God And Earthly Power: An Old Testament Political Theology: Genesis-Kings

by James Gordon McConville

In "God and Earthly Power" J. G. McConville considers the nature of human power in the light of belief in God. The Bible, and especially the Old Testament, is relevant to the question, not least because perceptions about the use of power in relation to God are often derived correctly or incorrectly from it. This book thus aims to address a world in which God's power is often invoked, from quite different quarters, in order to justify political and military action.

McConville's interpretation of the Old Testament focuses on Deuteronomy and the narrative in which it is set, because these are especially fruitful for political thinking. His case is argued for both exegetically and in relation to the actual use of the Old Testament in the history of political thought. McConville's core argument is that divine power, mediated through Torah, results in human freedom and a mandate for the political responsibility of citizens. Indeed, it is even the best guarantee of these. .

Genres: Theology

200 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1992

About the author

J. Gordon McConville is Professor of Old Testament Theology at the University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, England.

Reviews

[James Harmeling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vital resource for my doctoral dissertation. I appreciate McConville's historicist position on the OT text and his view on creationist theology. He then reads the text of Gen-Kings documenting Israel's political structure and the divine intent. This book is good because it provides an overarching perspective of OT theology sadly lacking in many scholarly works. This drives the study purposely and makes sense of the big picture of God's rulership.