Description
Book SynopsisWhat is the real meaning of ''an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth''? Where did the idea for the ''Jubilee 2000'' and ''Drop the Debt'' campaigns come from? And what, really, are the ''Ten Commandments''? In God, Justice, and Society, Jonathan Burnside looks at aspects of law and legality in the Bible, from the patriarchal narratives in the Hebrew Bible through to the trials of Jesus in the New Testament. He explores the nature of biblical law, legal thinking, and legal institutions by setting the biblical texts in their literary, social, and theological context.Burnside questions the biblical texts from the perspective of an academic lawyer and criminologist and asks what the biblical materials contribute to our understanding about the nature and character of law. He examines much of biblical law and narrative that has formed the basis of Western civilization, while at the same time exploring differences between biblical law and modern legal concepts and legal assumptions. The re
Trade ReviewIt is a well-researched and well-argued text, which gives a detailed, and at the same time comprehensible, account of the nature of Biblical law, its interpretation and operation and the possible ways it might have shaped, challenged, and continues to challenge, modern legal approaches to a range of legal subjects. This makes the book essential for law students, legal historians and theologians. * Rebecca White, Oxford Journal of Law and Religion *
Table of ContentsContents Contents Acknowledgements How to use this book Timeline Introduction: The horizon of biblical law Chapter One: The Character of Biblical Law Chapter Two: A Deal With God Chapter Three: Beyond Sinai Chapter Four: Justice as a Calling Chapter Five: Humanity and the Environment Chapter Six: People and Land Chapter Seven: Social Welfare Chapter Eight: Homicide and Vengeance Chapter Nine: Theft Chapter Ten: Marriage and Divorce Chapter Eleven: Sexual Offences Chapter Twelve: New Laws for a New Age Chapter Thirteen: The Trials of Jesus Conclusion: Law in the purpose of God Bibliography
