03: Leviticus

Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker reveals why Leviticus matters today. Discover how its call to holiness touches every part of life—from loving neighbors to caring for creation.

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People often call Leviticus the most neglected book in the Bible. And for good reason. Its detailed laws about sacrifices, skin diseases, and clean and unclean animals can feel tedious and irrelevant. But in this episode of The Bible in a Year podcast, Dr. Kathryn Schifferdecker reveals Leviticus’s profound message. Dr. Schifferdecker is Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. At the heart of Leviticus lies this call: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” This call to holiness doesn’t demand a holier-than-thou attitude. Instead, it invites us to live with integrity in every aspect of life. This means examining how we treat our neighbors and welcome strangers. It includes how we use our bodies and care for the land. Dr. Schifferdecker guides us through the structure of Leviticus, including the Holiness Code in chapters 17-26. She explains how this ancient book addresses a fundamental question. How can a holy God dwell among imperfect people?

The conversation tackles some of Leviticus’s most challenging passages. This includes the laws about sexuality in chapters 18 and 20. It also explores the powerful commands in chapter 19 to love your neighbor and the foreigner. Dr. Schifferdecker emphasizes that holiness touches every part of life. It extends beyond worship and sexual ethics to justice in the marketplace. It includes treatment of immigrants and care for creation. She offers practical advice for reading this difficult book. She recommends study Bibles and commentaries by scholars like Samuel Ballentine and Mary Douglas. Ultimately, she presents the call to holiness as both command and promise. Through the Holy Spirit’s work, God transforms us into the people we are called to be.

Featuring

Kathryn Schifferdecker

Kathryn M Schifferdecker is Professor and Elva B. Lovell Chair of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 2001, Schifferdecker was associate pastor for five years at Trinity Lutheran Church, Arkdale, Wisconsin, before coming to Luther in 2006. Schifferdecker is a frequent contributor to Working Preacher, Word & World, and the author of "Out of the Whirlwind: Creation Theology in the Book of Job" (Harvard University Press, 2008). She is currently writing a commentary on the book of Esther.

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Hosted By

Katie Langston

Katie Langston is a doubter by nature and a believer by grace. She grew up Mormon in a small Utah town and still isn't sure she fits in anywhere sophisticated enough to have a Target. She's the author of Sealed: An Unexpected Journey into the Heart of Grace, an acclaimed spiritual memoir about her conversion to orthodox Christianity. Katie is Pastor of Mission and Outreach at New Promise Lutheran Church in St. George, Utah. From 2020-2025, she was the director of digital strategy for Luther Seminary's innovation team, where she oversaw digital projects aimed at cultivating vibrant Christian spirituality in a post-modern, post-Christian cultural context.

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Kristofer Phan Coffman

Kristofer Phan Coffman is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Religion and Cultures at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Kristofer is, to the best of his knowledge, the first Cambodian to receive a doctoral degree in any aspect of biblical studies or the study of the ancient world. He brings his own experience as a first generation Cambodian-American to his readings of the biblical text in an effort to help readers reframe their reading of ancient texts as a cross-cultural interaction, hoping to build skills both for the reading of the biblical text as well as the modern task of relating to people from cultures different than their own. In addition to his work in the New Testament, Kristofer writes on food, farming and sustainability. His first book, Harrowing the Gospels: A Cambodian (American) Rereading of Agriculture in Mark and Matthew will be published in the Brill Biblical Interpretation Series in Fall 2025, and he is currently writing a book on reading the Bible with cultural sensitivity for Baker Academic.

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About The Bible in a Year Podcast

This podcast guides you on a journey through the books of the Bible, providing insights on how Scripture can shape your life today. Each episode focuses on one or two books of the Bible in fun, engaging, and authentic conversations between Luther Seminary faculty and guest Bible scholars who are experts on the book(s) in question. Join us as we make our way through the Bible in a year — new episodes drop every Wednesday in 2026!