Description
Book SynopsisThe essays gathered here provide a panoramic view of current thinking on biblical texts that play important roles in contemporary struggles for social justice – either as inspiration or impediment. Here, from the hands of an ecumenical array of leading biblical scholars, are fresh and compelling resources for thinking biblically about what justice is and what it demands. Individual essays treat key debates, themes, and texts, locating each within its historical and cultural settings while also linking them to the most pressing justice concerns of the twenty-first century. The volume aims to challenge academic and ecclesiastical complacency and highlight key avenues for future scholarship and action.
Trade ReviewThis volume is a witness not only to Donahue’s enduring legacy to the field of biblical studies but also to the importance of scripture in the task of approaching social justice today. Each chapter serves to remind the reader of the fundamentally political nature of the Bible and the enormous potential that critical and thoughtful biblical study continues to offer to the immediacy and urgency of the most trenchant social issues of our day. From abortion, same-sex marriage, colonialism and empire to racism, slavery, and mass incarceration – these chapters demonstrate that rereading scripture from a new perspective or with a different lens can often serve to reframe how we think about a contemporary social problem in profound ways. -- Rebecca Todd Peters, Elon University
This volume on scripture and social justice is a tribute to the lifetime of work in this area by John R. Donahue, and a treasure trove of insightful essays for any interested in the relationship of the Bible to Christian moral life. Led by Donahue's own remarkable article on the Bible and Catholic social teachings, a cast of many of the most distinguished scholars working in this area offers essays organized into selections from the Hebrew Scriptures and from Early Christianity. The result is a volume that should be on the shelf of every scholar or church leader who believes that the biblical witness is more than ancient history but is a contemporary resource for the moral life of the modern church. -- Bruce Birch, Wesley Theological Seminary
Table of ContentsIntroduction - Gregory E. Sterling and Anathea E. Portier-Young 1.Companions on a Journey: The Bible and Catholic Social Teaching - John R. Donahue, S.J. 2.What are Biblical Values? - John J. Collins 3.The Psalms and the Poor - John Endres, S.J. 4.The Ethics of Survival in the Book of Lamentations: Trauma, Identity, and Social Location - Corrine Carvalho 5.Preaching Justice from the Old Testament - Anathea E. Portier-Young 6.Biblical Interpretation as Praxis of Justice: “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant…” (Mark 10:43) - Gina Hens-Piazza 7.Remembering the Loaves - Stephen P. Ahearne-Kroll 8.Deities in Disguise: The Care of Strangers as a Criterion for Discipleship - Gregory E. Sterling 9.Johannine Ethics and Ethical Discourse - Harold W. Attridge 10.Teaching in Early Christianity - Adela Yarbro Collins 11.Of Broken Bread and Bread Crumbs Alike: Nepantlas Sharing the Eucharistic Table - Julia D. E. Prinz
