפּוּר ) help readers of the New Testament better understand Christ’s new priesthood and His once-for-all sacrifice in Hebrews 9:1-10:22?
3. What Yom Kippuric high-priestly actions of Jesus contained in Hebrews 9:1-10:22 might support the notion that the Day of Atonement ritual serves as the background for a more substantial and perceptive interpretation of the passage, resulting in a Biblical theology of Christ’s priesthood and His sacrifice?
4. What is the apt and the correct way to understand the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus? Is it simply synonymous to His Passion and Death on Good Friday as often construed by many people? Or does it have a wider scope, i.e., His Paschal Mystery (Jesus’ Passion, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Enthronement in heaven)?
The main aim of this study is to explain the novelty of Christ’s priesthood and the meaning of His once-for-all sacrifice as contained in Hebrews 9:1-10:22 vis-à-vis the priesthood and sacrifices of the Old Covenant. Furthermore, this study aims to expose that the Day of Atonement ritual is not only a possible, but the fitting and plausible contextual key to better understand and explain the truth that Christ is the new and definitive high priest who offered His once-for-all sacrifice for the salvation of humanity.
