Transformasi Teologi Bait Suci: Pembentukan Spiritualitas dan Identitas Umat Allah di Era Digital dan Pascamodern

Abstract

In religious life, three core components are always present: the worshipping community, the divine object of worship, and the sacred space where worship is carried out. This study explores the function of the Temple in shaping both the spirituality and identity of God’s covenant people, with particular focus on the Israelites who regarded the Temple as the central place of worship to Yahweh. The theological background of this research lies in the Temple’s significance as the locus of divine presence, where Israel experienced God’s assistance, blessing, and peace. Constructed with utmost dedication, the Temple became a source of pride as well as the focal point of Israel’s religious identity. The study aims to investigate the Temple’s dual role: as a meeting place between God and His people, and as the communal center of worship. Methodologically, this research employs qualitative analysis of Old Testament texts, examining the theological meaning of the Jerusalem Temple. Findings indicate that the Temple held a pivotal role in nurturing Israel’s spirituality through sacred encounters with the manifest presence of God, while simultaneously forming collective identity as a covenant community through shared practices of praise, thanksgiving, and offerings. Thus, the Temple is understood not merely as an architectural structure, but as a theological symbol of divine presence that influenced Israel’s religious consciousness and communal ethics. The contribution of this study is to deepen the understanding of how sacred space informs the spiritual life and identity of faith communities within the Judeo-Christian tradition.