10 Commandments
A01=Dru Johnson
ancient Near East
Author_Dru Johnson
biblical
Category=QRAX
Category=QRMF1
Category=QRMF12
Category=QRVC
college
covenant
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
Genesis through Deuteronomy
Hebrew law
Hellenistic Judaism
historical
historical legalism
homophobia
incarceration
introduction
Israel
Israelites
legal reasoning
legalism
literary
misogyny
Moses
New Testament
Old Testament
penalty
Pentateuch
professor
prophets
Scripture
seminary
slavery
student
text
textbook
Torah
undergraduate
university
Product details
- ISBN 9781540967091
- Weight: 249g
- Dimensions: 140 x 216mm
- Publication Date: 25 Nov 2025
- Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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Southwestern Journal of Theology 2025 Book Award (Honorable Mention, Biblical Reference / Biblical Backgrounds)
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.
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.
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 Hebraic Thought, editor of the Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biblical Criticism series, and cohost of the OnScript podcast. His books include Biblical Philosophy and Human Rites: The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments. Johnson splits his time between Holland, Michigan, and Oxford, England.
