Understanding Biblical Law
Skills for Thinking With and Through Torah
About
We tend to be perplexed by the psalmists who express delight in God's laws. We see biblical law as a long list of rules with harsh punishments, and the more we read the biblical law within modern legal frameworks, the stranger it appears. We are too estranged from its world, aims, and concerns to see its beauty and wisdom.
In Understanding Biblical Law, Dru Johnson reorients the reader to see biblical law through ancient Israelite eyes. He deconstructs common myths regarding biblical law and shows how it often differs significantly from both modern law and ancient Near Eastern law. Johnson weaves in an ancient murder mystery between chapters to show how ancient Israelites could have reasoned with and through Torah to solve real-life problems. He then demonstrates how we can do the same by discerning biblical law's literary and historical contexts, appreciating its sophisticated wisdom, and distinguishing it from our modern legal notions.
This book is engaging and accessible for undergrads and laypeople but robust enough for seminarians. Johnson demonstrates a skill-based approach for interpreting Old Testament law and uses examples to encourage readers to practice these skills for themselves.
When we enter the biblical world, we see with the psalmists the beauty and sophistication of Israel's laws and discover a rich resource for thinking about the law's theological implications for Hellenistic Judaism, the New Testament, and readers today.
How to Read This WEIRD Book
1. Entering an Ancient Legal World
Episode 1: Dead Man Walking
Part 1: Reorienting to Biblical Law
2. Our Legal Culture Interferes
Episode 2: The Roof
3. Myth-Busting the Biblical Law
Episode 3: Running From and Through the Law
Part 2: Exploring the Genius of Biblical Law
4. Biblical Law Is Strategically Different
5. Biblical Law Includes Just Rituals
Episode 4: We Can't Offer Sacrifices
6. Biblical Law Reasons with Us
7. Biblical Law and Narrative
Episode 5: The Investigation
Part 3: Thinking with Biblical Law
8. Ancient Context Skills for Thinking with Biblical Law
9. Literary Skills for Thinking with Biblical Law
Episode 6: The Hearing
10. Theological Skills for Thinking with Biblical Law
Episode 7: The Verdict
A Brief List of Further Reading
Index
Endorsements
"Dru Johnson's Understanding Biblical Law presents a creative, timely, and entertaining remedy for widespread misguided readings of biblical law. By masterfully weaving a gripping fictional narrative into an informative and well-written guide to biblical law, Johnson develops a synergy that captivates his audience and functions as a pedagogically effective tool for all types of readers. Understanding Biblical Law is a must-read for anyone interested in acquiring the necessary tools to interpret and apply the heart of biblical law in modern times."
Dominick S. Hernández, associate professor of Old Testament and Semitics, director of Talbot en Español, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
"We have had a number of important books published on biblical law, not least from within a Christian framework, but none are as reasonable or as clever as this new volume by Dru Johnson. That is likely because Johnson himself is exceedingly both reasonable and clever--and wise to boot. I know of precious few who read or write as widely as he, and here he puts all of us in his debt by deploying his intellectual prowess with his pedagogical acumen to produce a wonderfully insightful and engaging, yet simultaneously remarkably lean, treatment of biblical law in its vast depth and breadth. This is the ideal textbook for classroom use."
Brent A. Strawn, D. Moody Smith Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and professor of law, Duke University
"Dru Johnson's Understanding Biblical Law offers a fresh and engaging way to approach the Torah's legal texts by combining ancient context, storytelling, and thoughtful reflection. This book challenges common misunderstandings and shows how biblical law shapes a just and caring community. Perfect for undergraduate students, seminarians, pastors, teachers, and interested lay readers, this book equips readers with practical tools to think deeply about Torah's guidance and its relevance for today's world."
Cynthia Shafer-Elliott, associate professor of Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, Baylor University
"In Understanding Biblical Law, Dru Johnson clears the modern fog surrounding ancient legislation, guiding readers to see Torah not as a harsh legal code but as a profound moral vision. By reentering the ancient Israelite world, he brings the law down from Sinai once more--not just the commandments but the cloud-wrapped scholarship too--making its thought world accessible and its insights illuminating for all."
Joshua Berman, professor of Hebrew Bible, Bar-Ilan University
"Short and sweet but nuanced and insightful, this is the introductory textbook I've been seeking. Understanding Biblical Law immerses students in the world these laws actually served, training readers to think differently about an oft-misunderstood corpus. Without neglecting the literary norms of Torah, Johnson goes beyond discussing the genre of biblical law to uncover the logic of ancient Israel's legal traditions. Readers will learn to think outside of contemporary legal frameworks and appreciate anew the goodness of the God who gave this law to Israel."
Michelle Knight, associate professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
The Author
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Dru Johnson
Dru Johnson (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is Templeton Senior Research Fellow and director of the Abrahamic Theistic Origins Project at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford. He is also a visiting professor at Hope College, director of the Center for...
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