Understanding Old Testament Ethics: Approaches and Explorations

by John Barton

How can we best understand the different ways in which ethical issues are addressed in the Hebrew Bible? And how might that understanding usefully inform ethical decision making in our own day? These are the two key questions explored by John Barton in Part One of this study, in which he looks at how the Bible's narratives, as well as its collections of laws, oracles and wisdom writings, all contribute to our understanding of the whole. In Part Two, he focuses on the moral vision of the Prophets--especially Amos, Isaiah and Daniel--providing the reader with the fruits of his research in this area over the last few decades. The result is a book that enables students of the Bible, Ethics, and other theological disciplines to firmly grasp the main issues at stake in current scholarly debate about the ethical legacy of the Old Testament.

Genres: Old Testament

228 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

John Barton is Oriel & Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture, University of Oxford. His publications include The Theology of the Book of Amos (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and Oracles of God: Perceptions of Ancient Prophecy in Israel after the Exile (2007).

For the Canadian poet, see John Barton.

Reviews

[Caleb Rolling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good panoramic view of Old Testament ethics; each essay hits on something different. The first three essays are especially good and useful—maybe even worth the price of the book. However, not all of these essays are equally insightful, and some are beginning to show their age (the book was published in 2003, and the essays were originally published between 1978-2001). Even Barton himself has published additional works in subsequent years on ideas he proposes himself in this collection. On some matters, one ought to consult his more recent work before turning here. Those points aside, this is a good introduction and survey for studying Old Testament ethics.