1st Edition

Justice The Biblical Challenge

By Walter J. Houston Copyright 2010
    192 Pages
    by Routledge

    192 Pages
    by Routledge

    What does the Bible have to say about justice, and what relevance has this for people, particularly Christians, today? 'Justice: The Biblical Challenge' offers readers a balanced assessment of the biblical treatment of justice and what we might learn from this. The book opens with a brief overview of the differing social contexts which shaped how people thought about justice in biblical times. The examples of justice are grouped under three key narratives: the story of creation (justice as cosmic order), the story of the Exodus (justice as faithfulness), and the story of Israel (justice as a community of equals). The story of Jesus in Mark is then examined as exemplifying all three narratives. The book then applies these biblical stories to the world we live in now, applying an innovative 'justice audit' which uses the three biblical narratives of justice as yardsticks. The book concludes with an exploration of how readers might apply the ideas raised in the book to working for justice.

    1. Justice and the Bible 2. The Ancient Social Contexts 3. The Story of Creation: Justice as Cosmic Order 4. The Story of the Exodus: Justice as Faithfulness 5. The Story of Israel: Justice as a Community of Equals 6. The Story of Jesus: Justice in Practice 7. The Story of Our World 8. Our Story: Doing Justice in Our World Bibliography

    Biography

    Walter J. Houston is a minister of the United Reformed Church, an Emeritus Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford, and an Honorary Research Fellow in the Centre for Biblical Studies at the University of Manchester.